On Friday, August 14, the Georgia Archives’ August virtual Lunch and Learn presentation by Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., Family Legends and Stories: What to Believe, will be available on the YouTube channel “Georgia Archives” and also on the Archives’ website. On the website, the presentation can be accessed by going to the “Visit” tab on the navigation bar and then “Programs” www.georgiaarchives.org/visit/programs.
Using his own family research as an example, Ken will take the audience on a memorable and informative tour on great family myths in many families. Employing his over 50 years’ experience as a genealogist, Ken uses examples in research on what to look for, how to interpret, and helpful tips. This presentation is full of humor and information beneficial to the experienced and beginner family genealogist.
This Lunch and Learn presentation was pre-recorded and is not live. If you have any questions regarding the presentation, you can post them below the YouTube video. Hand-outs will be available on the Georgia Archives’ website under “Programs.”
Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., is a native of Columbus, Georgia, and a graduate of Emory University. He has had an interest in genealogy since the early 1960s when he was in high school. From 1973 until his retirement in 2006 he was Historian in the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Atlanta, Ga., working with the National Register of Historic Places. That state job had no connection to his genealogy work or his free-lance work with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Through his work on the genealogy of Governor and President Jimmy Carter, his genealogy expertise came to the attention of the AJC staff and thus, the column was born. As of 2020 for 43 years, it is the longest-running genealogy column in the United States.
Ken has published two books, “Columbus, Georgia, in Vintage Postcards” and “Fort Benning,” Images of America series.
He has served or is serving on numerous boards, including the Georgia Historical Society; the Dekalb History Center; the Wren’s Nest; Friends of Georgia Archives and History; Georgia Postcard Club, President; and Georgia Professional Genealogists.
Ken became a Fellow of the Society of Georgia Archivists in 2009. He is the recipient of the Governor’s Award in the Humanities, the Sarah Turner Butler Heritage Award from the Historic Columbus Foundation, the Georgia Historical Society’s John McPherson Berrien Lifetime Achievement Award, a Lifetime Achievement/Legacy Award from Historic Westville; Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC) award; National Genealogical Society’s “The President’s Citation” and several awards for advocacy.
Ken has a genealogy website and is a frequent lecturer on genealogy and history. He lives in Decatur, Ga. To visit Ken’s website Ken Thomas on Genealogy go to: http://www.kenthomasongenealogy.com/
For more information, email Georgia Archives Education Specialist Penny Cliff at penelope.cliff@usg.edu.
