A history of one of the nation’s elite journalism schools—and home of the Peabody Awards

The Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication was founded in 1915 by Steadman Vincent Sanford who as president (1932–35) and chancellor of the University System of Georgia (1935–45), was architect of the modern University of Georgia. Its second graduate John Eldridge Drewry (1922), the school’s longest serving director and dean (1932–69), created a national reputation for the school and was the subject of a sensational trial that resulted from a near fatal shooting in 1949.

Drewry established the Peabody Awards in 1940, which remains the oldest and most prestigious award in all electronic media. Many Grady alumni have gone on to brilliant careers, among them Tom Johnson, who headed LBJ’s broadcasting empire in Texas before becoming publisher of the Los Angeles Times and CEO of CNN. His classmate, Charlayne Hunter-Gault would become, along with Hamilton Holmes, the first African-American to enroll at UGA.

This account details the evolution of a college that is among the nation’s elite, with a selective undergraduate program (juniors and seniors only) and an impressive 99.1 percent graduation rate. The Grady College maintains a nationally reknowned graduate research program with study abroad programs and internships, and is a leader in international research and outreach. Housed within Grady College are the Center for Health and Risk Communication, a “think-tank of scholars” and the New Media Institute.

Clark explores the relationships forged between Atlanta’s major brands and the Grady College, as well as its role in the political culture of Georgia and the nation.