Savannah, Ga., October 30, 2018 - The Georgia Historical Society has announced that Dr. David Blight has been named the inaugural Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Teaching Fellow at the Georgia Historical Society.

Dr. Blight is the Class of 1954 Professor of American History and the Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University. He is the author of the groundbreaking new biography Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (Simon & Schuster).

The Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program was established earlier this year to honor Vince Dooley for his lifelong commitment to history and higher education. As a longtime member of the Georgia Historical Society’s Board of Curators, Coach Dooley has demonstrated his strong belief in, and support of, the Society’s mission as a nationally-recognized research and educational institution.

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.

Dr. Blight’s induction will take place on Thursday, November 8, 2018, at 7 p.m. at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church. This free event will feature Dr. Blight’s induction as a Dooley Fellow by Coach Vince Dooley and GHS President Dr. W. Todd Groce, followed by a discussion between Dr. Blight and Dr. Stan Deaton, the Dr. Elaine B. Andrews Distinguished Historian at the Georgia Historical Society, about Blight’s new biography of Frederick Douglass and his role in American history. As a Dooley Teaching fellow, Dr. Blight 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.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Blight, Vince Dooley, or Dr. Groce please contact Patricia Meagher, Director of Communications, at (912) 651-2125, ext. 153.

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Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.