Atlanta, GA, February 4, 2025—On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) unveiled a new historical marker about Grady Health System and its more than 130-year history. Dedicated in partnership with the Grady Health Foundation and the Correll Family Foundation, the marker is the newest addition to GHS’s Business History Initiative. GHS will also release free online educator resources aligned to the Georgia standards that help students explore how Grady Health System is a significant part of Georgia’s economy.
“There is no hospital in Atlanta that is more iconic than Grady,” said GHS President and CEO Dr. W. Todd Groce. “From its early years as a segregated facility—the so-called ‘Gradies’—to its vital role today in serving the underserved, Grady Health System has been a historic anchor for medical care and education not only in Atlanta, but the entire state. The Georgia Historical Society is honored to help bring its unique and important story to a wider audience.”
When Grady Health System was founded, urban populations and the threat of public health crises loomed large. In the 19th century, there was a movement in cities across the nation to establish charity hospitals to provide care for those who could not afford it. Grady Hospital became one of those institutions when it opened in 1892 through local efforts to provide medical care for low-income families in Atlanta.
“Grady has always been a vital part of Atlanta. It has long been a foundation of strength and an engine behind our city’s growth,” said Grady Health Foundation President Joselyn Baker. “There are few entities that make a greater difference than Grady does every day—saving and changing the lives of patients, training the next generation of doctors, and supporting our region’s economy.”
As will be detailed in the educator materials, Grady has overcome several financial challenges since its founding, most recently in the 2000s when a major fundraising campaign was led by Pete Correll and other civic leaders. Today, Grady Health System is Georgia’s largest hospital.
The marker dedication took place at Georgia Hall, the original site of Grady Hospital on Jesse Hill, Jr. Drive in Atlanta. Speakers included John Haupert, CEO, Grady Health System; Dr. W. Todd Groce, President and CEO, Georgia Historical Society; Shan Cooper, Board Chair, Grady Health Foundation, Member, Grady Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, and Chairman Emeritus, Georgia Historical Society; and Elizabeth Correll Richards, Member, Grady Health Foundation Board of Directors, President, The Correll Family Foundation, and daughter of Pete Correll.
The marker text reads:
Grady Health System
Grady Hospital opened at this site on June 1, 1892, to provide medical care for low-income Atlanta families. Later, hospital facilities known as “The Gradies” served Black and White patients separately, until integration in 1965. Maintaining a commitment to innovation and equitable access, Grady was home to the first open-heart surgery in Georgia (1921), the world’s first cancer center (1923), and the first neurological suite with a stroke center (2013). By the early 2000s, many public hospitals like Grady were forced to close due to lack of funding. However, Grady’s future was secured in 2007 by a major fundraising campaign led by Pete Correll and other civic leaders that raised $350 million and solidified community support for the health system. Today, Grady Health System is Georgia’s largest hospital.
Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, the Grady Health Foundation,
and the Correll Family Foundation
For more information about the Grady Health System historical marker dedication, the Georgia Historical Society marker program, or the Georgia Business History Initiative, please contact Elyse Butler, Manager of Programs and Special Projects, at 912.651.2125, ext. 119, or by email at ebutler@georgiahistory.com.
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ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia and American history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.
To learn more visit georgiahistory.com.
ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM
The Georgia Historical Marker Program is an important part of the Georgia Historical Society’s (GHS) statewide educational mission. Through a public-private partnership with the State of Georgia, GHS is responsible for erecting new historical markers and maintaining more than 2,000 markers installed by the State prior to the program’s privatization in 1998. Online mapping tools allow users to explore themed marker trails and design custom driving routes. Visit georgiahistory.com for more ways to use Georgia’s historical markers and experience history where it happened.
ABOUT GRADY HEALTH FOUNDATION
The Grady Health Foundation is focused on growing philanthropic support for Grady Health System, ensuring it has the resources and community support necessary to sustain excellence in patient care, foster medical innovation, train medical professionals and improve the overall health of the greater Atlanta community. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as the private fundraising arm of Grady. For more information, visit www.gradyhealthfoundation.org.
With special thanks to the Correll Family Foundation for its support of the
Grady Health System Business History Initiative project.