Former U. S. Army Capt. Edward H. “Rusty” Hightower of Kennesaw will be the special guest speaker at the Save Acworth History Foundation Lecture Series on Tuesday November 9th at 7:00 pm.

This meeting of the lecture series will take place in council chambers at Acworth City Hall, 4415 Center Street in Acworth.

Admission is free and open to the public.

The following biography of Capt. Hightower, distributed in a press release by Acworth Alderman Tim Richardson, gives an account of the circumstances of his Silver Star award.

Capt. Hightower is a 1966 graduate of the University of North Georgia where he was commissioned as a 2nd. Lt. in the U. S. Army.

During his deployment to Vietnam in 1969, now Capt. Hightower distinguished himself while taking control as commander after his battalion leaders were killed.

Despite being wounded, he maneuvered through enemy fire, inspiring his comrades by his courageous leadership, and evacuating the wounded and dead. His actions resulted in the saving of many lives of his fellow soldiers and allies.

For his valor in battle, Capt. Hightower was awarded the Silver Star, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other decorations.

In 2020 Capt. Hightower was inducted into the Georgia Military Veteran’s Hall of Fame. His framed photo is prominently displayed on the Heroes Wall of the Floyd Building in the State Capitol complex in Atlanta.

Hightower also served in the Georgia State Defense Force, retiring as Chief of Staff in 2020 after 30 years of service. He was promoted to Brigadier General at retirement.

In civilian life Hightower was a teacher and coach at Harrison High School in Kennesaw.

About the City of Acworth

Acworth got its start as a railroad depot for the Western & Atlantic railroad. An engineer for the W&A, Joseph Gregg, named the depot for his hometown of Acworth, New Hampshire.

Acworth was incorporated as a city in 1860.

The following quick facts about Acworth were taken from the U.S. Census Bureau website.

2019 Population Estimates 22,818

Source: Vintage 2019 Population Estimates

Median Household Income $ 68,860

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Persons in poverty, percent 9.3 %

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Educational Attainment: Percent high school graduate or higher 92.8 %

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Persons without health insurance, percent 13.1 %

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Median Housing Value $ 182,900

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Total Housing Units 9,178

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Number of Firms 2,414

Source: 2012 Survey of Business Owners: Company Summary

Male Median Income $ 40,278

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Female Median Income $ 29,363

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Veterans 1,174

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Percent of households with a broadband Internet subscription 91.4 %

Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates