| Savannah, Ga., November 12, 2019 – The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) has announced that author and historian Rick Atkinson has been named the Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellow for 2019. Atkinson is the bestselling author of the award-winning Liberation Trilogy—An Army at Dawn, The Day of Battle, and The Guns at Last Light—as well as The Long Gray Line and other books. Now, with The British Are Coming, the first volume of the Revolution Trilogy, Atkinson turns his attention to a new war, recounting the first twenty-one months of America’s war for independence. Atkinson’s many awards include Pulitzer Prizes for history and journalism, the George Polk Award, and the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award. A former staff writer and senior editor at The Washington Post, he lives in Washington, D.C. Individuals designated as Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellows of the Society are national leaders in the field of history as both writers and educators whose research has enhanced or changed the way the public understands the past. In addition to their outstanding scholarship, Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellows have served the Georgia Historical Society as faculty in teacher training seminars, as lecturers, as consultants, or in a similar capacity. Being designated as a Dooley Distinguished Fellow recognizes and formalizes the relationship forged through this service. Atkinson’s induction will take place Thursday, November 14, at 7 p.m. at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church. This free event will feature Atkinson’s induction as a Dooley Fellow by Vince Dooley, Chairman Emeritus of the GHS Board of Curators, Walter M. “Sonny” Deriso, GHS Board Chairman, and Dr. W. Todd Groce, President and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society. The induction will be followed by a discussion between Atkinson and Dr. Stan Deaton, the Dr. Elaine B. Andrews Distinguished Historian at the Georgia Historical Society, about Atkinson’s new book, The British are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777. As a Dooley Distinguished Fellow, Atkinson will receive a cash prize and a bust of Vince Dooley sculpted by acclaimed artist Ross Rossin of Atlanta. Known for large-scale, oil-on-canvas paintings found on the walls of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the High Museum of Art, and the Baseball Hall of Fame (to name a few), Rossin has also created busts of legends like Griffin Bell and Arthur Blank as well as the statue of Hank Aaron in SunTrust Park. Atkinson’s books will be on sale at the event and signings will be held at 6:30 p.m. prior to the program and until 8:30 p.m. following. For more information about the Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program or to schedule an interview with Rick Atkinson, Vince Dooley, or Dr. Groce please contact Patricia Meagher, Director of Communications, at (912) 651-2125, ext. 153. |
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