James W. Woodruff, Sr.
"Father Of The Chattahoochee"

Throughout history, there have existed those rare individuals whose vision, energy and tenacity have given rise to results that improved the quality of life, not just for those who lived in their time, but for multiple generations that would follow.

Such an individual was James W. Woodruff, Sr., a native son of Georgia who recognized the extraordinary beneficial impact that improvements of waterways would have on the Chattahoochee River Valley. An engineer, financier, businessman and philanthropist, James Woodruff already had achieved a level of success few individuals can claim in a lifetime when he envisioned the transforming effect that could be achieved by waterway management in the
Chattahoochee Valley.

After spearheading the establishment in 1935 of the Chattahoochee Valley Chamber of Commerce, Woodruff subsequently devoted the remainder of his career in work that promoted a navigable Chattahoochee, Flint and Apalachicola waterway and that provided needed flood control, power and recreation for millions of citizens living and working in this area. His educational background in engineering, his invigorating influence among commerical leaders, and his skill in navigating the Washington D.C. governmental structure culminated in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Project. The Project resulted in the construction of major dams along the Chattahoochee that provided hydroelectric power generation, flood control, and navigation. Appropriately, the first dam built under this project was the Jim Woodruff Dam.

Blessed with the singular qualities of leadership and philanthropic concern, James Woodruff had the courage to forge his dreams into reality, a reality that today contributes to the well-being and quality of life of countless Georgians. His impact on Chattahoochee River Valley development was as forceful as the River itself, and it is the intent of the UGA Libraries that this eminent Georgian's Place in our state's history be as enduring.