COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus State University has renamed its Archives & Special Collections in honor of Columbus native and Georgia historian Kenneth H. Thomas Jr., recognizing a philanthropic gift that will support historical preservation, research and education. The new Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr. Archives & Special Collections will use an endowment to fund digitization, community programs, conservation and the acquisition of historical materials, according to an Oct. 19, 2026, university announcement. The gift also supports preparations for Columbus' 2028 bicentennial, marking 200 years since the city's founding in 1828.

1. Columbus State announces new name and endowment

The university announced that its Archives & Special Collections will carry Thomas' name in recognition of the philanthropic gift. According to Columbus State, the renamed collection is part of CSU Libraries and is located at 4225 University Avenue in Columbus. The university described the gift as an investment in preserving historical materials and expanding opportunities to study regional history.

The endowment will support several areas of the archives' operations, including the preservation and acquisition of historical documents and artifacts. Columbus State said the funding will also expand educational activities and opportunities for students to work with archival materials. Community workshops, lectures and digitization projects are among the planned uses.

The announcement connects the university's archival work with the approaching Columbus 2028 celebration. Columbus was founded in 1828, making 2028 the city's 200th anniversary. According to CSU, the archives plan to acquire additional collections as part of the activities supported by the gift.

2. Who is Kenneth H. Thomas Jr.?

Thomas is a Columbus native whose family roots in the area extend to the 1820s, according to Columbus State University. He attended Columbus High School in the early 1960s before earning a bachelor's degree in history from Emory University. His career subsequently included military service, historic preservation work, historical writing and genealogical research.

After college, Thomas served four years in the U.S. Air Force, including two years in England. Columbus State said he joined the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Historic Preservation Section in 1973. That position began a long period of professional work involving Georgia's historical resources.

In 1978, Thomas became Georgia's National Register of Historic Places historian, according to the university. He held that position until 2006 and authored or edited more than 1,500 National Register nominations during his tenure. Those nominations were a major component of his professional work documenting historical properties.

Thomas also maintained a lengthy career as a newspaper genealogy columnist. According to Columbus State, he wrote a Sunday genealogy column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1977 through 2024. His writing career ran alongside his work in historical preservation and research.

The university's announcement identifies Thomas' professional contributions as a central reason for the naming recognition. His work included documenting historical properties, researching family histories and writing about Georgia's past. Columbus State cited that combination of scholarship and preservation in recognizing him through the archives.

3. What is inside the renamed archives?

The Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr. Archives & Special Collections maintains several types of historical resources, according to Columbus State. Its holdings include rare manuscripts, historic photographs, maps and specialized collections. The materials support research involving historical subjects and preserved records.

Columbus State said the archives are available to students, faculty members, scholars and independent researchers. That access extends the collection's research function beyond students enrolled at the university. The archives serve as a resource for people examining historical documents and other preserved materials.

The collection is part of CSU Libraries at 4225 University Avenue, according to the university's announcement. Its holdings encompass different forms of historical evidence, from written manuscripts to photographs and maps. These materials are among the resources the new endowment is intended to help preserve and develop.

The university also plans to acquire additional regional documents and artifacts through the endowment. Those acquisitions will add to the historical materials maintained by the archives. Columbus State included collection development among the funding priorities announced with the naming recognition.

4. What the endowment will support

The endowment has several purposes that involve preservation, education and public programming, according to Columbus State. The university identified digitization, conservation, community workshops, lectures, historical acquisitions and student experiential learning as areas that will receive support. Together, those activities cover both the maintenance of existing materials and the development of new educational opportunities.

Digitization is one of the activities specifically included in the university's announcement. The endowment will help support projects involving historical materials held by the archives. Columbus State also identified conservation as a separate priority for protecting items of historical value.

Another component involves acquiring regional documents and artifacts. According to the university, the archives will use the endowment to support additions to its collections. That work is also connected to the university's plans surrounding the Columbus 2028 bicentennial.

The funding will support community workshops and lectures, Columbus State said. Those activities are intended to extend the archives' educational role beyond its existing research collections. The university also identified experiential learning opportunities for students as part of the endowment's purpose.

Students therefore figure into the announcement in two ways. They are among the groups already able to use the archives for research, and the endowment will support additional learning experiences. Columbus State included both research access and student educational opportunities in its description of the renamed collection.

5. The connection to Columbus' 2028 bicentennial

Columbus State linked the gift to the Columbus 2028 celebration of the city's founding in 1828. The approaching bicentennial provides a specific historical milestone for the archives' collection development. According to the university, the endowment will help support the acquisition of new materials as Columbus prepares to mark its 200th anniversary.

The renamed archives will maintain historical records that can be used to study the region's past. Columbus State identified regional documents and artifacts as an acquisition priority under the endowment. The university's announcement connects those plans to the broader commemoration of Columbus' founding.

Thomas' own history also connects him to Columbus and its historical record. According to CSU, his family has roots in the area dating to the 1820s, the same decade in which Columbus was founded. His published work includes books about Columbus and Fort Benning, adding to his documented career in Georgia historical research.

6. Thomas' books, career and recognition

In addition to his historic preservation career, Thomas has written books about the Columbus area, according to the university. His publications include "Columbus, Georgia, in Vintage Postcards," published in 2001, and "Fort Benning," published in 2003. Those works are among the historical publications highlighted in Columbus State's announcement.

Thomas has also received recognition from organizations involved in history and preservation. In 2003, he received the Governor's Award in the Humanities, according to Columbus State. The Historic Columbus Foundation presented him with the Sarah Turner Butler Heritage Award in 2008.

Additional honors followed in subsequent years. Columbus State said Thomas was named a Fellow of the Society of Georgia Archivists in 2009 and received the Georgia Historical Society's John McPherson Berrien Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. He also received Historic Westville's Lifetime Achievement/Legacy Award in 2013.

The awards reflect different parts of the professional record described by Columbus State. His work included state historic preservation responsibilities, genealogical writing and historical publications. The university highlighted those contributions in explaining the decision to name its Archives & Special Collections for him.

7. What Columbus State's archives leaders said

Dr. Bryan Banks, dean of libraries and archives, recognized Thomas' contributions in the university's announcement. Banks said Thomas "has embodied the highest ideals of historical scholarship, public advocacy and stewardship." His statement accompanied Columbus State's announcement of the new archives name and supporting endowment.

David Owings, the university's archives director, also addressed the importance of the gift. According to Columbus State, Owings said the endowment "will help ensure materials of enduring historic value are safeguarded." The statement connects the new funding with the archives' responsibility for maintaining historical collections.

Both university officials discussed the announcement in terms of historical preservation. Banks emphasized Thomas' professional record, while Owings described the endowment's role in protecting archival materials. Their comments accompanied the university's plans for acquisitions, digitization, conservation and educational programs.

8. How researchers and residents can use the archives

Columbus State identifies the Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr. Archives & Special Collections as a resource for students, faculty, scholars and independent researchers. The collection is part of CSU Libraries at 4225 University Avenue in Columbus. Its holdings include manuscripts, photographs, maps and specialized collections available for historical research.

The endowment will support activities beyond maintaining the existing collections, according to the university. Planned uses include community workshops, lectures and opportunities for student experiential learning. The university also plans to acquire additional regional historical documents and artifacts.

The renamed archives combine the university's existing historical collections with the new endowment's preservation and educational purposes. Columbus State announced the changes ahead of the 2028 bicentennial commemorating Columbus' founding in 1828. The university identified ongoing conservation, digitization, historical acquisitions and community education as the principal activities the gift will support.