Robert G. & Anne F. Gardner Endowed Fund for Baptist History & Research
For almost six decades, Robert and Anne Gardner have industriously researched, written, edited, and preserved materials in the field of Baptist history in Georgia. They have also quietly encouraged others to do likewise. In this shared endeavor, they have given careful attention to the diverse members of the Baptist family: Missionary, Free Will, Primitive, African-American, Independent, and others.
Anne (1924 – 2018) was born in Henry County, Georgia, and received the BA degree from Bessie Tift College, Forsyth, Georgia, in 1946. She and Bob were married in 1947 and are the parents of two children. She served as educational director of two Georgia Baptist churches and in various capacities in libraries at Duke University, Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary, and Shorter College. At one time or another, she was a director of the Southern Baptist Historical Society, a member of the Georgia Baptist Historical Commission, and a long-time member of the editorial board of Viewpoints: Georgia Baptist History. Throughout it all, she was a perceptive proofreader for Bob.
Bob (1924 – 2014) was born in Ohio, received the BA degree from Mercer University in 1949, and received the PhD degree in church history from Duke University in 1957. For thirty-seven years, he taught religion and philosophy at Shorter College. He took an active role in the affairs of the Baptist History and Heritage Society and the Georgia Baptist Historical Society. He contributed in various ways to each of the twenty-three issues of Viewpoints: Georgia Baptist History (1968-2012). Author of seven books and numerous published articles, he received “The Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Contributions to Baptist History” from the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1986, and “Citation for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Georgia Baptist History” from the Historical Commission of the Georgia Baptist Convention, 1992.
Since their retirement in 1994, they have been loyal members of the First Baptist Church of Christ, Macon. Each has also taken a leading role in the work of the Georgia Baptist History Repository at Mercer University, frequently in collection development and in encouraging young (and sometimes not so young) scholars to research in the Repository’s extensive Georgia collection.
The Robert G. and Anne F. Gardner Endowed Fund for Baptist History and Research will provide additional resources to continue the work and honor the legacies of the Gardners.
To make a financial contribution to the Gardner Endowed Fund, you may make an online gift on the University Advancement website. Remember to enter your gift amount in the box marked “University Libraries.”
For more information, please contact: