By W. Todd Groce, PhD

This February marks 30 years since I became CEO of the Georgia Historical Society.

I vividly remember delivering my first report at the annual meeting in spring 1995. The operating budget for FY1994 was approximately $165,000 and total revenue was about $200,000. The endowment stood at $1 million. Total assets were approximately $2 million.

Our two most important programs and services, the Research Center and the Georgia Historical Quarterly (GHQ), were being operated by the State of Georgia and had been for decades. With a few exceptions, the board was composed primarily of college professors and other history professionals. Beyond sending out a notice for renewal of membership dues, no funds were raised.

Our campus included one building, Hodgson Hall and the adjacent Abrams Annex. There was no Atlanta office and little presence outside of Savannah.

What we possessed was the foundation for growth: an amazing library building, a fabulous archival collection—and lots of ambition.

Fast forward three decades and you find an institution completely transformed. Revenue for FY2024 exceeded $5 million and operating expenses were about $4.3 million. The endowment has grown to just under $23 million with an additional $8 million in outstanding pledges and verified bequests. As of June 30, total assets were approximately $33.4 million.

The Research Center and the GHQ are once again under our direction after two voluntary privatizations. Another private-public partnership, the Historical Marker Program, is one of the most significant ways we teach history. Our portfolio of services includes nearly a dozen new programs, such as the Georgia History Festival, the Trustees Gala, the Dooley Distinguished Fellows, the Civil Rights Trail, Today in Georgia History, and the Business History Initiative, just to name a few.

Today, our board is composed of the top business leadership in the state, including the current or past CEOs of corporate giants UPS, Home Depot, Gulfstream, Georgia Power, and Chick-fil-A. College professors are still involved, but now they serve as members of the GHQ editorial and historical marker review boards, and as lecturers, writers, researchers, and consultants.

We now have an office in Atlanta. Indeed, there is no place in the state where GHS does not have a presence, thanks to historical markers in all 159 counties. Our Savannah campus has three buildings, including an administration building (Jepson House Education Center) and an expanded, state-of-the-art Research Center with four linear miles of storage capacity.

When I look back at those three decades since my first report, the constant factor in our success is the people who have been involved. Every year, dedicated individuals have made a difference.

Thanks to the continued generosity of our many donors and institutional partners, as well as the leadership and hard work of our board and staff, we continue to grow financially, to teach history to a record number of teachers, students, and adults, and to build one of the most important archival collections in the nation.

To our members, supporters, and friends, let me say thank you. If not for you, there would be no Georgia Historical Society. The success and growth of the past 30 years belongs to you. I am grateful you’ve allowed me to join you on this remarkable journey. And there is still so much left to accomplish.

So, let’s keep charging!