George Washington Hitt 1913-1958 Artist, Humanitarian, Philosopher
`An unforgettable personality whose courage shone with such crystal brilliance as to brighten the world about him and uplift the spirits of those even more fortunate, but not fashioned of such heroic fibre. His is a name to remember when the going gets tough and the seductive voices of defeat sing their siren song. ` - Rogers, The Atlanta Journal. Born March 31, 1913, his life was spent in Toccoa. Despite crippling rheumatoid arthritis, he led an active, creative life as an internationally known silhouette artist, reporter and technical writer. His philosophy was, `No person is handicapped unless he perceives himself to be.` He received the Army-Navy E Award in 1945, the same year the U.S. Department of State distributed the story of his life abroad. In 1954 he received the National Who`s Crippled Award. His delicate silhouettes depicted people and events, but his most beautiful were of nature. His feeling for composition and sensitivity in artistic portrayal ranked him among the foremost silhouette artists of his day.
Stephens County Historical Society 1984
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.