Bulldog fans from every corner of Georgia can relive the history of University of Georgia athletics this summer. Sports memorabilia and other artifacts will be on display at local libraries as part of the “UGA Athletics in Your Town” tour, featuring a traveling exhibit of materials from the UGA Libraries archives.
Featured in the traveling exhibit is the famed “Silver Chalice,” the oldest piece in the UGA Athletics archive. The trophy was awarded to the Georgia football team in 1894 — before they were known as the Bulldogs — after a victory over Auburn University. In addition to tickets and a program from the first game played at Sanford Stadium in 1929, visitors can get a look at a hand-written playbook from the Wally Butts era and football helmets from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1980s. Plus, the exhibit will include memorabilia from UGA’s baseball, women’s tennis, and track & field teams.
The first stop for the tour is scheduled for Friday, May 29 in Gwinnett County (Suwanee) and will continue through July 30. Other stops on the tour include Troup County (LaGrange), Carroll County (Carrollton), Toombs County (Vidalia), Houston County (Warner Robins), Forsyth County (Alpharetta), Bartow County (Cartersville), and Floyd County (Rome). All events are free and open to the public.
“This is an excellent opportunity for Georgia fans and alumni to see historic artifacts from multiple sports and from many different eras,” said Jason Hasty, athletics history specialist for the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, a special collections unit at UGA Libraries that houses the university and athletics archives. “These artifacts are available to the public to view year-round in the Special Collections Libraries Building in Athens, but it’s great to be able to take them to communities around the state this summer for all Georgia supporters to enjoy.
Tour stops for “UGA Athletics in Your Town” include:
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Friday, May 29: Suwannee Branch Library, Suwanee, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
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Thursday, June 4: LaGrange Memorial Library, LaGrange, Noon – 5 p.m.
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Friday, June 5: Neva Lomason Memorial Library, Carrolton, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
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Thursday, June 25: Dr. Mark & Tonya Spivey Public Library, Vidalia, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
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Friday, June 26: Nola Brantley Memorial Library, Warner Robins, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
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Friday, July 10: Denmark Library, Alpharetta, noon – 5 p.m.
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Wednesday, July 29: Cartersville Public Library, Cartersville, Noon – 5 p.m.
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Thursday, July 30: Rome-Floyd Public Library, Rome, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
For more information about the traveling exhibit, please contact Jason Hasty at hasty@uga.edu.