After serving more than three decades in state and local government including two terms as Georgia’s governor, Sonny Perdue has committed his political papers and memorabilia to UGA’s Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. By a special arrangement with the Georgia Archives, the Russell Library will house both the former governor’s personal and official state papers. This collection joins the papers of 13 other Georgia governors.
“The addition of Sonny Perdue’s papers means that Russell Library now holds more than half the personal papers of modern Georgia’s governors,” said Sheryl Vogt, director of the library. “We are happy that the legal agreement with the state archives allows us to house these records.”
Perdue’s official papers include executive files, which consist of subject files generated by his administration including those of his assistants and others pertaining to legislators, agencies and organizations, and counties. These records also contain proclamations, scheduling files, Legal Division records, Public Officials Commission records and External Affairs files. Perdue’s personal political files include those pertaining to his campaigns, his work in the state Senate, clippings, the Commission for a New Georgia and those of former first lady, Mary Perdue. Photographs, artifacts and audio-visual material are a part of both the official and personal papers.
