A twentieth-century history of the Georgia Museum of Natural History.

This article provides a detailed twentieth-century history of the Georgia Museum of Natural History at the University of Georgia (UGA), tracing its development from fragmented departmental collections to a formally recognized, unified museum in 1978. The museum houses one of the world's largest university collections, encompassing anthropology, entomology, botany, geology, zoology, and archaeology, among others, with over seven million specimens. Throughout the century, the collections experienced periods of growth, loss (notably due to a 1903 fire), and administrative challenges, often influenced by fluctuating funding, departmental priorities, and broader historical events such as wars and economic shifts. Since its formal establishment as a cohesive institution, the museum has expanded its research, educational outreach, and state recognition, though it continues to face ongoing struggles for funding and support.