The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies is pleased to announce that the Truitt/Billings Family Papers are now open for research. S.D. Truitt served as a county extension agent in Georgia from 1917 to 1966. This collection focuses primarily on Truitt’s career, his involvement in civic life, and his family’s involvement with the Fulton County 4-H camp. The collection also contains materials documenting the career of Truitt’s son-in-law, Ray Henry Billings, a communications engineer who played a role in designing a new 911 system for the Atlanta Police Department in 1974. The Truitt/Billings Family Papers provide a rich portrait of family life in Georgia in the mid-twentieth century.
This collection contains clippings, photographs and awards received by S. D. Truitt over the course of his career. Truitt was so committed to his profession as an extension agent that when the opportunity arose in 1930 to move up to the position of county manager of Hancock County, he chose to forgo the promotion and sizable pay raise in order to stay close to his agricultural roots. His commitment and hard work were rewarded with the American Hereford Association’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Achievement for Rural Youth in 1958 and the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Superior Service Award in 1959.
“As I know you are aware,” he wrote, “these papers are extremely voluminous, comprising several hundred packing cases. Much work on these papers remains to be done, in terms of classifying and in determining the disposition of purely personal or sensitive materials. It was impossible to examine the papers in this light prior to their being gathered and packed for shipping.”
Above: BarbouraRaesly surveying the "voluminous" papers of the late Senator Russell. Today, the Richard B. Russell, Jr. Collection consists of: 3,535 boxes of manuscript materials, 2,876 titles (i.e. books), 458 Audiovisual items, over 4,500 photographs, 143 scrapbooks, and 715 artifacts. Whew!
Talmadge went on to suggest that it would serve the interests of the Russell Foundation, as well as the future library, to hire Miss BarbouraRaesley to help with the initial sorting of the papers. “This work, of course, can best be accomplished by a knowledgeable person who is familiar with the Senatorial business of the late Senator Russell,” Talmadge wrote. He could think of no one better suited to the task.
Talmadge received overwhelming support for his suggestion on the new hire. A letter from Fred Davison, then President of the University of Georgia, to Talmadge on March 27, 1971 indicated that things were moving quickly. He assured Talmadge that “the employment and living situation for Miss Raesly seem to be in the process of settlement.”
And so it began that Miss Raesly came to be hired by the Foundation. Correspondence reveals that in 1973 she was offered a one year contract to continue her work, and that she played a pivotal role in organizing the dedication ceremony of the Russell Memorial Library in the summer of 1974.
Post by Jan Levinson, Assistant Outreach Archivist, Russell Library
Democracy's Challenge: How can we reclaim our public role? When: November 19, 2010, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Where: Russell Library Auditorium, West Entrance, Main Library, UGA campus (detailed directions below)
For more information, just call (706) 542-5788 or email jlevinso@uga.edu.
In looking forward to our move to the new special collections building, I’ve been thinking a bit about how the Russell Library got its start. I had a notion to look through some of our photograph files that document the library’s early days and found some real gems to share! As we look forward to our next big step, we’ll use the blog to take a look back to how it all began.
The Richard B. Russell Memorial Library was established in 1974; the original mission of the institution was to collect and preserve materials documenting the life and career of the late Richard B. Russell, Jr. who represented Georgia in the U.S. Senate from 1933 until his death in 1971. However conversations about creating the library, in some form, date back to 1958. In that year W.P. Kellam, then Director of Libraries at the University of Georgia, wrote a letter to Senator Russell thanking him for a recent donation of books and documents and suggesting that the Library, “would like very much to have your correspondence, addresses, records, etc., when you get ready to dispose of them.”
Over the course of the next decade, Senator Russell wavered back and forth over the idea of donating his papers to the University Library, committed to the idea but worried that in practice his papers might get lost in the shuffle of everyday operations. Then in 1969 William Norton, a Gainesvile attorney and friend of the Senator, suggested a new scheme for the donation: the formation of a private foundation and establishment of a separate library for the papers, affiliated with a university. Inspired by the Everett Dirksen Library, a center for congressional study in Illinois founded on the papers of Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, Norton wrote to Russell. He described that institutions like the Dirksen were dedicated to maintaining “a record of the life and influence of these individuals upon the affairs of government to better understand the times and events during which their influence were prominent.” Norton’s suggestion appealed to Russell and set in motion the establishment of the Richard B. Russell Foundation and a collaboration with the University System of Georgia Board of Regents and the Georgia General Assembly. This collaboration resulted in the Richard B. Russell Memorial Library at the University of Georgia, but we'll talk more about the Foundation and their next steps in the next post.
For now, a few photographs in November 1971:
Below: Barboura G. Raesly, Senator Russell's personal secretary, stands by the construction of the annex to the Main Library building. The bottom floor of the annex became the Richard B. Russell Memorial.
Below: Ms. Raesly stands in the interim storage area with Senator Russell's papers.
A Conversation & Oral History with Timuel Black When: Tonight! November 15th, 5:00-6:00PM Where: Russell Library Auditorium
Be a part of history! Join us tonight at the Russell Library for a conversation and oral history with Mr. Timuel Black, civil rights activist, interviewed by Dr. Derrick Alridge (Director, African American Studies Institute, UGA).
A well-known Chicago activist, Mr. Black was a social worker and teacher who worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Birmingham and Chicago during the civil rights movement. He later played a pivotal role in organizing the black community in Chicago to elect Harold Washington as mayor. At age 91, Mr. Black continues to be active in politics and remains one of the most respected public figures in Chicago.
How to Find the Russell Library The Richard B. Russell Library (www.libs.uga.edu/russell) is located in the University of Georgia Main Library Building just off South Jackson Street in Athens, GA. Parking is available in the North Campus Parking Deck also on South Jackson St. Athens Transit and UGA Bus Service both serve the main library via the bus boarding zone on South Jackson Street.
The Russell Library maintains its own entrance on the West side of the Main Library building. Follow the path/steps down the right side of the main library building (the west facing side) and down the stairs to access our door. If you need handicapped access, please go to the main entrance of the Library and check in at the security desk.
For more information on tonight's event, call 706-542-5197 or email afam@uga.edu. Or, download a pdf of the event flyer here.
Democracy's Challenge: How can we reclaim our public role? When: November 19, 2010, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Where: Russell Library Auditorium, West Entrance, Main Library, UGA campus (detailed directions below)
About this month’s forum on partisanship and polarization... "There's a feeling of dissatisfaction in the country. People are fed up with politics turned into blood sport and frustrated that they can't seem to make progress on public problems. Many feel besieged by a coarsening of culture and find that they are less inclined than ever to trust each other. As a result, Americans by the millions are turning away from public places like the proverbial town square where people come together to solve problems. Turning away from the public square hasn't left most Americans feeling any better. The bonds that knit us together are frayed. Whether it's Washington D. C. or on Main Street, we're pulling apart from each other. Politics has hardened into a partisan divide that fewer people are willing to cross. Polls show that people are suspicious of others' motives, and fearful of strangers. We live such separate lives that our neighbors are often strangers. " [excerpted from the National Issues Forums Institute's Democracy's Challenge Issue Guide]
A Different Kind of Talk… In this community forum we will explore this complex issue by working together to understand the issue better. With help from trained neutral moderators we will look at several possible approaches to meeting the challenges posed by the current fragmentation of public life in the United States and consider both the benefits and consequences of each approach, as well as possible trade-offs. Finally, we will explore possible actions that might make a positive difference in our community. Throughout the forum we may find some areas of agreement among us, just as we will likely clarify areas where our beliefs and perspectives differ greatly. This robust and civil threshing of the tough public issues that we face is the foundation for vibrant and resilient community.
About the issue guide… This forum will use the deliberative issue guide developed by the National Issues Forums Institute in association with the Kettering Foundation. If you are interested in learning more about the issue before the forum, you can watch a short overview video HERE.
How to Find the Russell Library (Parking, Bus access, walking) Russell Library (www.libs.uga.edu/russell) is located in the University of Georgia Main Library Building just off South Jackson Street in Athens, GA. Parking is available in the North Campus Parking Deck also on South Jackson St. Athens Transit and UGA Bus Service both serve the main library via the bus boarding zone on South Jackson Street.
The Russell Library maintains its own entrance on the West side of the Main Library building. Follow the path/steps down the right side of the main library building (the west facing side) and down the stairs to access our door. If you need handicapped access, please go to the main entrance of the Library and check in at the security desk.
For more information about this forum, please contact Jill Severn at 706-542-5766 or jsevern@uga.edu. For more information about Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia, visit www.libs.uga.edu/russell/rfclg
We were saddened today to learn of the passing of Reid Harris, who died on October 16 at his home in St. Simons Island, GA. Mr. Harris, a state legislator in the 1960s, was the author and driving force behind the Coastal Marshland Protection Act, a major piece of environmental conservation legislation, as well as one of the key engineers of legislative independence in 1966-1967.
The database was originally launched in 2002, three years after Baldowski deeded the remainder of his cartoon to the Russell Library upon his death in 1999. The digital database contains approximately 2,600 cartoons from the collection. Clifford H. Baldowski, known by the pen-name "Baldy," depicted the local, national, and international news of his day in the editorial pages of the Augusta Chronicle, Miami Herald, and Atlanta Constitution. The database is located at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/baldy/index.html?Welcome. For more information on use of the cartoons, contact russlib@uga.edu.
Post by Abby Griner, Access and Electronic Records Archivist, Russell Library
RUSSELL FORUM FOR CIVIC LIFE IN GEORGIA presents...
Friday Informal Community Forum Topic:Who is College for? Date: October 22, 2010 Time: 3:30-5:00 p.m. Location: Russell Library Auditorium, West Entrance, Main Library, UGA campus
About this month’s forum on higher education… Today there is a growing belief that everyone who wants access to college can have it. College enrollments have continued to grow for over half a century and now most American families dream of a college education for their children. Americans have great regard for colleges and universities, but recently, there is indication that our national commitment to higher education may be fading. As states struggle with budget crises, state support for public colleges is declining and tuition is rising. Some states do not have sufficient capacity to serve the students who want to enroll. More and more students attend college part time, bear a greater share of the cost of education than ever before, and subsequently assume higher levels of debt.
Based upon current census data and enrollment trends, greater than 2.3 million more students will attend college by 2015. Our current system is not prepared to meet the growing demand. As it stands, colleges and universities will be forced to make difficult decisions about who should come to college. When spaces are limited, what are the most equitable ways to admit students?
Opportunity, fairness, and participation in "the American dream” are at the center of this issue. In an era when college is seen as an important path to economic success and civic leadership, yet access to college may be limited, we are forced to ask the question: Who is college for?
A Different Kind of Talk… In this community forum we will explore this complex issue by working together to understand the issue better. With help from trained neutral moderators we will look at several possible approaches to crafting a 21st century mission for public education and consider both the benefits and consequences of each approach, as well as possible trade-offs. Finally, we will explore possible actions that might make a positive difference in our community. Throughout the forum we may find some areas of agreement among us, just as we will likely clarify areas where our beliefs and perspectives differ greatly. This robust and civil threshing of the tough public issues that we face is the foundation for vibrant and resilient community.
How to Find the Russell Library (Parking, Bus access, walking) Russell Library (www.libs.uga.edu/russell) is located in the University of Georgia Main Library Building just off South Jackson Street in Athens, GA. Parking is available in the North Campus Parking Deck also on South Jackson St. Athens Transit and UGA Bus Service both serve the main library via the bus boarding zone on South Jackson Street.
The Russell Library maintains its own entrance on the West side of the Main Library building. Follow the path/steps down the right side of the main library building (the west facing side) and down the stairs to access our door. If you need handicapped access, please go to the main entrance of the Library and check in at the security desk.
What is the 21st Century Mission for Our Public Schools? September 24, 2010, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Russell Library Auditorium, UGA
Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia, a civic engagement program of the Russell Library hosts community deliberative forums on a monthly basis to explore challenging public issues in a deliberative, civil way. About this month’s forum on public education… This month’s informal forum discussion asks us to consider what the 21st century mission of public schools should be. From the very start, Americans have held widely divergent views on issues related to public schools. Many of these have to do with the methods by which we achieve an educated society. Key questions related to this issue include:
• How do we ensure that our schools are accessible to all children? • By what means do we hold students accountable for learning and schools accountable for teaching them? • What is the role of families in the education of their children? • What is the responsibility of schools in addressing social issues that affect their students? • What is the most efficient and fair way to fund public education?
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. This short document not only recites personal liberties but also lays out the basic functions and structures of government. The event that launched the first experiment in self-governance is now celebrated as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. This is the foundation for Congress Week, a national initiative of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. Right: Russell staff members showing their love for Congress Week!
This week, across the country, congressional papers and public policy centers like the Russell Library are celebrating this first Congress Week observance. It is the intent of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC) to promote a greater understanding of the Legislative branch of government – critical in the checks and balances outlined in the Constitution. Congress, often the object of scorn, distrust, and low scores in opinion polls, is also poorly understood by the American electorate. This coordinated effort at public programming will highlight the functions, relationships, structures, and limitations of the largest elected body in the land.
The ACSC, in promoting the study of Congress, has identified themes for Congress Week that invite exploration, discussion, and discovery. We believe the work of Congress cannot be fully appreciated without a forum for civil discourse. Our goals are to encourage civic engagement, inform the community and promote active participation in the political process. In keeping with the notion that “all politics is local,” ACSC encourages it members to tailor Congress Week events to their own resources and audiences.
The 2010 Congress Week Theme, Main Street to Capitol Hill, is about relationships constituents have with their delegation. Constituents range from the individual citizen and grass roots, single-issue interest groups to lobbyists representing state and local governments or industries and national political action committees. Constituents are everyone and anyone with a need or message to send to their congressional representatives.
Join the journey from Main Street to Capitol Hill! Passionate about an issue? Got an idea to fix gridlock or balance the budget? Explore the challenges and possibilities of representative government - take a moment this week to exercise your civic muscle and write your representative or pen an editorial for the local newspaper. Discover how to add historical gravitas to your prose, come by the Russell Library and check out over 40 congressional collections that cover tough public issues like health care, the economy, defense, education, and more. Discuss the issues - get civic by participating in one of the monthly community forums offered by the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia, a civic engagement initiative at the Russell Library. September’s forum topic is the 21st Century Mission of Public Education and will take place on September 24th at 3 p.m. in the Russell auditorium.
The Russell research room and the Russell Exhibit Gallery are open Monday-Friday from 8:30AM-4:30PM. For more information, call 706-542-5788 or email russlib@uga.edu.
What is the 21st Century Mission for Our Public Schools? September 24, 2010, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Russell Library Auditorium, UGA
Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia, a civic engagement program of the Russell Library hosts community deliberative forums on a monthly basis to explore challenging public issues in a deliberative, civil way. About this month’s forum on public education… This month’s informal forum discussion asks us to consider what the 21st century mission of public schools should be. From the very start, Americans have held widely divergent views on issues related to public schools. Many of these have to do with the methods by which we achieve an educated society. Key questions related to this issue include:
• How do we ensure that our schools are accessible to all children? • By what means do we hold students accountable for learning and schools accountable for teaching them? • What is the role of families in the education of their children? • What is the responsibility of schools in addressing social issues that affect their students? • What is the most efficient and fair way to fund public education?
A Different Kind of Talk… In this community forum we will explore this complex issue by working together to understand the issue better. With help from trained neutral moderators we will look at several possible approaches to crafting a 21st century mission for public education and consider both the benefits and consequences of each approach, as well as possible trade-offs. Finally, we will explore possible actions that might make a positive difference in our community. Throughout the forum we may find some areas of agreement among us, just as we will likely clarify areas where our beliefs and perspectives differ greatly. This robust and civil threshing of the tough public issues that we face is the foundation for vibrant and resilient community.
About the issue guide… This forum will use the deliberative issue guide developed by the Kettering Foundation. If you are interested in reading more about the issue, you can download the moderator’s guide fro free at http://store.nifi.org/guide/21st_century_mission_mg.pdf
How to Find the Russell Library (Parking, Bus access, walking) The Russell Library is located in the University of Georgia Main Library Building just off South Jackson Street in Athens, GA. Parking is available in the North Campus Parking Deck also on South Jackson St. Athens Transit and UGA Bus Service both serve the main library via the bus boarding zone on South Jackson Street.
The Russell Library maintains its own entrance on the West side of the Main Library building. Follow the path/steps down the right side of the main library building (the west facing side) and down the stairs to access our door. If you need handicapped access, please go to the main entrance of the Library and check in at the security desk.
Last year my colleague Jill Severn and I embarked on a new outreach experience – the Adopt-A-Class program. This is a relatively new program which brings Athens area business people into local middle schools to promote career education and development.
Now, I know what you’re thinking – since when is the Russell Library a “business”? Well, it isn’t exactly a traditional business, but it certainly has products and services and patrons, and is part of UGA. In addition to the Russell Library, there are representatives from lots of departments and programs at UGA that participate in AAC that reflect the innumerable kinds of jobs within a University community. The purpose of these visits, which happen once a month over the course of the school year is to introduce 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to a variety of career possibilities that they might not have heard of before. Through these interactions, the students learn that much of what they learn inside the classroom does have a real world application and, maybe even more importantly, that interests and talents in subjects at school can translate into a career after graduation from high school, college, or beyond.
What do we do in our hour long presentation for 6th grade classes at Athens-Clarke Middle School? Jill and I have developed a presentation that helps the students consider what it will take to obtain their “dream job.” We tell them a bit about what we do – which can be complicated to explain, as “archivist” (believe it or not) is not a traditional career path that the average middle-schooler is familiar with. We talk a bit about what we dreamed of doing at age 11 – lawyer, writer, veterinarian, actress, astronaut. And then we tell them about how we found out we loved history but didn’t want to teach in a classroom or do research full time. And then bam! We sort of used our likes and dislikes to find a career path we love that involves things we’re good at and enjoy doing. In addition to all the good, we’re also pretty frank about the pay scale – so we deliberate the tradeoffs that we face in our own work
After the overview (which likely takes less time to say than it did for you to read here) we use a dream job handout to help the students explore some basic questions about the job they hope to have. What will a typical day be like in this profession? Will you work with others or alone? Inside or outside? How much money would you expect to make? How much education do you need to be successful in this career? We ask for individual volunteers to tell the class about the career they’ve chosen and their answers for some of the questions on the sheet – usually with help from their classmates. Almost always, you can see light bulbs turn on in the room – realizations about what having that job might mean, what some of the benefits and tradeoffs might be.
The most popular dream job for students is that of a professional athlete (soccer/baseball/football/basketball) – especially among the young men in the room. As facilitators in this discussion, we encourage this interest, but also make sure to challenge some notions about becoming a professional athlete – particularly what happens if you become injured or just retire after a standard number of years (5-10) and are still looking to engage in a profession. We use the deliberative dialogue approaches we use with the Russell forum to help students weigh the tradeoffs and explore alternatives. We get them to consider what else can they could do that is related to sports if and when they can’t play anymore? And more light bulbs come on – coach, announcer, reporter, team owner, physical therapist, nutritionist...the list goes on and on once they get going. We like to think the key is just to help them start asking the right questions that connect their interests to the future, and end by giving suggestions for where to look for more information. Naturally, we promote visiting the local library! As well as shadowing, using search engines to browse, and asking their teachers and school administrators for advice on where to look next.
This past Tuesday (8/31) was our first session in our second year of Adopt-A-Class. We walked into the classroom with more confidence than last year and, as always, we walked out with a sense of accomplishment. We met future professional athletes, a future lawyer, a future FBI agent, a future fashion designer, a future paleontologist, and several future teachers, but alas no future archivists…yet! We have tweaked and tailored our presentation over the course of the year, but are still looking for new ways to engage with these students – whom we only see once during the year (a different 6th grade class each visit). We journey onward, but if anyone has creative ideas for career development in this setting, or you want more information about the Adopt-A-Class program, send us a note at russlib@uga.edu.
Post by Jan Levinson, Assistant Outreach Archivist, Russell Library
People write to their elected officials for any number of reasons, but often they write to ask for help – for their senator or congressman to step in on their behalf regarding a personal matter that requires government assistance. These personal requests from constituents are referred to as “case mail.” Due to the sensitive nature of these materials, case mail is restricted for 75 years from the date of creation in order to protect the privacy of constituents. Often, case mail is not even transferred to a repository along with the rest of a manuscript collection due to the storage space required to accommodate such large quantities of correspondence, which are subject to lengthy restrictions during which time no one is allowed to access the material. In light of all this, the opening of Senator Russell’s case mail from the early 1930s is a relatively unique event.
This portion of the Richard B. Russell Collection documents the issues that Senator Russell worked on during his term as Governor of Georgia and his early years in the U.S. Senate. Most dominant among the concerns expressed by his constituency in this period were those about unemployment and economic relief provided by federal organizations and New Deal programs. The majority of these letters are from Georgians asking the Senator for recommendations and help in securing federal positions and, to a lesser extent, recommendations for admission to military academies and universities. Many express a keen interest in New Deal projects that provided opportunities for work, including the Civil Works Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps, Public Works Administration, and Tennessee Valley Authority.
Other letters requesting relief were redirected by Senator Russell to various organizations such as the Red Cross, Federal Emergency Relief Administration, Georgia Emergency Relief Administration, or county-level organizations. These letters illustrate the overwhelming impact of the economy on an already struggling population in rural Georgia but also show the pride people expressed, even when asking for help. Many sought to find a position for themselves that could benefit the state – such as working in the Department of Agriculture to address the screw worm epidemic killing off cattle. Others suggested the creation of more rural mail routes in the state, on which they could be hired to serve.
Senator Russell also assisted Georgians with immigration issues. In one series of correspondence, the Senator aided a man trying to bring his French wife and child into the United States. In another, he corresponded with a Jewish medical student trying to leave Europe amid rising political tensions.
The case mail contained in the Russell collection provides a glimpse of a cross section of the events of the time. Local, national, and even international happenings are recounted through these personal stories and requests for assistance from people across the state.
The Russell Library is open for research from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, with the exception of University holidays. For further information on the case mail contained in the Richard B. Russell Collection contact russlib@uga.edu or call (706) 542-5788.
We were saddened to learn today of the passing of George T. Smith, accurately described by Jim Galloway as "the most versatile man in all of Georgia politics."
George Thornewell Smith was born in Camilla, Mitchell County, Georgia on October 15, 1916. He attended Middle Georgia College and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. In 1940, he joined the U.S. Navy, and after two years was placed on the Naval Land Force Equipment Depot. He left the military in 1945, and returned home. In 1948, he graduated from the University of Georgia Law School and went into private practice in Cairo, Georgia. He served as city attorney, county attorney, solicitor of the State Court, and attorney for the Grady County Board of Education.
In 1958, he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. In 1963, he was appointed speaker of the house. He successfully campaigned for lieutenant governor in 1966, but was defeated for reelection by Lester Maddox in 1970. Smith went into private practice in Marietta, Georgia, and made an unsuccessful run for governor in 1974. In 1976, he was elected to the Georgia Court of Appeals, and in 1980, he was elected Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Smith was the only man to serve in all three branches of the government – legislative, executive, and judicial. Until the time of his death, he served on the Executive Committee of the Appellate Judges Conference.
In 2009 the Russell Library and Bob Short interviewed Smith on his career in politics. In the interview Smith also talks at length about his service in World War II. The interview may be viewed here:
Just a reminder! August's informal forum event will take place this Friday, August 27th from 3-5PM at the Russell Library. This month’s discussion takes up the challenging issue of sprawl in American communities. (Sprawl is the term used to describe dispersed development outside of compact urban and village centers along highways and in rural countryside.) Across the country, American communities are under enormous stress. Cities are struggling to survive with fewer middle-class residents, older suburbs suffer from traffic congestion and creeping blight, and rural communities are often overwhelmed with explosive growth of new homes and malls. How can we strengthen our local communities facing such severe problems?
About the Issue Guide… This forum will use the deliberative issue guide developed by Public Agenda and the Kettering Foundation. If you are interested in reading more about the issue, you can download the moderator’s guide fro free at http://store.nifi.org/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5_38
How to Find the Russell Library (parking, bus access, walking) The Russell Library is located in the University of Georgia Main Library Building just off South Jackson Street in Athens, GA. Parking is available in the North Campus Parking Deck also on South Jackson St. Athens Transit and UGA Bus Service both serve the main library via the bus boarding zone on South Jackson Street.
The Russell Library maintains its own entrance on the West side of the Main Library building. Follow the path/steps down the right side of the main library building (the west facing side) and down the stairs to access our door. If you need handicapped access, please go to the main entrance of the Library and check in at the security desk.
How easy is it to have a conversation about race and ethnicity on a college campus? Do people always hold themselves back from expressing real opinions on this difficult topic for fear of insulting others? Or can they express themselves fully, even at the risk of a heated discussion over core values? On Thursday, August 5th moderators Jill Severn and Jan Levinson from the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia challenged a group of 28 of UGA’s residential advisors-in-training to tackle the topic of racial and ethnic tensions using the National Issues Forums issue guide “Racial and Ethnic Tensions: What Should We Do.” An hour and a half of dialogue left everyone in the room thinking more about these issues and how to cultivate more conversations on difficult topics with students on the UGA campus.
Establishing personal stake in the issue, participants moved quickly into talking about their own experiences on campus as well as in their hometowns. One student said he had often heard people say that UGA was desegregated in 1961, but that the school is still not integrated. Another student described his upbringing in racially divided cities like Savannah and Memphis and how those experiences helped him to appreciate the respectful atmosphere at UGA. Others expressed that while institutionally the University is adamant about equality for all students, socially the campus is still divided – creating tensions. Using this early conversation as a springboard, moderators moved into a discussion of the three approaches from the issue guide:
Approach 1: Look Beyond Race and Ethnicity In this view, we must focus on what unites us, not what divides us and provide equal opportunities for everyone. There has been much progress in bridging racial and ethnic divides, proponents of this approach say, and there will be even more if we eliminate racial preferences, which are unfair to everyone. We must also insist that recent immigrants assimilate rapidly.
Approach 2: Build Self-Identity First In this view we should acknowledge and accept differences, not blur them. The way to reduce ethnic and racial tensions is to first build racial and cultural identity. We will never learn to get along well with others until we first know who we are -- as individuals from different cultural backgrounds. We must allow minority communities and schools to set their own course, even if it means accepting some self-segregation.
Approach 3: Open All Doors to Everyone This approach calls for all of us to take an active part in finishing the job of integration. It is a job that we will have to work at by making continuous efforts to meet, talk with, and understand each other better. Proponents of this view oppose policies that encourage or accept racial or ethnic separation. Only through living, working and going to school together – and setting common goals through community dialogue – will prejudice subside.
To read the full report on this forum, CLICK HERE or visit the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia website. Thanks to our forum team - including volunteers Monica Pereira (recorder) and Nadine Cohen (observer) -- as well as our forum participants! And most of all to Kenya McKinley for inviting us to work with her staff during RA training. The discussion was great and we hope we'll have more chances to work with the folks in student housing again soon.
After a lengthy summer hiatus, we're back! Our feature this month centers on a relatively new addition to our collections, and item from the newly opened Zell Miller Papers.
Object: Lantern used to transport the 1996 Olympic Flame
Collection: Zell Miller Papers
The 1996 Olympic Games In 1987 Billy Payne, a successful Atlanta attorney, first conceived of bringing the 1996 Summer Olympic Games to Georgia. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Payne hoped that this opportunity would give the city a positive new image. He recruited mayor Andrew Young and together the men developed a proposal to sell local business leaders on the idea. In September of 1990 they pitched an extensive bid document to the International Olympic Committee. Nine years and several billion dollars of infrastructure later, the Olympics landed in Georgia.
Fire from the gods... The Olympic Flame, which commemorates the theft of fire from the Greek gods by Prometheus, has been a symbol of the Olympic Games since their beginning in ancient Greece. The modern torch relay used to deliver the flame from Greece to the host city, however, only began at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. That first relay lasted twelve days and included 3,000 torch bearers.
By the 21st century, the relay had become an economic opportunity, a series of media events sure to drum up interest for the Games in the host country and around the world. In 1996, the torch relay from Los Angeles to Atlanta lasted 84 days and included 10,000 torchbearers. The torch traveled by foot as well as by bike, seaplane, train, and steamboat – more than 15,000 miles through 42 states to its final destination. Research projected that the relay event would reach more than 180 million citizens and 34 of the top media markets in the country. On July 19, 1996 83,000 attendees watched as famed boxer Muhammad Ali served as the final torch bearer, delivering the flame to Olympic Stadium in Atlanta. This lantern, used to transport the flame from Greece to the United States, was given to Governor Zell Miller. The matching lantern was given to Billy Payne.
This “Outside the Box” object will be on display in the lobby gallery of the Russell Library, open 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, until September 30th. For further information on this feature, or the Zell Miller Papers, please contact russlib@uga.edu or visit http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell.
The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies is pleased to announce that the Zell Miller Papers are now open for research. Miller acted as Georgia’s longest-serving Lieutenant Governor from 1974 to 1990 before becoming Governor in 1990. After two terms as the state's chief executive, Miller served as a U.S. Senator from 2000 to 2004.
Zell Miller was born in Young Harris, Georgia on February 24, 1932 to Birdie Bryan and Stephen Grady Miller. He graduated from Young Harris College in 1951 and joined the United States Marine Corps from 1953 to 1956. After completion of his military service, he entered the University of Georgia where he earned a bachelor’s (1957) and master’s (1958) degree in history. In the fall of 1959, he accepted a position at Young Harris College teaching history and
political science.
Miller’s political career began in 1958 when he became mayor of Young Harris. In 1960 he was elected to the Georgia Senate. In 1964, he challenged incumbent Phil Landrum to represent Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District but was defeated. From 1964 to 1974 Miller held numerous appointed positions in state government which included work with the State Board for Children and Youth, the State Board of Probation, the Board of Corrections, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the Georgia Democratic Party. He also served as an aide to Governor Lester Maddox and later became his executive secretary.
Above: Both Tommy Irvin (center) and Zell Miller (left) were sworn in by Governor Lester Maddox (right) on the same day in 1969. Irwin was assigned the post of Commissioner of Agriculture and Miller was Maddox’s Executive Secretary.
In 1974, Miller was elected lieutenant governor and served four terms total. During his time in office he supported initiatives to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, to establish state-wide kindergarten programs, as well as efforts for campaign finance reform. He also worked to open previously closed senate committee meetings to the press and public. As lieutenant governor Miller and other top state officials engaged in trade missions to countries such as Germany and Japan to generate interest in capital investments in the state. In 1980, he ran for the democratic nomination for United States Senate and lost to incumbent Herman Talmadge.
Below: Miller holds a newspaper in front of the Georgia Legislature that heralds Georgia schools as 4th in the nation, 1997.
In 1990, Miller ran a successful campaign for the office of governor, defeating Andrew Young in the democratic primary and Johnny Isakson in the general election. Perhaps the most important reform of the Miller administration was the adoption of the state lottery. By law all lottery revenue had to be spent on education and Miller directed the funds generated to three main programs: the creation of the HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship, the establishment of a voluntary pre-Kindergarten program, and improvements in technology in the state's secondary schools and colleges.
In June of 2000, Republican United State Senator Paul Coverdell died in office and Governor Roy Barnes appointed Miller to the vacant seat in July. He won a special election in November of 2000 to remain in Washington, D.C. to finish Coverdell’s original term, promising to fulfill the late Senator’s conservative objectives. It is widely noted that Miller did this in his service in the Senate through his increased support of the Republican Party, which culminated in his keynote address at the 2004 Republican National Convention in support of President George W. Bush.
The Zell Miller Papers consist of office files and personal papers including correspondence, speeches, press releases, clippings, subject files, position papers, memoranda, photographs, publications, memorabilia and scrapbooks from Miller’s career, through his term as Governor.
Topics of particular interest include: changes in education in Georgia through the creation of the HOPE scholarship and a state-side kindergarten program, the creation of a lottery, trade missions to market Georgia overseas, advocacy for musicians and cultural heritage initiatives, promoting ethics in lobbying, changing the state flag, promoting land and water conservation, and abolishing tax on groceries.
On Friday, June 18th, just one day shy of the 145 anniversary of the day in 1865 that slaves in Galveston, Texas learned they were free, a small group of people from the Athens community and the UGA campus gathered to reflect on the historical questions of slavery and to consider how the values that animated 19th century Americans continue to do so today.
Using the deliberative issue guide developed by Franklin Pierce University's New England Center for Civic Life in conjunction with Douglas Ley, professor of history at Franklin Pierce, moderators Chase Hagood, a doctoral student in the history program at the University of Georgia, and Jill Severn, the director of the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia (RFCLG), guided the group through a robust, candid, and passionate threshing of the ways in which the past and the present continue to intersect and shape the future.
Hagood, whose research centers on the 19th century South, provided the group with a brief overview of the time period and the ideas and individuals who were at the center of the debates over slavery in the period before the Civil War erupted. This background was most welcome contextual information for the group and helped people unfamiliar with the specifics of the debates to connect with the issue.
The issue guide for the forum looks specifically at the Kansas-Nebraska proposal that repealed the Missouri Compromise and gave local settlers the right to determine whether or not slavery would be permitted. The guide raises three approaches considered by people in 1854 for contending with the problem of slavery and its future in the United States:
Approach One: Remember Our Ideals Slavery is a labor system involving the most fundamental rights of human beings. Therefore, all questions involving slavery are inherently moral questions. Maintain the Missouri Compromise restriction at all costs so as to prevent any expansion of evil and immoral slavery. Approach Two: Affirm Individual Choice Questions concerning slavery are political in nature. Slavery is a divisive issue and threatens to split the national political parties and even divide the nation itself. Give the local settlers the right to decide and remove the issue of slavery from the national arena.
Approach Three: Protect Our Prosperity Decisions regarding slavery should be based on economic considerations, since they affect everyone’s access to new lands and to economic resources. We need to focus on the nation’s economic well-being and ensure the development of a strong and prosperous society.
This month’s informal forum discussion takes up the challenging issue of sprawl in American communities. (Sprawl is the term used to describe dispersed development outside of compact urban and village centers along highways and in rural countryside.) Across the country, American communities are under enormous stress. Cities are struggling to survive with fewer middle-class residents, older suburbs suffer from traffic congestion and creeping blight, and rural communities are often overwhelmed with explosive growth of new homes and malls. How can we strengthen our local communities facing such severe problems?
A Different Kind of Talk… In this community forum we will explore this complex issue by working together to understand the issue better. With help from trained neutral moderators we will look at multiple approaches to the problem and consider both the benefits and consequences of each approach, as well as possible trade-offs. Finally, we will explore possible actions that might make a positive difference in our community. Throughout the forum we may find some areas of agreement among us, just as we will likely clarify areas where our beliefs and perspectives differ greatly. This robust and civil threshing of the tough public issues that we face is the foundation for vibrant and resilient community. About the Issue Guide… This forum will use the deliberative issue guide developed by Public Agenda and the Kettering Foundation. If you are interested in reading more about the issue, you can download the moderator’s guide fro free at http://store.nifi.org/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5_38
How to Find the Russell Library (parking, bus access, walking) The Russell Library is located in the University of Georgia Main Library Building just off South Jackson Street in Athens, GA. Parking is available in the North Campus Parking Deck also on South Jackson St. Athens Transit and UGA Bus Service both serve the main library via the bus boarding zone on South Jackson Street.
The Russell Library maintains its own entrance on the West side of the Main Library building. Follow the path/steps down the right side of the main library building (the west facing side) and down the stairs to access our door. If you need handicapped access, please go to the main entrance of the Library and check in at the security desk.
This blog features news and information on the activities of the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at UGA. Watch this space or subscribe to our feed for regular updates on new collections, exhibitions, projects, and programs, as described by the dedicated members of our staff! If you have questions or comments, please email ellettag@uga.edu.
The Russell Library blog reserves the right to remove inappropriate comments made on posts.
The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies is pleased to announce that the Truitt/Billings Family Papers are now open for research. S.D. Truitt served as a county extension agent in Georgia from 1917 to 1966. This collection focuses primarily on Truitt’s career, his involvement in civic life, and his family’s involvement with the Fulton County 4-H camp. The collection also contains materials documenting the career of Truitt’s son-in-law, Ray Henry Billings, a communications engineer who played a role in designing a new 911 system for the Atlanta Police Department in 1974. The Truitt/Billings Family Papers provide a rich portrait of family life in Georgia in the mid-twentieth century.
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