George W. McDaniel
Award-Winning Historian and Author
Executive Director Emeritus of Iconic Drayton
Hall, Charleston, SC
Consultant & Facilitator for Museums and
Historic Sites
PhD (History) from Duke
George W. McDaniel is the author of
Drayton Hall
Stories: A Place and Its People.
The first book of
its kind in the nation
,
it is the result of his
experiences in academe and museums and his life
in Europe, Africa, and Vietnam. A former Peace
Corps volunteer and a Vietnam infantry veteran,
he saw peace and war and learned first-hand
about cultural differences and commonalities.
Devoting his career to education and history
museums, he has earned awards at local, state,
and national levels, and been deeply involved in
education, historic preservation, fundraising,
tourism, and strategic planning.
A native of Atlanta, he earned a BA from
Sewanee, a MAT (history) from Brown University,
and PhD (history) from Duke. For over 25 years,
he served as the Executive Director of Drayton
Hall, a historic site in Charleston, SC, of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation,
recording oral interviews with descendants (both
White and Black), board members, donors, staff,
and professionals in history, tourism, museums,
architecture, and historic preservation. The
resulting book,
“Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and
Its People”
presents a mosaic of stories and
insights that uses history to bring diverse people
together, a place-based strategy applicable
nationwide.
He is the president of McDaniel Consulting, LLC,
a strategy firm that helps organizations use
history to build bridges to broader constituents.
An engaging speaker, he combines his
professional perspectives with the needs and
opportunities of his audience and clients.
Winner of the 2024 Southeast Museum
Conference’s James R. Short Award
Winner of the 2024 Governor’s Award
in the Humanities
Winner of the 2023 Alexander S. Salley
Professional Service Award
Winner of the 2023 South Carolina
Preservation Honor Award
National Finalist in the 2023
AASLH Leadership in History Award
Guest Speaker:
Atlanta History Center
Charleston Library Society
Colonial Dames, Washington DC
Drayton Hall Preservation Trust
History Leadership Institute
SC Archives & History Center
SC Public Radio
Suggested Topics:
Using a Historic Place to Build Community
White and Black Descendants Remember
Drayton Hall
How Place-Based Strategies Can Strengthen
Communities Nationwide
A Time Machine: Historic Sites as Centers for
Preserving History
Using the Recent Past to Enhance Cross-
Cultural Understanding
Choosing a Future for Historic Places
Books by George W. McDaniel
Hearth and Home: Preserving a People’s Culture
(National Trust for Historic Preservation
Honor Award winner)
Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and Its People
Ashley River Stories: A Place and Its People
(Pub. Date: 2024)
Days of Peace and War: From Africa to Vietnam
(Pub. Date: 2025)
Praise for Author George McDaniel:
“McDaniel has helped bring this amazing place to life.”
— Paul
Edmondson, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation
“There’s magic in telling the story.”
— Helen Hill, CEO, Explore Charleston (Convention & Visitors Bureau)
“A remarkable narrative.”
— Brent D. Glass, Director Emeritus,
National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian Institution
“Drayton Hall Stories is in position to help change our national narrative.”
— Joseph McGill Jr.,
Founder and Executive Director, The Slave Dwelling Project
“Provides meaningful conversations about race and history…and teaches us the value of engaging people.”
— Michelle McCollum, President of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor
Rave Reviews for Speaker George McDaniel:
"A masterful job! His innovative mixture of spoken experience and participant interaction enables an audience to
thoroughly invest themselves.” — W. Eric Emerson, Ph.D., Director, SC Department of Archives and History
“George McDaniel continues to inspire as he delivers a compelling model for understanding America’s historic
sites.” — Carol B. Cadou, Executive Director, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America
"A nationally respected museum professional, McDaniel helps organizations use history, place, and
culture to enhance community.” — Antiques & The Arts Weekly
“For more than a quarter century, George has represented the very best in historic site leadership
and his innovative approaches have influenced the way engagement and interpretation are done.”
— Stephanie K. Meeks, former president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Contributor and Essayist
Stewards of Memory: The Past, Present and Future of Historic Preservation at Washington’s Mount
Vernon
The Material World of Eyre Hall: Four Centuries of Chesapeake History
C O N T A C T
gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com
843-708-5466
102 Rutherford Street
Summerville, SC 29483
https://www.mcdanielconsulting.net/
https://www.mcdanielconsulting.net/drayton-
hall-book/
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