Staff and Organization

The Troup County Historical Society is a non-profit 501-c3 organization, first organized in 1972. The Society has a membership of about 700 from Troup County and all over the nation. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees and its Officers.

President - Oliver Greene. Mr. Greene served as a teacher and Principal for the LaGrange Board of Education for many years before retiring. He is an active supporter of the Alpha Multi-Purpose Center in LaGrange. He is married to Annie Greene, an accomplished artist.

Vice-President - Ann Petry. Mrs. Petry was born and raised in LaGrange, spent many years in Atlanta and elsewhere, and returned home in the 1970s to renovate and restore the family home place, the Strickland-Petry Home. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Ann also serves on the Troup County Historic Preservation Committee and is active in the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

Secretary - Sally Macomber. Sally is an active community volunteer and leader. Sally's family has been in LaGrange since the 1830s.

Treasurer - Jim Crane. Jim is an accountant with Gay & Joseph CPA PC, here in LaGrange.

Trustee Representative - Charles D. Hudson.

Immediate Past President - Anita "Bit" Taylor. Bit is the wife of Attorney John Taylor. Bit is very active in community affairs.

2004-2007 Board of Trustees:

  • Chris Cleaveland
  • Sue Duttera
  • Venessa Griggs
  • Walter Murphy

2002-2005 Board of Trustees:

  • Jerry Cleaveland
  • Judy Ellis
  • Edwin Smith

2001-2004 Board of Trustees:

  • Polly Hutchinson
  • Julia Ann Reeves
  • John Taylor
  • Pat Walters

Committee Chairs:

  • Special Projects - Charles Hudson
  • Preservation Committee - Julia Dyar
  • Fundraising Committee - Jenny Copeland

Past Presidents:

  • 2000 - 2004   Anita "Bit" Taylor
  • 1996 - 2000   Glenda Major
  • 1994 - 1996  Ed Long
  • 1992 - 1994  Robert Morton
  • 1990 - 1992  Marian Smith
  • 1988 - 1990  Charles Hudson, Jr.
  • 1986 - 1988  Betty Blackburn
  • 1984 - 1986  Art Mallory, III
  • 1982 - 1984  Julia Dyar
  • 1980 - 1982  Joanne Riley
  • 1978 - 1980  Lynne Morgan
  • 1977 - 1978  Jenny Copeland
  • 1975 - 1977  Charles Hudson
  • 1972 - 1975  Biddy Hammett

The Troup County Historical Society is the parent agency for the Troup County Archives. The Archives opened in the 1917 LaGrange National Bank Building in January, 1983.

Archives Staff

  • Director - Kaye Lanning Minchew. Kaye has served as Director of the Archives since 1985 after having served as archivist from 1983 to 1985. Her duties include overseeing daily operations of the archives, long-range planning and coordination of special projects. Current projects include assisting with Travels Through Troup County: A Guide to its Architecture and History and helping plan for a new Troup County History Museum. She is a native of Western North Carolina and is author of Archival Programs for Local Governments, published in 1995 by the National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators. She and her husband Greg live in LaGrange.

  • Troup County Historian - Forrest Clark Johnson, III. Clark teaches history at Troup High School and works at the Archives in the afternoons, Tuesday evenings and on Saturdays. He has co-authored Treasures of Troup County: A Pictorial History and the upcoming Travels Through Troup County: A Guide to its Architecture and History. He is the author of several volumes on the history of Troup County, including Histories of LaGrange and Troup County, Genealogical and Historical Register of Troup County, Hill View and Hill View Annex Cemeteries, and People of LaGrange and Troup County. He and his wife Deborah have three children.

  • Bookkeeper - Diana Thomas. Diana keeps the financial and membership records of the Troup County Historical Society and Archives straight and is usually the person who answers the telephone. She is a native of Troup County. She and her husband Scott have three children.

  • Manuscript & Exhibits - Charles Kelly. Charles handles reference duties, processes archival collections and prepares our exhibits and displays. He is also developing plans for the history museum we hope to open one day. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern University. He and his wife, Mindy, live on the Troup County/Chambers County line, and they have two children.

  • Accessions Archivist - Barry Jackson. Barry is our accessions archivist. He helps with processing collections and with reference. Barry is also our Education Coordinator.

  • Reference Assistant - Shirley Dykes. Shirley assists with records management, supervises newspaper indexing, does microfilming and helps researchers.

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