Sheffield Hale
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
President & Chief Executive Officer
Atlanta, US
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
THE MARQUE
In Their Own Right
Biography
Sheffield Hale is President & CEO of Atlanta History Center. Founded in 1926, Atlanta History Center is dedicated to connecting people, history, and culture to facilitate dialogue and new perspectives. The institution includes a 175,000 sq foot museum and the Battle of Atlanta cyclorama painting, Goizueta Gardens, Kenan Research Center, 4 historic houses, and a range of digital experiences and educational programs.
Born in Atlanta, Sheffield’s dedication to and enthusiasm for the work of the History Center is rooted in his strong sense of community and a desire to preserve and explore Atlanta history. That sense of community, along with his legal background and nonprofit Board experience, shapes his approach to leading the History Center.
Under Sheffield’s leadership, the History Center has focused on addressing issues of history and memory that divide our community and country. Two key aspects have been the History Center’s nationwide Confederate Monuments Initiative, which focuses on providing historical information and tools for communities deciding whether to contextualize, remove, or otherwise engage with monuments or named places, and the development of Guiding Principles defining how the History Center will approach history in a way that cultivates broader, communitywide perspectives.
Sheffield has served on many boards and commissions, namely for historic preservation, cultural, and civic organizations. In recognition for this work, he has been named one of Georgia’s and Atlanta’s 100 most influential people in various media.
Sheffield previously served for ten years as Chief Counsel of the American Cancer Society, Inc. During his tenure, he was a strong advocate and author on the importance of best practices in nonprofit management. Prior to that that he was a Partner at Kilpatrick LLP practicing Corporate, Securities and Banking Law.
The Record
Background
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2012 — Present
President & Chief Executive Officer
Atlanta History Center
Atlanta History Center, originally known as the Atlanta Historical Society, was founded in 1926 with the goal to preserve and study the history of Atlanta.
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2002 — 2012
Chief Counsel
The American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a voluntary organization leading the way to find a cure for cancer. The organization funds and carries out research, shares information (also about prevention) and supports cancer patients.
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1986 — 2002
Associate & Partner
Kilpatrick LLP
Kilpatrick provides legal advice to a range of businesses in complex matters relating to litigation, intellectual property and corporate transactions.
In The News
Newsfeed
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24 July 2026 · Yahoo! News
From the Olympics to the World Cup: How Atlanta’s 1996 Games fueled decades of growth
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17 June 2026 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Why Everything You Know About the South Is Wrong | Sheffield Hale
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7 May 2026 · New York Times
Ted Turner’s Mark on Atlanta Lived On, Even After He Left the Spotlight
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10 April 2026 · Saporta Report
100 artifacts in Atlanta History Center book, exhibition trace the city’s past
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3 April 2026 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Midtown church weighs its future after historic hall lands on ‘peril’ list
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23 March 2026 · CBS News
Freedom Plane tour brings historic founding documents to the Atlanta History Center
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19 March 2026 · New York Times
Cesar Chavez Avenue May Soon Be Gone. Yet to Be Confronted: His Legacy.
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9 March 2026 · Urbanize
Images: MLK Jr. National Historical Park adds restored Atlanta landmark
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18 February 2026 · Buckhead
The Atlanta History Center Turns 100. Why Its 33-Acre Buckhead Campus Deserves Your Attention
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13 February 2026 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
King’s refurbished SCLC headquarters joins National Park System
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10 February 2026 · Atlanta History Center
Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge
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29 January 2026 · Atlanta Business Chronicle
Atlanta History Center exceeds fundraising goal ahead of 100th anniversary
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20 January 2026 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta History Center celebrates 100 with ambitious slate of new exhibitions
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1 November 2025 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta, founded as a railroad town, now controls a vast rail archive
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19 August 2025 · The Chautauquan Daily
Atlanta History Center CEO Sheffield Hale closes 2025 African American Heritage House Lecture Series
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14 April 2025 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How Trump’s executive order could reshape our history museums
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7 January 2025 · Atlanta Magazine
I was a Jimmy Carter Fanboy
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5 January 2025 · New York Times
Jimmy Carter’s Heart Was in Plains. But His Launchpad Was in Atlanta.
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30 December 2024 · Atlanta Business Chronicle
'True giant of humankind': Leaders remember Jimmy Carter
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12 July 2024 · New York Times
At Margaret Mitchell’s House, ‘Gone With the Wind’ Gets A Rewrite
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10 July 2024
'Gone with the Wind' author's house reopens after 4-year closure with a clearer-eyed view of history
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25 June 2024 · Yahoo! News
Historic Margaret Mitchell House reopens to public next month
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4 April 2024 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Braves, Atlanta History Center honor Hank Aaron with exhibit
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8 March 2024 · Atlanta Tribune
Thriving Together Atlanta’s Equitable Dinners Offers Convo on Major Social issues at Night of Idea
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15 February 2024 · Atlanta Tribune
Night of Ideas Atlanta: Join 20+ Artists and Thinkers for a Nocturnal Marathon
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2 August 2023 · Georgia Public Broadcasting
Monument: The Untold Story of Stone Mountain
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28 May 2023 · University of Georgia
Sheffield Hale: History Maker
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24 March 2023 · 11 Alive
Over 40 people join mayor's Atlanta Public Safety Training Center task force
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5 March 2023 · Scripps News
Reflecting on Selma’s ‘Bloody Sunday’ 58 years later
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12 January 2023 · LA Times
How Stone Mountain weaponized art against Black people, in a compelling new documentary
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12 January 2023 · The Economist
The truth about Stone Mountain’s giant Confederate memorial
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23 November 2022 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Progress toward Stone Mountain truth-telling exhibit a ‘positive step’
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1 July 2022 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Working to engage Gen Z in history, civics
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13 June 2022
Atlanta History Center honors Juneteenth
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31 May 2022
2021 Governor’s Awards for the Arts & Humanities: Celebrating Cultural Vitality
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25 March 2022
Former President George W. Bush's portraits coming to Atlanta History Center
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10 February 2022 · Atlanta History Center
Sheffield Hale receives Georgia Governor’s Award for Arts and Humanities
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5 February 2022 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: History can inform, shape our present
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17 December 2021 · Atlanta Civic Circle
Atlanta History Center launches five-year democracy initiative
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25 October 2021 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Norfolk Southern Railway donates gigantic railroad archive to history center
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11 September 2021 · WXIA | Atlanta
Air Force veteran recounts coordinating aircraft in wake of 9/11
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In Frame
Gallery
Formative Years
Education
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University of Virginia School of Law
Juris Doctor
1985
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University of Georgia
Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude | History
1982
Areas Of Focus