Youth & History

At 14, Andrew Bramlett lectures, leads historical tours.

Do you know the first Medal of Honor recipient’s connection to Georgia? Are you aware that one of Georgia’s state historic sites was once a national park? Have you heard that a presidential military aide from Georgia died in the sinking of the Titanic? Unless you’re a trivia expert in a myriad of subjects, or a professor of history, you’re probably shaking your head.

There’s a historian extraordinaire in our midst who shares his passion on many subjects through videos, group presentations and articles.

Meet Andrew Bramlett of Kennesaw.

Andrew’s interests cover a wide range of topics, such as where Cobb County places get their names, the origins of nautical terms, military battles and local cemeteries. At first glance, you might assume he is a mature man, well read, highly intelligent and perhaps an educator. Well, almost. Andrew is only 14 years old, and a rising ninth-grader.

Andrew and his younger brother, Daniel, are home-schooled by their parents, Lewis and Beth Bramlett. The nature of home schooling facilitates Andrew pursuing his personal passions of interest while studying traditional subjects. The brothers also attend Timothy Ministry of First Baptist Church Woodstock on Tuesdays, where they participate in academic and enrichment classes.

Lewis Bramlett shared how, as a small child, upon awakening Andrew would run down the hall yelling, “full steam ahead!” Full of energy and determination, he ran a half-marathon at the ages of 7 and 9, exceptional for a little guy.

But Andrew is exceptional in many ways. His interest in history began as a young boy, when he tagged along with his dad to visit family gravesites in North Carolina. The family’s cemetery adventures grew into Andrew currently serving as an honorary member of the Kennesaw Cemetery Preservation Commission. He leads cemetery walking tours at Kennesaw City Cemetery, and also serves as vice president of the Kennesaw Historical Society, quite an honor for such a young man.

Community volunteerism is important to Andrew. He believes that, by volunteering, he helps to better the community and the quality of life for the area; he benefits from educational experiences he may not otherwise have; and he connects with others of like minds. Growing up hiking Kennesaw Mountain with his dad and brother, along with having a passion for history, it was fitting Andrew began volunteering as a visitor’s tour guide at the park. On a day when he was not scheduled, previous visitors to the park requested Andrew as their guide. He was happy to oblige!

Andrew’s schedule of speaking presentations goes through Dec. 12, with interesting topics such as history of the Medal of Honor, Georgia baseball stories and the kings of covered bridges. He speaks to various groups at numerous locations. His brother is a “behind the scenes” tech guy, providing support during presentations. For the complete listing of Andrew’s upcoming speaking engagements, visit his website, www.ajbramlett.com.

In addition to Andrew’s presentations to groups, he also shares his wealth of knowledge in published articles. Andrew recently began short video presentations posted on his Facebook page, based on the articles he’s written about why we say what we say. Browsing his Facebook presentations, you will learn the story behind some outer space-inspired words, such as lunatic and disaster; the history behind the names of some popular soft drink brands; and all about the terms filibuster and gerrymandering. Andrew creatively uses props related to each presentation, like a vintage Coca-Cola machine, a “Star Wars” poster and figures, and a picture of the Titanic. Trivia seekers especially will enjoy these unique topics. Others may find answers to questions they never realized they had.

The vast amount of research required for Andrew to attain information on so many different subjects is astounding. Even more so is his uncanny ability to recall information, and casually share very specific details of historical events, complete with names and dates. As he begins high school and plans for college, Andrew is considering the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. His aspirations include history, law and architecture. He hinted at a possible law career in the field of historic preservation and architecture.

Andrew’s parents have created a learning environment that fosters Andrew’s gifts and passions. As Andrew Bramlett, historian and etymologist extraordinaire, plows full steam ahead into a bright future full of opportunity, his parents and brother will be cheering him on. Maybe one day we’ll see him on “Jeopardy”!

By Vicki Davis, an Atlanta native, frequently visited her parents’ hometown of Acworth. She moved to the area 32 years ago with her husband and sons. Family is her focus; writing is her passion.