The United Sacred Harp Musical Association was founded in Atlanta in 1905 by James L. White and Joe S. James, following a series of large singings in 1904 connected with tent revivals in the Atlanta area. The convention was based in that city for most of its early history. The United Association appointed the committee that revised the 1870 Sacred Harp as handed down by B.F. White, and produced the edition known as Original Sacred Harp (1911), published by Joe S. James, with musical editor S.M. Denson. About a thousand people attended each singing in its heyday in the 1920s in the Atlanta area. John Plunkett has compiled newspaper clippings and other records of the convention in a commemorative booklet issued at the 100th annual session in September 2003: "Newspaper Accounts from the Atlanta Constitution and Atlanta Journal of the United Sacred Harp Musical Association, 1904-1956." See also the online exhibition, The United Sacred Harp Musical Association
A list of the locations and chairmen of this convention over the last eighty years follows, based on minute books and newspaper accounts:
2023 Fuller Cemetery Ider AL Jamey Wootten
2022 Antioch Baptist Church Ider AL Marty Wootten
2021 [not held due to pandemic]
2020 [not held due to pandemic]
2019 Emory University Atlanta GA Lela Crowder & Philip Langley
2018 Holly Springs Church Bremen GA Nathan Rees
2017 Camp McDowell Nauvoo AL Linda Sides
2016 Camp McDowell Nauvoo AL Kathy Williams
2015 Church of Our Saviour Atlanta GA Jesse P. Karlsberg
2014 Union Baptist Church Warrior AL Danny Creel
2013 Church of Our Saviour Atlanta GA Matt Hinton
2012 Liberty Church Henagar AL David Ivey
2011 Trevecca Nazarene Univ. Nashville TN Eddie Mash
2010 Zion Hill P.B. Church Douglas AL Henry Johnson
2009 Corinth Baptist Church Fyffe AL Shane Wootten
2008 Johnson School House Fayette AL Elene Stovall & Joan Aldridge
2007 Mt. Pisgah P.B. Church Stroud AL Karen Clark
2006 S. Highland Presb. Ch. Birmingham AL Max Berueffy
2005 Belmont University Nashville TN Tim Reynolds
2004 Ebenezer P.B. Church Dunwoody GA Richard DeLong
2003 Zion Hill P.B. Church Douglas AL Susan Harcrow
2002 Johnson School House Fayette AL Max Berueffy
2001 Shady Grove Church Dutton AL Dennis George
2000 Old County Line Church Corner AL Rodney Ivey
1999 Liberty Church Henagar AL David Ivey
1998 Burritt Museum Huntsville AL Linton Ballinger
1997 Old County Line Church Corner AL Harrison Creel
1996 Shady Grove Church Dutton AL Rex Wilks
1995 Liberty Church Henagar AL Coy Ivey
1994 Emmaus P.B. Church Carrollton GA Jerry Enright
1993 Old County Line Church Corner AL Harrison Creel
1992 West Georgia College Carrollton GA David McGukin
1991 Old County Line Church Corner AL Harrison Creel
1990 First Baptist Church Evanston IL Ted Mercer
University of Chicago Chicago IL
1989 Burritt Museum Huntsville AL David Ivey
1988 Wilson Chapel Carrollton GA Sheri Webb
1987 Shady Grove Church Dutton AL Mark Brown
1986 Sherer Auditorium Jasper AL Hugh McGraw
1985 VFW Hall Fort Payne AL Kelly Beard
1984 Hopewell P.B. Church Oneonta AL Coy Ivey
1983 Climax Presb. Church Westville GA Richard DeLong
1982 Shady Grove Church Dutton AL Toney Smith
1981 Hopewell P.B. Church Oneonta AL David Ivey
1980 Wilson Chapel Carrollton GA Henry Wilson
1979 Liberty Church Henagar AL Preston Crider & Coy Ivey
1978 Rocky Mount P.B. Church Arab AL Ricky Harcrow
1977 Antioch Baptist Church Ider AL Leonard Lacy
1976 Ephesus P.B. Church Fairfax AL E.G. Akin
1975 Wilson Chapel Carrollton GA Jim Ayers
1974 Smyrna Church Goodwater AL E.I. McGuire
1973 Wilson Chapel Carrollton GA Buell Cobb
1972 Recreation Hall Gadsden AL A.J. Webb
1971 New Hope Church Villa Rica GA M.H. Handley
1970 Convention Hall Gadsden AL Ira James
1969 New Hope Church Villa Rica GA Hoyt Cagle
1968 Macedonia P.B. Church Section AL Leonard Lacy
1967 Smyrna Church Goodwater AL Lloyd Redding
1966 Wilson Chapel Carrollton GA Ruth Denson Edwards
1965 Ellington Ag. Center Nashville TN Priestly Miller
1964 Oak Grove Church Roswell GA Hoyt Cagle
1963 LaFayette High School LaFayette AL Hoyt Cagle
1962 Trinity Baptist Church Newnan GA Carl Hughes
1961 Oneonta Civic Center Oneonta AL Hugh McGraw
1960 Ava Hall Bowden GA Jim Ayers
1959 Corinth Church Fyffe AL Leman Brown
1958 Baptist Church Edwardsville AL George Phillips
1957 Oneonta Civic Center Oneonta AL H.N. McGraw
1956 City Auditorium Atlanta GA M.F. McWhorter
1955 Rocky Mount P.B. Church Arab AL M.F. McWhorter
1954 Rocky Mount P.B. Church Arab AL M.F. McWhorter
1953 Rocky Mount P.B. Church Arab AL M.F. McWhorter
1952 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1951 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1950 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1949 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1948 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1947 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1946 Fulton Co. Courthouse Atlanta GA E.J. Brittain
1945 City Auditorium Atlanta GA O.E. Drake
1944 City Auditorium Atlanta GA O.E. Drake
1943 City Auditorium Atlanta GA O.E. Drake
1942 Fulton Co. Courthouse Atlanta GA O.E. Drake
1941 Lakewood Fairgrounds Atlanta GA
1940 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1939 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1938 City Auditorium Atlanta GA
1937 Lakewood Fairgrounds Atlanta GA
1936 Red Men's Wigwam Atlanta GA
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