The Jennie T. Anderson Theatre and the Cobb Civic Center were built in 1989.

Virginia "Jennie" Tate was born on September 22, 1912 in Tate, Georgia. In 1916, after the death of her father, William Boyd Tate, her family moved to Marietta, Georgia. After attending Converse College (Spartanburg, South Carolina) for two years, she went to Emory University and graduated in 1933 with a bachelor's degree in History and Governmental Studies.

Shortly after graduating, Tate began her work as the first Director of the Cobb County Department of Public Welfare. In 1936, she left the Public Welfare Department and became the Personnel Director at the Holeproof Hosiery Company. In 1939, Tate married James T. Anderson, Jr. of the Anderson Chevrolet in Marietta.

The Andersons had four children: James Thomas Anderson, III, twins William Tate and Virginia Kent, and Randall Montgomery. After her marriage, Anderson became heavily involved in the Marietta community and the State, serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission for Cobb County, the Heritage Trust Commission, and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

Anderson co-founded the Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society. She served on the boards of several organizations, including the Board of Visitors for Emory University, the Fulton Federal Savings and Load Band, and the Northwest Georgia Girl Scout Counsel, among others. She also served as the President of the Garden Club of Georgia from 1969-1971. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson became philanthropists to the Cobb County area, contributing to many landmarks and organizations.

Jennie Tate Anderson died in January 1985 in Marietta, Georgia.

Biography courtesy of Emory University. Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.

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