T. Rogers Wade, mentor and adviser to prominent Georgia politicians, has died

They weren’t just idle tales — Wade’s stories were rich in context and packed with information — and were punctuated by his infectious laugh. Those stories were but one facet of a career whose influence could be felt across the state.

Wade mentored generations of young Georgians — like Carr — seeking traction in politics and the business world and was an adviser to a host of the state’s political and business leaders.

In addition to telling Talmadge yarns, he was an advocate of education reforms and military affairs through the public policy foundation; an adviser to then incoming Gov. Nathan Deal; a lobbyist; vice chair of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents; and a tireless worker on behalf of the University of Georgia libraries.

Yet no glory hound was he.

“He just hated having his name in print,” said Kyle Wingfield, president and CEO of the public policy group and a longtime friend who says that Wade preferred to stay in the background.

Wade died Dec. 7 from complications of pneumonia. A memorial service was held Dec. 17. He was 84.

Devotion to duty and honor was a core of the curriculum during Wade’s years at the McCallie school in Chattanooga, then a military academy. That guided him toward a career in public service.

Wade was well-grounded in the ins and outs of the political game, but “he didn’t rant and rave and or have any wild theories he was spouting all the time,” said Deal.

Associates say his style was straightforward, putting forth well-crafted and fact-based positions and then reason toward compromise if need be. Wade was both kind and thoughtful in his approach.

And when he was in a meeting, “he would typically be the one who spoke the least, but when he spoke, everybody listened,” said Jay Neely, Wade’s godson and another mentee.

Adept at building relationships, he counted as close friends many of the state’s top political leaders, from Johnny Isakson to Richard B. Russell (both former U.S. senators).

Neely recalls deciding whether he should stay on the partnership track at a major Atlanta law firm or take an executive position at Savannah plane maker Gulfstream.

Wade told him “don’t overthink this. You can and should plan your career from now to where you think you’ll end up,” telling him to make a five-year plan that’s revised annually and to be nimble because “the only thing I can tell you for sure here is where you think you’ll be in five years is not where you will be,” says Neely.

Neely retired in May after a successful career with the aviation company.

Carr says Wade’s best advice was also related to his career, telling him he should take a job as Sen. Isakson’s chief of staff to “learn the process” and that if he performed his job well, “things will happen.” They did.

Along with developing a sense of duty, Wade’s school years also bred a love of history. He visited many battlefields and took detailed notes.

That interest sprang to renewed life as he became a member of the Richard B. Russell Foundation Board of Trustees, helping to advance their support of UGA library programs, including a key special collection chronicling the state’s political history.

And it reflected his desire that future historians have access to original documentation.

Also, under his watch, the public policy group began issuing an education report card, grading schools on academic performance.

Wingfield said Wade would tell him “if we could just get more kids to have a better education, then we can solve a lot of the rest of the problems we have as a state.”

Wade also proved a valuable resource for Deal, helping the governor steer the HOPE Scholarship through a period of deep financial trouble by cutting the program’s scope.

As a regent, he worked with University of Georgia President Jere Morehead toward establishment of a medical school at UGA.

Quiet and humble, he exemplified a political style that may be sunsetting.

“Rogers was a big believer in the idea that people should talk to each other,” said Wingfield. “That liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans needed to know each other better.”