Dr. Thornwell Jacobs

More than half a century ago, detailed plans were executed at Oglethorpe University, then on the outskirts of Atlanta, to build an extraordinary time capsule designed to store records for more than six thousand years. Done on an epic scale never before conceived, the result was the Oglethorpe Atlanta Crypt of Civilization, “the first successful attempt to bury a record for any future inhabitants. “The visionary of this improbable quest was Dr. Thornwell Jacobs (1877-1956), who has been called “the father of the modern time capsule.” Jacobs was a remarkable Georgia educator, clergyman and author. In 1915 in North Atlanta he single handedly refounded Oglethorpe University. Formerly located near Milledgeville, the antebellum collage had perished during the Civil War. Jacobs was to be president of the revived institution for thirty years. While engaged in teaching and research at Oglethorpe, Jacobs was struck by the dearth of information on the ancient civilizations. In November 1936, in scientific American magazine, he explained at length an idea for preserving contemporary records for prosperity.