As state revenue commissioner, Melvin E. Thompson recommended the purchase of Jekyll Island, and as governor he moved forward with the state's acquisition of the island in 1947. Although taunted by his political foe Herman Talmadge, who dubbed the project "Thompson’s Folly," Thompson refused to give up on the creation of a state beach park for the "plain people of Georgia." In recognition of his work on the project, the Jekyll Island Bridge was named in his honor in 1989.

Bill Lowery, pictured in 1969, poses at Bill Lowery Enterprises, which included the Lowery Music Company and the National Recording Corporation. Lowery, known as "Mr. Atlanta Music," was a prominent disc jockey, producer, manager, and music publisher in the city from 1948 until his death in 2004. He was one of the first two inductees into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, which he also helped to establish. ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLHOq56imZWjsLqvy6innpyZlnuwvsZoq6iomZjAcLnUrKCcZw%3D%3D

The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art in Augusta is named for the daughter of Olivia A. Herbert, who founded the Augusta Art Club, the institute's predecessor, in 1937. Courtesy of Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to the rights holder.

The Orr-Whitner line was accepted by Florida in 1861 and Georgia in 1866 as their official boundary, although the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65) delayed the line's approval by the U.S. Congress until 1872. Map by John Nelson. Reprinted by permission of William J. Morton The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print.

Paul Anderson  was an amateur weight lifter and professional strongman who gained widespread recognition in the 1950s and 1960s as the strongest man in the world. While deeply rooted in the culture of rural Georgia, he became a national, world, and Olympic heavyweight champion, a cold war hero, and a worldwide icon for strength and size. Dubbed “the Dixie Derrick,” Paul Edward Anderson was born on October 17, 1932, in Toccoa (Stephens County), the only son of Ethel Bennett and Robert Anderson.