In 2025 the Augusta Museum of History will focus the Brown Bag History Lecture Series on collecting oral histories from area families. These family histories will help us as a community preserve legacy, bridge the gap between generations, and give a spotlight to different cultures, histories and stories in our area. Through these lectures and interviews, you, the listener, will gain a unique understanding of Augusta?s past, and be inspired to gather and share your own story with your family and others. Most assuredly recording family histories will enrich your understanding of where you come from and guarantee that your family?s stories are not lost.

The Brown Bag History Lecture Series is provided monthly by the Augusta Museum of History and is an ideal lunchtime break for downtown professionals, retirees, and students. The lectures are free to Museum members and $5 for non-members, no registration required. Participants can bring a lunch to enjoy in the Museum Rotunda and the AMH will provide water, hot coffee and a dessert. Lunch can begin as early as 11:30am; the lecture takes place in the History Theater at 12:30pm with a short Q&A following. The recorded sessions will be available on the AMH YouTube channel and shared on social media.

2025 Series Schedule: Augusta Stories

January 15, 2025 

Dr. LeeAnn Caldwell

"Augusta Stories: Memories That Matter Overview"

February 12, 2025 

Brad Usry, Fat Man’s Hospitality Group

"The Son of a Fat Man, the Usry Family in Augusta"

March 12, 2025 

Doug Herman, Augusta Brewing Co.

"The Belle of Georgia, An Irish American’s Story in Augusta"

April 16, 2025

Phil Wahl, Security Federal Bank

"Phillip Wahl Sr. and the Augusta National Golf Course"

May 14, 2025

Helen Bissell, Chick-fil-A Evans

"Abe’s Story, A Holocaust Survivor"

June 18, 2025

Flo Carter

"The Carter Family Musical History"

July 16, 2025

Toni Seals-Johnson

September 17, 2025

Virginia “Jean” Bowe Strickland

"The Four Master Builders Who Changed Augusta’s Skyline"

October 15, 2025

Dr. Ben Casella, Casella Eye Center

"An Italian American’s Story in Augusta"

November 12, 2025 

Alena Rensch, Augusta Museum of History Registrar

"Augusta Stories Through the AMH Collection"

2024 Series Schedule: Evidence of Impact

January 17, 2024
Series Overview
Dr. LeeAnn Caldwell, Augusta University

February 14, 2024
Preserving Manuscripts
Courtney Berge, Special Collection Librarian, Augusta University

March 13, 2024
Genealogy: Doing Family History
Catherine Robertson

April 17, 2024
The Story of Black Physicians in Augusta
Dr. Leslie Pollard, Paine College (Ret.)

May 15, 2024
An Oral History Project: Black and Chinese Augustans
Corey Rogers, Director, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History

June 12, 2024
Making Documentaries-Veteran’s Voices
Mark Albertin, Filmmaker

July 17, 2024
Architecture as History
Ellen Pruitt, Architect, Studio 3 Design Group

September 11, 2024
Using Newspapers for Research
Bill Kirby, Augusta Chronicle (Ret)

October 16, 2024
Literature through Time
Dr. Jim Garvey, Emeritus Faculty, August University

November 13, 2024
Telling History through AMH Collection
Alena Rensch, Registrar at Augusta Museum of History

2023 Series Schedule: 21st Century Turning Points

January 2023
Series Overview
Speaker: Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell
Recorded Session: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

February 2023
The Completion of Springfield Village Park
Speaker: Dr. Bobby Donaldson
Recorded Session: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

March 2023
Cyber Arrives in Augusta
Speaker: Dr. Tom Clark
Recorded Session: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

April 2023
Preserving Augusta's Jewish Stories
Speaker: Jack Weinstein

May 2023
An Evolution: ASU to GHSU (GRU) to AU 
Speaker: Dr. Gretchen Caughman

June 2023
The River Region as a Sporting Venue 
Speaker: Randy DuTeau
Recorded Session: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

July 2023
North Augusta's New Growth
Speaker: The Honorable Lark Jones
Recorded Session: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

September 2023
The Symphony Gets a Home - The Miller Theater
Speaker: Anne Catherine Murray
Recorded Session: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

October 2023
Augusta and Public Art 
Speaker: Pax Bobrow
Recorded Session: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

November 2023
From the Augusta Museum of History Collection
Speaker: Alena Rensch
Recorded Session:

2022: An Era of Change: 1950 - 1980

January 2022
Series Overview
Speaker: Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell
Recorded Session: https://youtu.be/2MI5Lw1A4xw

February 2022
The Desegregation of the Medical College of Georgia
Speaker: Dr. Joseph Hobbs
Recorded Session: https://youtu.be/09JxBJPrwrQ

March 2022
The Augusta Canal Post WWII
Speaker: Dayton Sherrouse
Recorded Session: https://youtu.be/a7X9exuXZrI

April 2022
The Early Years of Historic Augusta
Speaker: Erik Montgomery
Recorded Session:

May 2022
The Augusta Riot of 1970
Speaker: Dr. John Hayes
Recorded Session:

June 2022
Gwinnett Street (Now Laney-Walker Bldv) in this Era
Speaker: Leon Maben
Recorded Session: https://youtu.be/6OM2WKjQFQI

July 2022
The Story of Fort Gordon
Speaker: Steve Rauch
Recorded Session: https://youtu.be/jA4WEQvSCXA

September 2022
The Founding of the Augusta Symphony
Speaker: Leon Maben
Recorded Session: https://youtu.be/Z9txbGX7hss

October 2022
The Changing Face of Downtown
Speaker: Margaret Woodard
Recorded Session: 

November 2022
From the Augusta Museum of History Collections
Speaker: Natalie Smith
​Recorded Session: 

2021 Recorded Sessions

2020 Recorded Sessions

2020 Brown Bag Lecture Series
Brown Bag November 2020 with Natalie Thompson
https://youtu.be/4z35UNobetw

Brown Bag October 2020 with Luanne Hildebrandt
https://youtu.be/PCwjs6GpQ3U

Brown Bag September 2020 with Rebecca van Loenen
https://youtu.be/87PE2TGSzmU

Brown Bag July 2020 with Bill Baab
https://youtu.be/5Ppj1N1OXzE

Brown Bag June 2020 with Larry Sconyers
https://youtu.be/28fwmAg0lM4

2017 Brown Bag Lecture
Brown Bag 2-21-2017 World War I & the American Reader
https://youtu.be/-Y1xdCVU5Oc