Open for Research: New Collections Available Now

The Russell Library is pleased to announce the opening of 10 new collections. These diverse collections include material for researching:

• The protection of civil liberties and the legal, social and cultural impact
• The 1946 Moore’s Ford Lynching and its investigation
• The role of Georgia agriculture in influencing state and national policy
• The importance of travel and tourism to Georgia’s economic development
• Issues important to Georgians during the Civil Rights and Vietnam War eras
• Gubernatorial politics in the 1950s and 1960s
• Community engagement in small-town Georgia

To explore these subjects and more, see the descriptions below and follow the links for complete collection guides.

American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia Records, 1938-2014 (bulk, 1975-2000)
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1963 that is focused on protecting civil liberties in the state of Georgia. The records document their litigation and lobbying work, the subjects that they are concerned with, and their daily operations and include correspondence, case files, research files, and publications. Common subjects include the criminal justice system, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and assembly, LGBT rights, open government, racial discrimination, and student and juvenile rights.

D.W. Brooks Papers, 1900- 1999 (bulk, 1950-1990)
D. W. Brooks (1901-1999) was a farmer and cooperative executive, running the Cotton Producers Association (later renamed Gold Kist) as well as insurance companies for farmers. His papers document his businesses and Georgia agriculture, as well as his service to the U.S. government, several universities, and the Methodist Church. The papers include correspondence, business and committee reports, meeting materials, and subject files.

J. Phil Campbell, Sr. Papers, 1908-1944 (bulk, 1940-1944)
The J. Phil Campbell, Sr. Papers document his work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and include correspondence, materials related to the National Honors Extension Fraternity Epsilon Sigma Phi, reports about soil conservation, histories that Campbell wrote about the USDA, and clippings about his life and career.

Glenn W. (Jack) Ellard Papers, 1921-2001 (bulk, 1970-1991)
Glenn W. (Jack) Ellard (1912-2001) served as Clerk of the Georgia House of Representatives (1959-1991). His papers document his career, World War II service, and family, and include correspondence, clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, awards, and militaria.

Myles Godfrey Collection of Georgia Political Materials, 1945-1984
The Myles Godfrey Collection of Georgia Political Materials includes photographs, ephemera and correspondence related to Georgia Governor Eugene Talmadge, U.S. Senators Richard B. Russell and Herman Talmadge, and Max Cleland as Georgia Secretary of State.

Marvin Griffin Papers, 1946-1982 (bulk, 1954-1962)
Marvin Griffin (1907-1982) served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of the State of Georgia (1948-1955; 1955-1959). His papers include speeches, campaign files, clippings, correspondence, photographs, and audiovisual materials.

Bill T. Hardman, Sr. Papers, 1960-2009 (bulk, 1961-1970)
Bill T. Hardman, Sr. (1926-2013) served as Georgia's first tourism director (1959-1970). His papers document his work to promote Georgia tourism throughout the United States and abroad and include news clippings, photographs, scrapbooks and printed material.

Samuel J. Hardman Research Files on the FBI Investigation of the Moore's Ford Lynching, 1946-2015 (bulk, 1946-1947)
The Samuel J. Hardman Research Files on the FBI Investigation of the Moore's Ford Lynching includes researcher Hardman's redacted copies of FBI documents related to the investigation (1946-1947). Also included are files related to the 1991 reopening of the case as well as Hardman’s article about the lynching.

S. Fletcher Thompson Papers, 1967-1971
S. Fletcher Thompson served as a U.S. Representative (1967-1973) and as a Georgia State Senator (1965-1967). His papers document his congressional career, including material related to the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Era, and Republican Party politics.

Winterville Marigold Festival Records, 1971-2015
The Winterville Marigold Festival is an annual event held in Winterville, Clarke County, Georgia that started in 1971 to celebrate the community and raise funds for city improvement projects. The records consist of planning documents, promotional materials, scrapbooks, photographs, T-Shirts, posters, and digital files.

UGA Special Collections Libraries to Host Spring Exhibits Reception

The Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries at the University of Georgia will host its bi-annual reception celebrating new exhibitions April 14 at 5:30 p.m. The event will include live music from local band Hog-Eyed Man; a custom print station operated by Double Dutch Press; light refreshments and gallery tours. The reception is free and open to the public.

RSVP to lnessel@uga.edu or call 706.542.3879. For more information about the Special Collections Libraries call 706.542.7123 or visit www.libs.uga.edu/scl 

Exhibitions highlighted include:

“The Greatest Bulldog of Them All: Dan McGill,” examines the legacy of the longtime UGA tennis coach, sports information director and creator of the Bulldog clubs. Included in the display are materials donated to the Hargrett Rare and Manuscript Library by Magill’s family, and materials loaned to the Hargrett Library by the ITA Tennis Hall of Fame Museum. Tennis rackets, rarely seen photographs, and ephemera from a life dedicated to the service of the University of Georgia make up the exhibit.

“Seeing Georgia: Changing Visions of Tourism in the Modern South,” explores the state’s transformation from a way station along the route to Florida into a tourist destination all its own. The exhibit highlights six popular sites in Georgia and considers questions of access, preservation, and economics. A replica roadside stand, 1920s gas pump, as well as historic photographs, postcards, and other ephemera set the scene and invite visitors to explore the tourist experience over the course of the 20th century.

“Selections from the Georgia Disability History Archive,” highlights the establishment of the Georgia Disability History Archive at the Richard Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. A powerful collection of artifacts, documents, and ephemera tell the story of disability advocacy in Georgia. Topics addressed include initiatives for education and awareness to end employment discrimination; housing and transportation accessibility; and challenges facing disabled veterans attempting to receive adequate support and healthcare.

“John Abbot, Early Georgia’s Naturalist Artist,” showcases the works of an Englishman who arrived in Georgia in 1776, hoping to jump-start a career as a natural history illustrator. Abbot intended to return to London after he had made enough drawings to establish his career. Instead he remained in rural Georgia, where he continued to collect and draw insects and birds into his 80s, producing more than 7,000 watercolor drawings. The display includes watercolor illustrations from the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript collections, along with drawings on loan from other institutions. The exhibit celebrates the 20th anniversary of the James W. Woodruff, Sr. Center for the Natural History of Georgia.

"Celebrating 75 years of excellence: The George Foster Peabody Awards" looks at the origins and evolution of this most prestigious Georgia institution through founding documents and highlights from the Peabody Awards Collection.

"Olympic Legacy" celebrates the 1996 Olympics, spotlighting events in Athens as well as Atlanta. The exhibit combines materials from the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscripts Library, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection to explore the lasting impact of this international celebration on Georgia today.