Herty Field Historical Marker

This historical marker was dedicated in 1991 and commemorates the location of the first intercollegiate football game in Georgia. The game pitted an apparently overmatched squad from Mercer College against the state university team which prevailed by a score of fifty to zero in an era when forward passes were illegal and games were typically low scoring affairs. The game was played on January 30, 1892, and was witnessed by several hundred spectators, a far cry from today's games by members of the Southeastern Conference. All of Georgia's home games were played at Herty Field until 1911. The field was named after chemistry professor Dr. Charles H Herty who served as the coach and trainer after completing his duties in the laboratory and classroom.

Herty Field is the place of the first college football game in Georgia, and one of the first college football games in the south. The first game was played on January 30, 1892 when Georgia won against Mercer College. The field was named after chemistry professor Dr. Charles H. Herty, who enjoyed sports as well as academics.

After a new field was constructed in 1911, the original Herty Field was utilized as a parking lot.  Most recently, in 1999, Herty Field was transformed into a public plaza in which students can enjoy sunny days and the beautiful fountain. Herty's claim to fame in those days was his work developing chemicals that aided companies that produced pulpwood and turpentine and he volunteered his time coaching the students for a few hours per week. 

"Herty Field." UGA Architects. Accessed July 01, 2017. https://www.architects.uga.edu/projects/herty-field.

"Herty Field." UGA Buildings and Locations. Accessed July 1, 2017. http://www.uga.edu/a-z/location/herty-field/.

Seibert, David. "Herty Field Historical Marker." The Historical Marker Database. September 23, 2008. Accessed July 1, 2017. https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=11709.