James Cothran

Garden Historian

Jim Cothran, Vice-President of Robert and Company’s Planning and Landscape Architecture Division in Atlanta, Georgia, holds degrees from Clemson University, the University of Georgia, and Georgia Institute of Technology where his academic training included ornamental horticulture, landscape architecture, and city planning. In addition to his professional practice, Jim serves as an adjunct professor at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia where he teaches a graduate course on America’s historic gardens and landscapes. Previous experience in the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects includes serving as Trustee, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Newsletter Editor, as well as a representative on various ASLA committees and boards. Jim has served as a Member of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission, the Atlanta Tree Preservation Review Board, and the Atlanta Tree Commission. Jim is a Board member of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Cherokee Garden Library, the Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation and currently serves as President of the Southern Garden History Society. He was a founding member of Trees Atlanta and has served as an active member of its Board of Directors since its inception in 1980.