Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy and Atlanta construction entrepreneur Herman J. Russell have been chosen to be named Georgia Trustees — the state's highest honor that dates to its founding as a British colony.

The Georgia Historical Society said Wednesday that Cathy and Russell will be inducted by Gov. Nathan Deal during a Savannah gala Feb. 16.

Cathy is known for growing Chick-fil-A from a regional restaurant chain into a national franchise. Russell turned his Atlanta construction company, H.J. Russell and Company, into one of the nation's most successful African American-owned businesses in the 1960s and '70s.

The original Georgia Trustees were named by King George II of England to govern Georgia from 1733 until 1752. In that tradition, the Georgia Historical Society inducts two new trustees each year.

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