Brooks Creedy collection on Grace T. Hamilton

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Georgia Historical Society Creator: Creedy, Brooks Spivey, 1917-2009. Title: Brooks Creedy collection on Grace T. Hamilton Dates: 1965-1984 Extent: 0.05 cubic feet (1 folder) Identification: MS 2462

Biographical/Historical Note

Grace Towns Hamilton (1907-1992) was the first African American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly. From 1965 through 1986, she continuously represented House District 31 in Fulton County.

Hamilton, born in Atlanta, was the daughter of a professor at Atlanta University, an integrated institution where she was educated from grade school through college with an emphasis on serving her race. She earned her master's degree in psychology from Ohio State University; while enrolled there, she worked for the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). Upon returning to Atlanta, she married Henry Cooke Hamilton with whom she had one child, Eleanor. From 1943-1961, Hamilton was appointed executive director of the Atlanta Urban League.

In 1984, Hamilton was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Emory University. In 2006, she was inducted into Georgia Women of Achievement.

Brooks Spivey Creedy (1917-2009) was born in Natick, Massachusetts and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Agnes Scott College for Women at the age of 20. She worked with the National Industrial Staff of the YWCA where in her role as head of the Southern Region she focused on fighting racism.

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains letters, clippings, and campaign materials documenting Grace T. Hamilton's political career in Atlanta, Georgia. They were collected by her friend, Brooks Spivey Creedy, a civil rights activist.

Index Terms

African Americans--Georgia--Politics and government--20th century. Atlanta (Ga.) Clippings (information artifacts) Creedy, Brooks Spivey, 1917-2009. Democratic Party (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.) Georgia--Politics and government--20th century. Georgia. General Assembly. House of Representatives. Hamilton, Grace Towns, 1907-1992. Letters (correspondence) Political campaigns--Georgia. Women political activists--Georgia.

Administrative Information

Processing Information This collection is processed at the Basic Level (or collection level). There is no detailed inventory for this collection as it is not fully processed. To request that this collection be added to our priority list of collections to be fully processed as staffing and funding allow, please contact the Library and Archives staff.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.