Sherman Drawdy
Born in 1903, on the south side of what would become Mascotte, Sherman Drawdy was one of nine children.
Following his formal education in Groveland (finishing twelve years in ten), Sherman took a business course in Tampa and then returned to Groveland to begin work in the bank as a clerk at age 17.
c. 1915 - Groveland's Bank is the building on the right with its original facade.
He also served as Groveland's City Clerk and treasurer, worked in insurance and real estate, and enrolled in a course in law.
Within five years Sherman had worked his way up to Bank Examiner for the State of Florida, becoming the youngest bank examiner in Florida's history, at age 22.
Sometime around 1915-1925, Groveland's Bank was remodeled to add the columns and other architectual design elements to the facade.
By 1933, he was an examiner for the FDIC.
In 1934, he relocated to Georgia where he became Chief Examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
By 1947, he had become President of the Georgia Railroad Bank and Trust Company.
At home in Augusta, Georgia, he served on the Advisory Board of St. Joseph's Hospital, was past president of the Community Chest, the Kiwanis Club of Augusta, Board member of the city's Chamber of Commerce, past President of the Augusta Country Club, and leader in the community's United Fund.
He was also a board member of: the Richmond County Bank, Director of the North Augusta Banking Company; Augusta Newspapers, Inc.; Castleberry's Food Company; Cato Stores, Inc.; Georgia Carolina Brick and Title Company; Professional Building, Inc.; Petroleum Distributors, Inc.; Billups Eastern Petroleum Company; and Piedmont Southern Life Insurance Company.
He was the former Treasurer of the American Bankers Association; was President of the Georgia Banker's Association; and a board member of the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges, Inc..
At his death in 1973, he was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the First of Georgia Fire and Casualty Company and First of Georgia Credit Life Company.
Hunting was his favorite sport, which he learned as a youngster growing up in the rural area of Mascotte.
He was known by such persons as U. S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, President Richard Nixon, President Dwight Eisenhower (they were known to play golf together and he received an award from Eisenhower), Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, and Dr. Billy Graham, who visited in his home.
He was a deacon of the First Baptist Church of Augusta, director of the finance committee, and active in his Sunday School Class.
When accessing his accomplishments, he stated that his responsibility as a deacon in his church and commitment to God as his most important.
He had received much of his early religious training from attending the Empire Primitive Baptist Church south of Mascotte.
At his death, an Augusta TV Station aired an hour-long documentary on his life.
An excerpt of a resolution passed by the Georgia Legislature honoring him stated:
"...Sherman Drawdy entered this life with little to his credit save the love of his family and a desire to make of his life something of which he could be proud...
He never found himself too busy or too important to devote himself to the work of human kindness."
[Contributors: Mary Helen Myers, Jason Brown]