Past Projects at KSU
Kennesaw State Spirit: KSU at 50
Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2013, the exhibit celebrates the first half century of KSU. It features materials from the Kennesaw State University Archives and Special Collections and was displayed in the Athenaeum Gallery at Sturgis Library.
Dr. Betty Siegel: A Legacy in Three Acts
Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2017, the exhibit celebrates the career of Dr. Betty Siegel, who served as president of Kennesaw State from 1981-2006 and was the first woman president in the University System of Georgia. The exhibit is located in the Dr. Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center.
Impacting Lives: The History of the Bagwell College of Education
Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2018, the exhibit narrates the history of KSU's Bagwell College of Education. The exhibit features images from the University Archives and Special Collections and is on permanent display on the second floor of the Bagwell Education Building.
The Michael Coles Story
Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2018, the exhibit illustrates the life and accomplishments of Dr. Michael J. Coles. This exhibit features materials from the Michael J. Coles Papers in the University Archives and Special Collections and is located in the atrium of the Burruss Building, home of Coles College of Business.
Paul Radow: Life of Innovation, Legacy of Service
Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2018, the exhibit explores the legacy of engineer Paul Radow, whose innovations enhanced Levi Strauss’ pants pockets and contributed to NASA’s Apollo program. The exhibit is on permanent display in the Engineering Technology Center on the Marietta campus.
Two Schools, One University: The History of Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University
Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2019, the exhibit documents the unique histories of KSU and SPSU until their 2015 consolidation and is on permanent display at the Johnson Library on the Marietta campus and Sturgis Library on the Kennesaw campus.
Visit our on-campus exhibits
Community Projects
Oakland Cemetery Foundation, Atlanta, GA
Working with the Oakland Cemetery Foundation starting in 2021, the Special Projects Team and students in KSU's Public History Program are developing an exhibit in the cemetery's historic Bell Tower.
The Trolley Barn, Atlanta, GA
Working with The Trolley Barn, the Atlanta and Edgewood Street Railway Company, and the Inman Park Neighborhood Association in 2021, the Special Projects Team and students in KSU's Public History Program developed a 12-panel exhibit exploring Atlanta's transportation history at The Trolley Barn, a local landmark in the historic Inman Park neighborhood.
Jewish HomeLife, Atlanta, GA
Working with Jewish HomeLife in 2021, the Special Projects Team developed an exhibit commemorating the 70th anniversary of The William Breman Jewish Home.
Marietta City Schools, Marietta, GA
Working with Marietta City Schools starting in 2019, the Special Projects Team is developing exhibits at the school system's new central office and at the formerly segregated Lemon Street Elementary School. The Special Projects Team coordinates the Lemon Street Schools Oral History Collection, an ongoing oral history project with former students and educators at Lemon Street Elementary School and Lemon Street High School. The Special Projects Team is also working with students in KSU's Public History Program to nominate Lemon Street Elementary School to the National Register of Historic Places.
Town Center Community Alliance, Cobb County, GA
Working with Town Center Community Alliance starting in 2019, the Special Projects Team is developing a series of STEM and history-focused outdoor exhibits at Aviation Park, a Town Center Community Alliance project located next to the Cobb County International Airport. As part of the research process, the Special Projects Team is conducting oral history interviews with local aviators and individuals involved in the development of the airport including pilot and developer Larry Brantley Thompson.
Pickens Historical Society, Jasper, GA
Working with the Pickens Historical Society in 2019-2021, the Special Projects Team and students in KSU's Public History Program developed exhibits in the Old Pickens County Jail and the historic Kirby-Quinton Cabin in Jasper, Georgia. As part of the project, the Pickens Historic Society's archival collection became part of the Kennesaw State University Archives and Special Collections.
City of Acworth and the Save Acworth History Foundation, Acworth, GA
Working with the City of Acworth starting in 2010, the Special Projects Team, the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books, and students in KSU's Public History Program, developed four exhibits, including installations in Acworth's historically Black Rosenwald School Community Center (2009), the Red Caboose (2010 and 2022), Acworth Depot Park (2019), Doyal Hill Park (2020), and the site of the Old Acworth Hotel (2022). The Doyal Hill Park exhibit resulted in the creation of the Historic Black Acworth Image Collection.
Downtown Development Authority, Historic Preservation Commission, Sans Souci Women's Club, Adairsville, GA
Working with Adairsville’s Downtown Development Authority, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Sans Souci Women’s Club in 2016-2017, the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books and students in KSU's Public History Program conducted the Adairsville, Georgia Oral History Series and developed a 40-panel exhibit and accompanying education programs for the Adairsville Depot History Museum and Welcome Center.
Greek Life Museum, Suwanee, GA
Working with the Greek Life Museum in 2015, the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books developed an exhibit exploring the history of the Chi Phi fraternity and other Greek organizations for the William M. Byrd Chi Phi National Headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia.
Visit our community exhibits
Book Projects
Memories of the Mansion: The Story of Georgia's Governor's Mansion
Published in 2015 by the University of Georgia Press, Memories of the Mansion was coauthored by Sandra Deal, First Lady of Georgia from 2011-2019, Dr. Catherine Lewis, Assistant Vice President for Museums, Archives and Rare Books, and Dr. Jennifer Dickey, Coordinator of the Public History program and Preservationist for Museums, Archives and Rare Books.
