Sheffield Hale is President & CEO of Atlanta History Center. Founded in 1926, Atlanta History Center is dedicated to connecting people, history, and culture to facilitate dialogue and new perspectives. The institution includes a 175,000 sq foot museum and the Battle of Atlanta cyclorama painting, Goizueta Gardens, Kenan Research Center, 4 historic houses, and a range of digital experiences and educational programs.
Born in Atlanta, Sheffield’s dedication to and enthusiasm for the work of the History Center is rooted in his strong sense of community and a desire to preserve and explore Atlanta history. That sense of community, along with his legal background and nonprofit Board experience, shapes his approach to leading the History Center.
Under Sheffield’s leadership, the History Center has focused on addressing issues of history and memory that divide our community and country. Two key aspects have been the History Center’s nationwide Confederate Monuments Initiative, which focuses on providing historical information and tools for communities deciding whether to contextualize,...Sheffield Hale is President & CEO of Atlanta History Center. Founded in 1926, Atlanta History Center is dedicated to connecting people, history, and culture to facilitate dialogue and new perspectives. The institution includes a 175,000 sq foot museum and the Battle of Atlanta cyclorama painting, Goizueta Gardens, Kenan Research Center, 4 historic houses, and a range of digital experiences and educational programs.
Born in Atlanta, Sheffield’s dedication to and enthusiasm for the work of the History Center is rooted in his strong sense of community and a desire to preserve and explore Atlanta history. That sense of community, along with his legal background and nonprofit Board experience, shapes his approach to leading the History Center.
Under Sheffield’s leadership, the History Center has focused on addressing issues of history and memory that divide our community and country. Two key aspects have been the History Center’s nationwide Confederate Monuments Initiative, which focuses on providing historical information and tools for communities deciding whether to contextualize, remove, or otherwise engage with monuments or named places, and the development of Guiding Principles defining how the History Center will approach history in a way that cultivates broader, communitywide perspectives.
Sheffield has served on many boards and commissions, namely for historic preservation, cultural, and civic organizations. In recognition for this work, he has been named one of Georgia’s and Atlanta’s 100 most influential people in various media.
Sheffield previously served for ten years as Chief Counsel of the American Cancer Society, Inc. During his tenure, he was a strong advocate and author on the importance of best practices in nonprofit management. Prior to that that he was a Partner at Kilpatrick LLP practicing Corporate, Securities and Banking Law.READ MOREVIEW LESS
Atlanta History Center, originally known as the Atlanta Historical Society, was founded in 1926 with the goal to preserve and study the history of Atlanta.
The American Cancer Society is a voluntary organization leading the way to find a cure for cancer. The organization funds and carries out research, shares information (also about prevention) and supports cancer patients.
Westminster is a coeducational Christian, independent day school for grades pre-first through 12, committed to creating an educational experience where bright, curious, motivated students who are nurtured by challenge can grow into leaders of conscience.
The World War II Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to honor veterans and to educate the younger generations by producing informational documentaries for instructional purposes.
As part of the University of North Carolina, the Center for the Study of the American South works to foster critical conversations and creative expressions that articulate and promote a diverse and changing South.
The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) is the leading center for researching and exhibiting decorative arts made and used by people living and working in the early South. The museums housed in the Old Salem Museums & Gardens are globally recognized for their contributions to the study of the history of the early American South.
Located in Atlanta, the Buckhead Coalition aggregates 100 CEOs with significant business interest in Buckhead and is one of the largest urban mixed-use development areas in the US.
The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) is a non-profit marketing organization for Atlanta and supports the city’s economy through conventions and tourism.
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Previous Board Positions
Partners for Sacred Places
Board of Directors
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Founded in 1989, Partners for Sacred Places is the only national, non-sectarian, nonprofit organization that works to build the capacity of congregations of historic sacred places to better serve their local communities.
The Arch Foundation for the University of Georgia, now the University of Georgia Foundation, was established as a private, non-profit corporation to enrich the university’s academic mission. The foundation used gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations to provide scholarships for students, support faculty scholars, strengthen research and teaching programs and build needed facilities.
The University of Georgia Foundation relies on private donations to support students through scholarships, endowed chairs and professorships and other programs.
The Robert W. Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center serves students from Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman College.
The Georgia Trust encourages the understanding and appreciation of the unique value of historic places and buildings and their relevance to the lives and culture of Georgians today.
Ascensa Health (previously known as St. Jude’s Recovery Center, Inc) provides support and treatment for those suffering from addiction and other mental health issues.
The Fox Theatre is one of Atlanta’s main venues for live entertainment. It is also globally known for having the largest Möller theatre organ in the world.
Founded in 1839, the Georgia Historical Society educates others on Georgia and American history through a range of programs, including the Georgia History Festival, Historical Marker Program, Vincent J. Dooley Distinguished Fellows Program and the Georgia Business History Initiative.
The mission of Camp Sunshine is to enrich the lives of Georgia’s children with cancer and their families through year-round recreational, educational and support programs.
The Georgia Humanities Council is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and is the only organization in Georgia that provides statewide support of the humanities. It offers programming that engages all Georgians to explore what shapes individuals, cultures and communities across the state.
Founded in 1979, the Atlanta Preservation Center works to preserve historic residential and commercial structures and sites through advocacy and education.
Joel Chandler Harris Association
Board of Trustees
Atlanta, GA, USA
Joel Chandler Harris is one of America's most popular authors and best known for his stories about the Brer Rabbit. The Joel Chandler Harris Association restored his former home, The Wren's Nest, and it is now a museum in his memory.
Founded in 1938, The University of Georgia Press has a long history of publishing scholarship, creative and literary works, and books about the state and the region. The Press continuously works to support and enhance the University’s position as a leading research institution
The Honors Program offers a wide range of opportunities for learning and growth beyond the classroom. This includes a variety of programs that the Book Discussions, which connects top students with great faculty, and the Lunchbox Lectures, in which Honors students can learn about the latest scholarship of faculty members.
Following the release of President Trump's executive order entitled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History', the AJC's Ernie Suggs chose to speak to Sheffield Hale to find out more about the possible impact of this order on the retelling of American history.
Opal Moore's article explores how the closure of the Margaret Mitchell House during the Covid-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to re-imagine the exhibit and consider the broader context of the 'Gone with the Wind' author's time and place.
“He was the articulation of what we wanted to be as a city...He was able to thrive in the South. Notwithstanding all the other things that he had to go through at the same time," said Atlanta History Center president Sheffield Hale.
The Atlanta History Center explores the controversial history of the Stone Mountain carving, which depicts Confederate leaders Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, through a documentary film titled 'Monument: The Untold Story of Stone Mountain'.
Sheffield Hale discusses how he’s seen a rise in people pushing back against Confederate imagery, including protests against the Confederate battle flag in 2020. He hopes that people on both sides can put away their emotion and have open and honest discussion about the past and future of the mountain.
Discussing The Atlanta History Center's new documentary on Stone Mountain, “Monument: The Untold Story of Stone Mountain", Sheffield Hale says, “Does this park memorializing the Confederacy represent where we as Georgians want to be in the 21st century?”
This article discusses a new documentary from The Atlanta History Center titled “Monument: The Untold Story of Stone Mountain". The documentary takes a historical look at Stone Mountain's confederate monument.
Sheffield Hale called the mountain “the only monument in the country that has a built-in museum at its base that has the sufficient space to tell its entire story.”
Sheffield Hale, President & CEO of the Atlanta History Center, is quoted in this article that highlights the Center's new exhibit: “Atlanta ’96: Shaping an Olympic and Paralympic City.” The exhibit features 200 photographs, 150 objects, and countless documents and interactive kiosks that provide visitors a close look at the event that had a significant impact on Atlanta, the US, and the world.
This article looks at the division among Georgians over the Stone Mountain monument dedicated to former Confederate leaders. Commenting on the role the monument plays in the larger political discourse, Sheffield Hale, President & CEO of the Atlanta History Center, says “We’re at a point where the state is teetering on going one way or the other politically...The mountain is at the center of that."
In this article covering recent discussions about the Stone Mountain Memorial, an outline of its history and future is told against the backdrop of past and present discussions on race and equality.
Sheffield Hale is quoted in this article that discusses the work of Atlanta realtor and Virginia-Highland Civic Association VP Chip Franzoni. Franzoni brings attention to how Atlanta’s segregated history is interwoven throughout the city including street/building names, monuments celebrating Confederate leaders, and a highway intentionally intruding into the heartbeat of the Black community.
An article for the New Yorker discusses the efforts the Atlanta History Center made to restore a historical cyclorama for the purpose of educating the community to create a deeper dialogue about Atlanta's past.
The New York Times discusses the Atlanta History Center's participation in restoring and showcasing a Civil War-era painting for educational and instructional purposes: "The Center, led by its president, Sheffield Hale, who has memories of visiting the cyclorama as a child, raised $35 million for a new building to house it on the campus."
An article for Saporta Report quotes Sheffield Hale in regards to housing and reconstructing the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama painting and the locomotive Texas: “It’s important how we view history and how it changes over time,” said Hale, adding the Cyclorama is a perfect example of how one historic object was reinterpreted over the span of more than a century.
Sheffield Hale joins Creative Loafing's Culture Clash podcast to discuss the latest offerings from the Atlanta History Center and how the pandemic has affected the ways in which the Center reaches its audience.
In an interview for France Culture, Sheffield Hale joins a number of other panelists to discuss the power of Confederate monuments in the south, particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.
Sheffield Hale joined the For People podcast, along with Bishop Rob Wright, to discuss the history of monuments, understanding the context of the time they were put up, and what are the next steps forward people can take to be supportive as mature Christians.
Sheffield Hale joins a panel of speakers on Political Rewind to discuss the influence of Confederate monuments in communities as well as the reactions to the monuments by political leaders and protesters.
In a conversation for WABE's City Lights, Sheffield Hale speaks about the History Center's digital programming and bringing history to the community, stating: “Our mission is to provide that information we have in our archives and deliver it to people so that they can learn more about their city and connect to each other and make a better community."
The Economist reflects on the ways in which Sheffield Hale and the Atlanta Center seek to address Confederate monuments and how to use the monuments to educate the community.
Atlanta History Center prepared this report to assist the Visioning, Memorializing, and Repurposing the former Atlanta Prison Farm Site subcommittee of the South River Forest and Public Safety Training Center Community Task Force.
In this opinion piece for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sheffield Hale discusses a new initiative at the Atlanta History Center, called Civic Season, which will work to engage young Americans through panel discussions and informative civic engagement.
Sheffield Hale discusses the recent protests against Confederate symbolism, while also discussing the historical roots of their mythological standing. Namely, Sheffield delves deep into Lost Cause mythology as a way to interpret the current conflict over the place of confederate monuments in the 21st century.
In this article, Sheffield Hale discusses Atlanta's move as the first city to contextualize Confederate monuments. Atlanta installed large exhibition panels next to four Confederate monuments, "visually transforming them," Hale writes, "into artifacts in an outdoor historical exhibition. With this act, it became the first city to contextualize monuments in a state that bars their removal."
In this opinion piece, Sheffield Hale discusses the role of the Atlanta History Center in the national conversation about Confederate memorials and Southern history. He pledges that the Center's role is to as encourage a discussion that is 'inclusive, productive and based on accurate history.'
"Confederate monuments have long been public reminders of the resilience of white racial supremacy," Sheffield Hale writes in his piece discussing the position of the Atlanta History Center in regards to Confederate monuments, and the effect of these structures on the surrounding community.
Noting that as non-profits continue to grow in size and sophistication, they are under more pressure to increase transparency and justify their tax-exempt status. Sheffield Hale says that these organizations should use this as an opportunity to define their organizations, which would result in better management and continued independence from excessive regulations.
The American Law Institute leads the way in the US as an independent non-profit organization that works tirelessly to clarify, modernize, and improve the law.
Leadership Atlanta seeks to inspire and cultivate better community leaders by educating aspiring professionals about the current issues facing Atlanta's communities.
Leadership Georgia is one of the oldest and most established leadership training programs in the nation, with a mission of training young community, civic and business leaders for a better state of Georgia.
Sheffield was honored with the Georgia Governor’s Award for Arts and Humanities in recognition of his contributions to preserving Georgia's history and his commitment to history including the creation of the Confederate Monument Interpretation Guide.
The Preservation Champion Award is given to individuals who embody Sweet Auburn Works' mission to promote the commercial and cultural legacy of the Sweet Auburn Historic District.
Named in honor of former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell, the Bullish on Buckhead Award is given to businesses leaders, civic leaders and entrepreneurs in Buckhead.
With the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Westminster School honors two alumni each year who have provided exceptional service to the community or who have achieved outstanding personal or professional success.
The Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service was created to honor lawyers and judges from Georgia who have made outstanding contributions in the area of community service.
The City of Atlanta established the Committee with the goal of developing recommendations for actions regarding particular streets or monuments, opportunities for expanding the historical conversation and evaluating and addressing related street names or monuments in the future.
In 2011, Mayor Kasim Reed formed the Atlanta Cyclorama Task Force to study conservation issues and economic viability at Grant Park and other possible sites.
The State of Georgia's Judicial Nominating Commission is responsible for the review of applicants and recommendation of suitable candidates to fill judicial vacancies within the courts.
Sheffield spoke at the Rotary Club of Atlanta. His speech explored the interpretations of authors Margaret Mitchell and W.E.B. Du Bois, and the history of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
In this speech for the Rotary Club of Atlanta, Sheffield shares his thoughts on present day democracy in America as it relates to Confederate monuments and the work that the Atlanta History Center does to contextualize historical events and places.
Sheffield Hale, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta History Center, discusses the past, present, and future of the Stone Mountain Confederate memorial.
In this event hosted by the Atlanta Chapter of the UGA Alumni Association, Sheffield Hale, president & CEO of the Atlanta History Center, leads an educational discussion on historical facts and context around monuments, historic markers, and the meaning behind them.
Sheffield joins a public discussion of monuments in the wake of The Shaw 54th Memorial on the Boston Common's restoration. The conversation delves into topics of race, freedom and justice in order to understand the significance of the memorial.
Sheffield Hale is one of over 40 experts that have joined the task force established by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. The task force will provide input on the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which will support high-quality, community-oriented training for police, fire and E-911 personnel.
