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s pri ng s um m e r 2015
PR ES E RVAT I ON T RUST
f r i e n d s of d r a y t o n h a l l
INTERIORS A CO M PE LL I N G L E GACY by Anthony C. Wood Trustee, Drayton Hall preservation trust On November 6, 1989, George W. McDaniel, Ph.D., started his job as Executive Director of Drayton Hall. He arrived in the wake of an unexpected visit by a most unruly and uninvited visitor, Hurricane Hugo. For others, victory might have been just getting Drayton Hall back to its pre-Hugo status, but not for George. From that point on, until his retirement in June of this year, he has consistently been upping the bar at Drayton Hall, establishing it as a truly world-class historic site. Unlike sites whose narratives are restricted to their own story and whose preservation concerns stop at their gates, because of George’s broader vision, Drayton Hall has used its compelling history to connect visitors to multiple larger historic themes and to instill in them a preservation ethic that they take home with them. By doing so, George has established Drayton Hall not only as a preserved site but as a site dedicated to preservation itself. George’s success at Drayton Hall is not solely the result of his preservation philosophy; much of it has to do with the man behind the philosophy. If one only looks at George’s impressive professional credentials: an undergraduate degree from Sewanee, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown, and a Ph.D from Duke, and his professional experiences at the Center for Southern Folklore and the Atlanta History Center, one might mistakenly assume George is some “lost in another century” history nerd. However, his fuller resume—a stint in Togo, West Africa, with the Peace Corps and serving our country in the First Infantry Division, U.S. Army in Vietnam—suggests there is more to him. But even that doesn’t reveal the George that one only gets to know by spending time with him.
Photo by Morgan Livingston
PR ES E RVAT I ON T RUST
George is great fun. He possess a true joie de vivre. He is a gifted raconteur—a true storyteller. He is a man of many interests and talents—a true Renaissance man—give him half a
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