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The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is a statewide
historical society A historical society (sometimes also preservation society) is an organization dedicated to preserving, collecting, researching, and interpreting historical information or items. Originally, these societies were created as a way to help future g ...
in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
. Headquartered in
Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
, GHS is one of the oldest historical organizations in the United States. Since 1839, the society has collected, examined, and taught Georgia history through a variety of educational outreach programs, publications, and research services.


History

Founded in 1839 in
Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
, the Society is the oldest continuously operating state historical society in the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
and one of the oldest historical organizations in the United States. Founders include
John Macpherson Berrien John Macpherson Berrien (August 23, 1781January 1, 1856) of United States senator from Georgia and Attorney General of the United States during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Early life and education Berrien was born on August 23, 1781 at ...
, Richard D. Arnold, Eugenius A. Nisbet, Thomas Butler King, William Bacon Stevens, Israel K. Tefft,
James Hamilton Couper James Hamilton Couper (March 5, 1794 – July 3, 1866) was an American planter and slaver who at his peak controlled more than 1,500 slaves.Bagwell, James (2002). ''Rice Gold: James Hamilton Couper and Plantation Life on the Georgia Coast''. Macon ...
, Edward Padelford, Mordecai Myers, Alexander Smets and James Moore Wayne.


Mission statement

The Georgia Historical Society is an independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history.


Facilities

Georgia Historical Society's main campus is located in Savannah,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
's oldest city, and is divided into a research center and an education center, reflecting the twin pillars of the Society's mission: education and research. The Society's Research Center is housed in W. B. Hodgson Hall at 501 Whitaker Street in Savannah. Built for the Society in 1876, and named for William B. Hodgson, American diplomat, Savannahian, and 25-year Curator of the Society, Hodgson Hall features high vaulted ceilings and decorative ironwork. The building was designed by
American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to s ...
founder Detlef Lienau and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. The Abrahams Archival Annex, named for Savannah lawyer Edmund H. Abrahams, was added in 1970 to hold the Society's archival collections. In 2011, the Society purchased a neighboring historic property to house its expanding staff. The Jepson House Education Center, built in 1856 and named for Savannah philanthropists Robert S. and Alice Jepson, houses the executive and administrative offices of the Society and serves as its headquarters.[ The Georgia Historical Society completed a large-scale renovation and expansion project of its Research Center in 2021. The project included a new archival wing as well as renovated and reconfigured spaces for archival processing, digitization, and specialized storage. The Society also has an office in Atlanta.


GHS Research Center

The Georgia Historical Society is a research center and operates a research library for the benefit of the public. Within the Society's library and archives is the oldest collection of materials related to Georgia history in the nation, including 5 million manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, 25,000 architectural drawings, 20,000 rare books, and thousands of maps, portraits, and artifacts representing every section of the state and every era of its history. As both a Branch Repository of the Secretary of State's office and a private institution, GHS works in tandem with the Georgia State Archives, which collects and makes accessible official government records that are property of the state of Georgia. It is the responsibility of GHS to do the same with private manuscripts and private sector materials belonging to individuals, businesses, and organizations that are not generated by and do not belong to the state of Georgia. Each year thousands of scholars, teachers, students, genealogists, historic preservationists, journalists, lawyers, judges, film and documentary makers, government and private sector leaders from around the world access this material, either on site or online, in order to discover the past and better understand the present. The library and archival collections are used for a wide variety of public research purposes, including writing history books and articles, tracing ancestry, preserving historic buildings, student projects, classroom teaching, crafting legislation and preparing legal decisions, creating documentaries and television programs, and investigative journalism.


Today in Georgia History

Today in Georgia History are daily 90-second video segments focusing on an event or person associated with a particular day in Georgia history. They are written, researched, and hosted by Dr. Stan Deaton and the Georgia Historical Society, and produced and broadcast by, Don Smith, Keocia Howard, Bruce Burkhardt, and
Georgia Public Broadcasting Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) is a state network of PBS member television stations and NPR member radio stations serving the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, an agency of the ...
.


Georgia History Festival

The Georgia History Festival is a K–12 educational program put on by the Society and consists of six months of events (coinciding with the traditional academic school year) to commemorate and study Georgia's history. It is held annually around the anniversary of the founding of the colony of Georgia on February 12, 1733. Festival events include a kickoff lecture, Colonial Faire & Muster, Super Museum Sunday, Georgia Day Parade, and the Trustees Gala.


Georgia Trustees

The Georgia Trustees is an award given by the Georgia Historical Society, in conjunction with the
Governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legis ...
, to individuals whose accomplishments and community service reflect the ideals of the founding body of Trustees, which governed the Georgia colony from 1732 to 1752. Trustees are inducted each February at the Trustees Gala in Savannah. Recipients include Bernard Marcus, Marguerite Williams,
Hank Aaron Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. One of the gre ...
,
Ted Turner Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he ...
, Vince Dooley, Sam Nunn, Tom Cousins, Andrew Young, Truett Cathy, Herman J. Russell, Arthur Blank,
Billy Payne William Porter Payne (born October 13, 1947) is the former chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, having served in that position from 2006 to 2017 and overseeing the introduction of the first women to the club's membership rolls. He was Managin ...
, Alana Shepherd, Paula Wallace, James Blanchard,
Muhtar Kent Ahmet Muhtar Kent (born December 1, 1952) is a Turkish-American business executive. He was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Coca-Cola Company. He became CEO in 2008, and chairman in 2009. In December 2016, Coca-Cola announce ...
, F. Duane Ackerman, A.D. "Pete" Correll, Ed Bastian, W. Paul Bowers,
Dan Cathy Daniel Truett Cathy (born March 1, 1953) is an American businessman. He is the Chairman of the Board and VP of fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, which was founded and expanded by his father, S. Truett Cathy. He has a net worth of $7.1 billion as of ...
, and
Shirley Franklin Shirley Clarke Franklin (born May 10, 1945) is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party who served as the 58th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, from 2002 to 2010. She currently serves as a member on the board of directors for both Delta ...
.


Georgia historical marker program

Since 1998 the Georgia Historical Society has administered the
Georgia Historical Marker A Historic marker is an "Alamo"-shaped plaque affixed to the top of a pole and erected next to a significant historic site, battlefield or county courthouse. In the state of Georgia there are roughly 2,000 historic markers. Kevin Levin of the ...
Program. Since that time, GHS has erected nearly 300 new historical markers (black with silver lettering and the Society's seal on top) across the state on a wide variety of subjects. The program operates through partnerships with local community, government, civic, and religious groups throughout Georgia and with the support of the
Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are direct ...
through limited funding for new marker projects. Erecting new historical markers is a competitive, application-based process in which the cost of each new marker is shared between the Society and the sponsor(s) of each successful marker application. The approval process involves an independent Marker Review Committee that meets once annually to review submitted historical marker applications. GHS also coordinates the maintenance for more than 2,100 markers installed by the State of Georgia prior to 1998. These older markers date back as early as the 1950s and are typically green and gold with the seal of the State of Georgia on the top of the marker plaque.


Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program

The Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Fellows program honors Vince Dooley for his lifelong commitment to history and higher education. As a longtime member and former Chairman of the Georgia Historical Society’s Board of Curators, Coach Dooley has demonstrated his strong belief in and support of the Society’s mission as a nationally-recognized research and educational institution. The Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program is designed to accomplish two goals consistent with Coach Dooley’s life and legacy: recognizing senior scholars in the field of history and mentoring and developing emerging historians. Individuals designated as Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellows of the Society are national leaders in the field of history as both writers and educators whose research has enhanced or changed the way the public understands the past. In addition to their outstanding scholarship, Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellows have served the Georgia Historical Society as faculty in teacher training seminars, as lecturers, as consultants, or in a similar capacity. Being designated as a Dooley Distinguished Fellow recognizes and formalizes the relationship forged through this service. The Dooley Distinguished Research Fellows Program will also mentor the next generation of historians by giving younger scholars the opportunity to conduct research for a specific period of time in the vast collection of primary sources at the Georgia Historical Society Research Center. The research is expected to lead to a major piece of scholarly work such as: a dissertation, a book, an article in a refereed scholarly journal, a chapter in an edited collection, or an academic paper presented at a scholarly conference. The Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program permanently associates Coach Dooley’s name with outstanding historical research and scholarship through the ongoing recognition of Teaching and Research Fellows. The Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program has been established by the GHS Board of Curators and is supported by an endowment funded by friends and admirers of Vince Dooley. Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellows Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellows are national leaders in the field of history as both writers and educators whose research has enhanced or changed the way the public understands the past. In addition to their outstanding scholarship, Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellows have served the Georgia Historical Society as faculty in teacher training seminars, as lecturers, as consultants, or in a similar capacity, advancing the mission of the institution. Being designated as a Dooley Distinguished Fellow recognizes and formalizes the relationship forged through this service. David W. Blight of Yale University, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (Simon & Schuster) was inducted as the inaugural Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellow in 2018.
Rick Atkinson Lawrence Rush "Rick" Atkinson IV (born November 15, 1952) is an American author, most recently of ''The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775–1777'', the first volume in the Revolution Trilogy. He has won Pulit ...
, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, was inducted as a Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellow in 2019. Dooley Distinguished Research Fellows The Dooley Distinguished Research Fellowships are intended to assist scholars in gaining access to and conducting extensive and intensive research specifically in the GHS Research Center collections. Research Fellowships will support scholars from outside the Savannah area engaged in graduate-level, post-doctoral, and independent research. These Research Fellowships will be awarded through an application process. Applications are for on-site research in the collections of the Georgia Historical Society and are intended to support expenses while Research Fellows conduct research at GHS. Research Fellows have access to the GHS Research Collections, including manuscripts, photographs, architectural drawings, rare and non-rare books, and thousands of maps, portraits, and artifacts.


Affiliate chapter program

The Georgia Historical Society's Affiliate Chapter Program is a statewide network designed to help local historical organizations, through workshops on the care of historical records and artifacts, consultation visits by Society staff, technical assistance, subscriptions to GHS publications, publicity, and awards in recognition of outstanding achievements. The program was started in 1996 as part of the "Initiative 2000," which sought to redirect the Society toward broader statewide service. The network includes nearly two hundred local historical organizations throughout the state of Georgia and beyond. Affiliate membership is open to all not-for-profit organizations whose mission is consistent with that of the Georgia Historical Society. Members include historical and genealogical societies, commissions, museums, foundations, archives, preservation organizations, churches, and patriotic organizations.


Publications

The ''
Georgia Historical Quarterly The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is a statewide historical society in Georgia. Headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, GHS is one of the oldest historical organizations in the United States. Since 1839, the society has collected, examined, and ta ...
'' has been published by the Society since 1917 and contains scholarly articles and book reviews on Georgia and Southern history. The journal received a Governor's Award in the Humanities in 1999. The Society also publishes a newsmagazine, ''Georgia History Today'', for its members that focuses on popular subjects in promoting history around the state. Headlines is the biweekly newsletter of the Georgia Historical Society and can be subscribed to through the website at www.georgiahistory.com "Off the Deaton Path" is a blog by Senior Historian Dr. Stan Deaton.


See also

* Mary Lane Morrison, former curator of the GHS


References

Albert S. Britt Jr., ''Overture to the Future at the Georgia Historical Society'' (Savannah: Georgia Historical Society, 1974). W. Todd Groce, "Hodgson Hall at One Hundred and Twenty-five," ''Georgia Historical Quarterly'' 87 (spring 2003): 88-119.


External links

* *
Spanish-American War in Georgia
* Hathi Trust
Georgia Historical Quarterly
{{Authority control State historical societies of the United States 1839 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) History of Georgia (U.S. state) Organizations based in Savannah, Georgia Historical societies in Georgia (U.S. state)