James March-April 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 54
T H E 1 9 9 6 S U M M E R OLY M PICS EXHIBI T
starting in elementary school at
Westminster, he majored in the subject at the University of Georgia. Hale
started volunteering at the center in
1986, when he joined a now-defunct
group called Current Historians, and
was its vice president at one point.
As a corporate lawyer, he got
involved with the center’s nowclosed downtown Atlanta office
while working for the firm of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. Later he
served on the center’s board, even
being its chairman.
Since Hale became the center’s
leader, it has opened 48 exhibitions
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JAMES
MARCH //A PR I L 2 02 5
THE “CY CLORAM A: TH E BIG PICTUR E” EXHIBITION
and events in both the main campus
and the Mitchell House. In addition
to the Cyclorama and the “Goizueta
Children’s Experience,” some of the
highlights are the exhibits devoted
to golf great Bobby Jones, baseball
legend Hank Aaron and the 1996
Atlanta Summer Olympics.
“People have no idea what we
have here and it’s super high-quality and very convenient, and we’ve
got all these moving parts between
historic houses, animals, exhibits
and others,” he said. “They all move
together in this machine that delivers that perspective.”
“I’m very proud having been
involved here a long time as a
volunteer and then staff person,
how we’ve been able to grow as an
institution in all ways we can serve
the public. I’m interested in seeing
people find out about us, whether it’s
online or in person. The center also
hosts special events such as author
lectures and other lectures related to
its existing exhibitions.”
ANNIVERSARY PLANS
Hale said some exhibits will be
closed until 2026 as they are updated. Its Civil War exhibit will host a
