Mission

Founded in 1839 with the mission of collecting, examining and teaching Georgia and American history through education and research.

History

 

Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1839, the founders of the Georgia Historical Society included some of the most distinguished statesmen, intellectual and visionary leaders of the day: U.S. Attorney General John Macpherson Berrien; American Medical Association founder Dr. Richard D. Arnold; U.S. Congressmen Eugenius A. Nisbet and Thomas Butler King; planter James Hamilton Couper; and U.S. Supreme Court Justice James Moore Wayne, among them. Honorary members included four U.S. presidents: John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and William Henry Harrison.

 

 

To forge a link between themselves and the earliest days of the state, the founders adopted as the Society's logo the old colonial seal used by Georgia's founding trustees. And to demonstrate their commitment to public service, they took as a motto the latin phrase employed by the trustees more than a century earlier: "Non Sibi, Sed Aliis" - not for self, but for others.

 

Throughout its history the Society has collected, preserved, and shared some of the most important documents, rare books, maps, photographs, and artifacts that tell the story of our state's journey through time. The cornerstones of the collection are Hodgson Hall , the National Historic Landmark building that is the GHS headquarters, and the impressive group of manuscripts, rare books, and archival materials housed there.  The Society's library and archives contain diaries, personal letters, ledger books, minute books, account books, church records, and many other primary sources related to Georgia and Georgians.

 

In addition to housing one of the finest collections of Georgia material available anywhere, the Society has an impressive list of programs, publications, and other activities that have statewide impact. These include the scholarly publication The Georgia Historical Quarterly; the history newsmagazine Georgia History Today; lectures by noted historians and authors; membership programs and tours; statewide assistance in preserving local history through its Affiliate Chapter and Historical Marker Programs; and the Georgia History Festival's education programs.

 

For more information on the history of the Georgia Historical Society click here.