Savannah, Ga., January 26, 2016 - The Georgia Historical Society will present “The Birth of the American Dream: How the Real Mad Men Changed the Modern World,” a lecture by Dr. Stan Deaton, this Thursday, January 28, at the Columbus Museum.

“The program will focus on the 20 years following World War II, as post-war Americans became mass consumers of goods, entertainment, and information,” said Dr. Stan Deaton. “This rise of the middleclass consumer was driven largely by the real 'Mad Men' of Madison Avenue but there were other societal forces at work, from suburbs to fast food, that changed everything about the way Americans lived and their place in the world. We’re going to discuss that in a fun and informative way that sheds light on who they were and the world they created."

This lecture is the Keynote of the 2016 Georgia History Festival, sponsored annually by the Georgia Historical Society. It will take place this Thursday, January 28, in the Patrick Theater at the Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Rd, in Columbus, Georgia. Thanks to generous support from Synovus and TSYS, the event is free and open to the public. The event will be recorded for later broadcast by C-SPAN.

Stan Deaton is the Senior Historian and the Dr. Elaine B. Andrews Distinguished Historian at the Georgia Historical Society, where he has worked since 1998. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Florida, a Masters in history from the University of Georgia, and Bachelors degree in journalism from the Grady School at UGA. He is the Emmy-winning writer and host of Today in Georgia History, jointly produced for TV and radio by GHS and Georgia Public Broadcasting. At the Georgia Historical Society Stan is a public speaker, writer, teacher, and lecturer. He serves as managing editor for the Georgia Historical Quarterly; and writes newspaper editorials and a blog, Off the Deaton Path.

The Georgia History Festival is the signature K-12 educational program of the Georgia Historical Society. The Festival culminates in February, the founding month of the Georgia Colony, with Founding City events in Savannah including the popular Colonial Faire and Muster living history program held at Wormsloe State Historic Site, Savannah’s colorful Georgia Day Parade, and the annual Trustees Gala. This year the Trustees Gala will feature Governor Nathan Deal’s induction of James H. “Jimmy” Blanchard, retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of Synovus, and Muhtar Kent, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company as the newest Georgia Trustees.

For more information about any of the events of the Georgia History Festival visit GeorgiaHistoryFestival.org.

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