Georgia Historical Society

Click image to read Georgia Trend's feature on the GHS

Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history.  GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.

Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1839, the Georgia Historical Society is the oldest continuously operated historical society in the South. As an educational and research institution, GHS teaches Georgia history through a variety of educational programs, scholarly publications, and research services. It publishes the award-winning Georgia Historical Quarterly (Georgia's journal of record since 1917), maintains a library and archives, manages the Historical Marker Program for the State of Georgia, produces the daily television and radio program Today in Georgia History (in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting), and organizes the annual K-12 education program Georgia History Festival. Headquartered in Savannah with an office in Atlanta, GHS has over 6,000 members and nearly 200 affiliates in 80 counties.

Library and Archives

The Georgia Historical Society is a major research center and houses the world’s oldest collection of material related to Georgia history.  The Society’s collection includes four million manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, 30,000 architectural drawings, 15,000 rare and non-rare books, and thousands of maps, portraits and artifacts, representing the collective memory of the state of Georgia and relating the stories of the state’s diverse people. The Library and Archives serves thousands of researchers from around the world, including the nation’s leading scholars whose work in the collection is used to produce cutting-edge research published in books, journal articles, and professional papers.  Personalized on-site and off-site research assistance is available to those interested in Georgia and American history.

Publications and Scholarship

GHS is the world’s oldest publisher of Georgia history.  Since 1840, when it published its first book, the Society has led the way in interpreting Georgia’s history through the printed word.  In addition to books, GHS has published The Georgia Historical Quarterly, the award-winning journal of record for Georgia and southern history, since 1917.  The Society also publishes Georgia History Today, a quarterly news magazine that examines the ongoing presence of the past.

   

Education and Outreach

Education forms the cornerstone of the Georgia Historical Society’s mission, and GHS is a leader in producing exciting and informative educational programming for school children and adults.  GHS partners with school districts statewide to produce high-quality programming for the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History grant and other programs.  GHS also works with university faculty to train teachers from across the nation through curriculum development and onsite workshops like the  Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Seminar grants awarded to GHS by the National Endowment for the Humanities.  The Society also organizes online exhibits, sponsors essay contests, provides curriculum content, and creates other teacher resources. 

  

Franklin Cromers Mill Covered Bridge

Historical Marker Program

GHS manages and is the granting authority for the Georgia Historical Marker Program.  Since beginning administration of this program in 1998, the Georgia Historical Society has erected more than 150 of these distinctive black and silver markers bearing the Georgia Historical Society seal at significant locations statewide.  Historical markers, which recognize people, places, and events are effective tools for economic development, connecting tourists and students of all ages to the places where history happened and encouraging local tourism and general state-wide interest.

Matthew Bernstein, Roy Barnes, Steve Oney, and Stan Deaton discuss the Leo Frank lynching during the 2009 Profiles program in Atlanta.

Programs and Events

Through a variety of programs, GHS brings history to life for audiences across the state.  The GHS lecture series and programs like the annual Profiles in Leadership event in Atlanta feature renowned authors and historians discussing timely and important topics in free public programs held throughout the year.  Also, in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting, GHS produces history content for “Cover to Cover” airing regularly on Georgia Public Radio. Each year, the Society also presents the Georgia History Festival , a two-week history education program that commemorates Georgia's founding in February 1733 and teaches Georgia history to tens of thousands of school children through in-school presentations, living history events, and the festive Georgia Day Parade.

Awards

The Georgia Historical Society recognizes selected individuals and organizations with an annual series of awards for noteworthy books, articles, programs, and service.

Baseball legend Hank Aaron, and entrepreneur and media giant Ted Turner at the 2010 Trustees Gala.

The Georgia Trustees

In 2009 the Georgia Historical Society, in conjunction with the Governor’s Office, reconstituted the Georgia Trustees as a way of recognizing Georgians whose accomplishments and community service reflect the highest ideals of the founding body of Trustees, which governed the colony from 1732-1752.  The induction ceremony for new Trustees is presided over by the Governor and takes place during the Georgia History Festival celebration each February.  Induction into the Georgia Trustees is the highest honor the State of Georgia can confer.  Inductees include Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, philanthropist Marguerite Williams, baseball legend Hank Aaron, entrepreneur and media giant Ted Turner, legendary UGA football Coach Vince Dooley, Senator Sam Nunn, Ambassador Andrew Young, and Tom Cousins.

 

Today in Georgia History

A joint collaboration of the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Public Broadcasting, Today in Georgia History is a new educational program that includes daily television and radio segments focusing on significant people and events associated with a particular day in Georgia history. Episodes begin airing daily September 1, 2011 on GPB.

The short segments are also available on the Today in Georgia History website, http://www.todayingeorgiahistory.org/. This interactive website allows you to access streaming audio and video of the episodes, as well as transcripts, tips for teachers, curriculum, writing prompts, review questions and discussion topics, classroom exercises, follow-up research topics and selected primary-source material. Together, these resources will reach students of all grade levels, cover all subject areas based on content, and will align with Georgia's social studies curriculum and performance standards.

This website is made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.  Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this site do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.