Atlanta in 50 Objects
A pink pig and a renegade cow. A movie prop and a Coke bottle. A Pulitzer Prize–winning book and a Nobel Prize–winning icon.
How do you tell the story of Atlanta in 50 objects? We decided the best experts were Atlantans themselves—residents who cheer the Braves and rue I–285 rush-hour traffic, who understand how Civil War losses and Civil Rights victories together helped forge the city’s unique identity. Atlanta History Center asked the public to submit what objects they think best represent their town. The parameters were broad: an object could also be a person, a place, an institution, or an idea. After receiving hundreds of submissions, History Center staff assembled a collection of fifty pieces that represent the themes identified by the public. In addition to items from our own collections, we have partnered with many local institutions and individuals to gather artifacts from around the city to tell this community–driven story.
Georgia State University
Founded in 1913 as the Georgia School of Technology’s Evening School of Commerce, Georgia State University now offers more than 250 degree programs with 100 fields of study.
In the fall 2015 semester, Georgia State enrolled 32,082 students. The University employs over 1,100 full-time faculty of which 61% are either tenured or on a tenure track.
As the university has grown, so has its physical presence in downtown Atlanta. In 1982, the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium opened as Alumni Hall. In 1993, the former C&S Bank Building designed by architect Philip Trammell Shutze was repurposed as the Robinson College of Business. In 1996, Georgia State expanded into the Fairlie-Poplar District with the acquisition of the Standard Building, the Haas-Howell Building, and the Rialto Theatre. Most recently, in 2004, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was moved into the former First National Bank Building at Five Points.
In December 2015, the university won the bid to renovate Turner Field into an open-air football stadium and build a new baseball field on the site.
Header Image: Georgia State University Master Plan, 2012. Courtesy of Georgia State University
Georgia State University, ca. 1967. Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center
Conceptual design for the Georgia State University campus, 2012. Courtesy of Georgia State University