Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

December 10

1735 Among Georgia's early settlers were a small group of men who had been Freemasons back in England. On this day, they met and organized Solomon's Masonic Lodge in Savannah. Although James Oglethorpe was then at sea returning to Georgia, he would subsequently join the lodge. Reflecting his membership, the lodge's Freemasons Hall -- located in the old Cotton Exchange building overlooking the Savannah River -- contains a bronze bust, portrait, and a few other artifacts associated with Oglethorpe.

1786 William Schley was born in Frederick, Maryland. In 1835, Schley was elected governor of Georgia and served one two-year term. In 1857, the General Assembly created a new county in southwest Georgia and named it for the former governor and congressman. Schley died in Augusta on Nov. 20, 1858.

1790 Gov. Edward Telfair signed legislation creating Columbia and Elbert counties respectively as Georgia's 12th and 13th counties. Columbia County, named for Christopher Columbus, was created from portions of Richmond County. Elbert County, named for Revolutionary War Gen. Samuel Elbert, was created from portions of Wilkes County.

1807 Gov. Jared Irwin signed legislation creating Morgan, Randolph [subsequently renamed Jasper], Jones, Putnam, Laurens and Telfair counties respectively as Georgia's 30-35th counties. The first four counties were created from portions of Baldwin County, while Laurens and Telfair were created from portions of Wilkinson County. Morgan County was named for American Revolutionary War general Daniel Morgan. Randolph County was named for Virginia congressman John Randolph, whose political views were popular in Georgia. Jones County was named for Georgia congressman James Jones. Putnam County was named in honor of American Revolutionary War general Israel Putnam. Laurens County was named for South Carolina Revolutionary War hero Col. John Laurens. Finally, Telfair County was named in honor of former Gov. Edward Telfair.

1812 Gov. David Mitchell signed an act creating Emanuel County as Georgia's 39th county. Named for former governor David Emanuel, Emanuel County was created from portions of Bulloch and Montgomery counties.

1812 Gov. Mitchell signed an act changing the name of Randolph County to Jasper County. The action came in response to Virginia congressman John Randolph's opposition to the War of 1812 (though eventually he was forgiven and in 1828 would be recognized by having another new Georgia county named in his honor). Jasper County was named for Revolutionary War hero Sgt. William Jasper, who during the siege of Savannah was mortally wounded while retrieving his regiment's flag from the British. [See statute of Jasper]

1834 The Georgia Senate agreed to a report of its Committee on Public Education and Free Schools recommending the appropriation of $10,000 on the condition that two or more neighboring states agree to contribute proportionately "for the purpose of endowing a Southern Institution for the education of the deaf and dumb."

1836 Following approval of a new college by the Methodist Conference that had just met in Columbus, Gov. William Schley signed an act incorporating Emory College, named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory of Baltimore. Emory had presided over Georgia's 1834 Methodist Conference and had died of an accident in 1835.Trustees of the new college subsequently bought 1,400 acres of land near Covington in Newton County and named the new college town Oxford. In 1915, Emory College at Oxford became the College of Arts and Sciences of the newly incorporated Emory University in Atlanta. Four years later, the college moved to Emory University.

1850 A special convention assembled in Milledgeville to vote on what action to take with respect to the Compromise of 1850. Gov. George Towns had called for election of delegates to a convention in September following the granting of statehood to California. In choosing between union and secession, delegates agreed to what was termed the "Georgia Platform" [text] -- thus becoming the first southern state to accept the Compromise.

1858 Gov. Joseph E. Brown signed an act creating Quitman County as Georgia's 128th county. Created from portions of Randolph and Stewart counties,Quitman County was named in honor of Gen. John Quitman, who was a leader in the Mexican War and later governor of Mississippi.

1864 Confederate Brig. Gen. John Carter died following the Battle of Franklin in Tennessee. Born on Dec. 19, 1837 in Waynesboro, Ga. He became a lawyer but with the outbreak of the Civil War, Carter enlisted in the Confederate cause, serving as a captain in the 38th Tennessee at Shiloh. In 1862 he was promoted to the rank of colonel, serving at Perryville, Murfreesboro, and Chickamauga. Carter commanded Wright's Brigade during the Atlanta Campaign. In July 1864 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, commanding Cheatham's Division at the battles of Jonesboro and Franklin.

1869 The Atlanta city council appointed Atlanta's first board of education, which was responsible for developing a public school system for the city. It would not be until 1872 that the schools began operating.

1873 After more than four years of construction, Atlanta's Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception was dedicated.

1891 Educator Walter Cocking was born in Manchester, Iowa. Graduating from Columbia University, Cocking began an impressive career in education, becoming a pioneer in the idea of individualized instruction and specialized curricula, classrooms, and language laboratories. In 1937, he was recruited as dean of the University of Georgia's College of Education. Soon after arriving the University System of Georgia Board of Regents directed Cocking to embark on a study of state-supported higher education for blacks in the state. One of his conclusions was that a vast disparity existed between postsecondary education for blacks and whites in Georgia. Finding such as this did not endear Cocking to some white educators and politicians. Compounding the situation, some University of Georgia faculty and staff felt Cocking had an abrasive personality. Complaints that Cocking was advocating social equality of the races reached the ear of Governor Eugene Talmadge, who had Cocking fired, supposedly because he advocated the integration of public schools. Cocking had advocated improvement in black schools, while pointing out their obvious inadequacies, but had not publicly advocated integration. Cocking appealed his dismissal and presented compelling evidence to the Board of Regents that he was innocent of the charges. But allies of Gov. Talmadge (who appointed members of the board and himself was an ex officio member) controlled the Board of Regents and the decision stood. Such political interference led the Southeastern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools to strip the accreditation of ten white state colleges in Georgia. After this episode Cocking left Georgia and went on to continue a distinguished career in the field of education. The Cocking Affair led state attorney general Ellis Arnall to successfully defeat Talmadge in the next election for governor. Cocking was subsequently invited to return to the University of Georgia, but he declined. He died at his home in Mamaroneck, New York on January 14, 1964.

1930 Eastern Airlines established air service between Atlanta and New York.

1934 Developer Cecil Burke Day was born in Brooklet, Georgia. A 1958 Georgia Tech graduate, Day became an immediate success in a real estate firm, working his way up to vice-president and commercial sales manager within four years. In October 1962, he opened his own business -- Day Realty Associates. By 1968, his company had expanded to include income properties, commercial brokerage, land and property management, and motel site selection. While touring New England in 1968, Day conceived the idea of convenient and moderately priced hotels for travelers. Upon returning to Georgia, he launched Days Inns of America, Inc. in March 1970. The following month the first Days Inn (originally designated as "8 Days Inn" in recognition of the original $8 basic rate) opened in Savannah, Ga. By the time of Day's death in 1978, his motel chain consisted of 301 inns and lodges spread across twenty-seven states and Canada. Day was a devout Baptist who regularly tithed ten percent of his considerable earnings to the church and placed a Gideon Bible in each of his hotel rooms. He died in Atlanta, Ga. on Dec. 15, 1978.

1938 Filming of "Gone With the Wind" began in Hollywood.

1953 Gov. Herman Talmadge signed a joint resolution creating the Georgia Commission on Education, whose purpose was to formulate legislative strategies for Georgia to continue to operate segregated schools. [Click here to read full text of resoution.]

1956 Members of the Atlanta Public School Teachers Association voted to withdraw from the American Federation of Teachers, which had demanded that the Atlanta chapter open its membership to black teachers by Dec. 31, 1957 or have its charter withdrawn.

1961 Following a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee strategy, eleven freedom riders rode a train from Atlanta to Albany. Upon arriving, they entered into the terminal's white waiting room. Upon leaving they were immediately arrested for obstructing traffic. Thus was launched a week of protests and massive arrests in Albany. (Contributed by Dr. Lee Formwalt, Albany State University)

1964 In Oslo, Norway, Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize--the youngest person ever to receive the award. In his acceptance speech, King accepted the award on behalf of the civil rights movement in the U.S.

1967 At age 26, Otis Redding and four members of his Bar-Kays band were killed when their plane crashed into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. Only three days earlier, Redding had recorded what would become his biggest hit -- "(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay" -- which rose to the top of the charts the following February. In 1989, Redding was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1985 The Atlanta Braves traded pitcher Steve "Bedrock" Bedrosian and outfielder Milt Thompson to the Philadelphia Phillies in return for catcher Ozzie Virgil and pitcher Pete Smith.

1986 Atlanta Hawks and former University of Georgia great Dominique Wilkins scored 57 points to lead the Hawks to a 123-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

2002 Former president and Georgia governor Jimmy Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

2007 Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for his role in a dog fighting operation.

Georgia cities and towns incorporated by acts approved on Dec. 10:

1823 Decatur (De Kalb County)

1859 Dawsonville (Dawson County)

1891 Nelson (Cherokee and Pickens counties)

1895 Douglas (Coffee County)
 
 

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1737 A common source of unhappiness among Georgia colonists was the varying quality of land they were assigned. In many instances, a particular land grant consisted of pine barren or other land unsuited for farming. Upriver from Savannah, the Salzburgers encountered this same problem. Their solution, however, suggested a much more communal society than was true for English colonists, as evidenced by John Martin Boltzius' journal entry for this day:

"Seeing that only little good soil is to be found on the land that has been surveyed for the plantations and that most of the people here have been assigned poor land which, by all human judgment, will not suffice to nourish them, I have recently suggested and again urged today in our convocation that those who have been allotted good land by the surveyor for their plantations should share their good fortune with the others. This is not only demanded by common fairness and the laws of Christianity, but is also suggested by a letter in my possession in which the Honorable Trustees express their desire that each man should have at least one piece of good land that might enable him to use the less advantageous plots in the course of time. It is impossible for one person or family without fieldhands to work and plant a plantation of 48 acres, and this is another reason why several men should share in the good land, especially since one of them is as good as the other. This would have the further advantage that the fieldwork would be done not by one man working alone but by several who could assist each other in their work and it would also be advantageous in the event that one of them should injure himself or incur some danger. Good friends who stand by each other can work together and have the freedom to associate for their purposes. These propositions were well accepted by all, except for N. [the obstinate Ernsts], who is said to have uttered harsh threats against all those would want to share in his plantation . . . ."

1770 Savannah merchant James Habersham wrote of his grief in hearing of the death of George Whitefield:

". . . I make no doubt but that your ladyship heard of the truly lamented Death of that dear and much Honoured Servant of Jesus Christ, - the Revd George Whitefield at Newburyport in New England, about the same time as we did here, which was the beginning of last Month, and as your Ladyship must know the Character and Usefullness of the Worthy deceased, in the Church, it will be needless for me to say anything on that subject. I have however lost in him The oldest and Dearest friend I had upon Earth. My first acquaintance with him was 34 years ago soon after he left Oxford and on his first visit to London, before he was known as a popular preacher, and from the first hour we saw each other, to the hour of his Death, our Affectionate and real Friendship never abated; indeed it was so deeply founded, that we knew not now to part, and when he first set of for this, then Infant Colony in December of 1737, I left my Business, Contrary to the Sentiments of all my Friends, and embarked with him. . . . Some of the first years of my being here, I was wholly engaged with, and for him, in erecting the Orphan House and conducting his affairs there. He has long appeared to be particularly designed by divine Providence to be singularly usefull in promoting the Interests of real Religion in this new and very extensive World, and I believe his death has been very truly and very Generally Lamented, wherever he has had an opportunity of being known throughout this Continent. . . ."

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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