Short, Bob, 1932-United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018Rowan, Robert A., 1935Short, Bob, 19322008-08-11Finding aid available in repository.Robert A. "Bobby" Rowan was born in Enigma, Georgia, on November 17, 1935. He attended the University of Georgia, studied agriculture, and was elected campus leader. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, and then returned home to work as a schoolteacher and farmer. In 1962, Rowan ran a successful campaign for the Georgia Senate. He was the youngest senator at the time. He served as secretary of the Rules Committee. He was also a key figure in sponsoring the Mental Health Bill of Rights and the Special Education Act. In 1974, he made an unsuccessful bid for governor. Rowan was appointed by Governor George Busbee to the Board of Human Resources, where he served for eight years, and then to the Children's Youth Commission by Governor Joe Frank Harris. In 1989, he ran successfully for public service commissioner, and retired in 1994.Rowan discusses his childhood as one of nine children and his experiences at he University of Georgia, where he met Marvin Griffin and Ernest Vandiver. Rowan talks about memories of Georgia figures such as Carl Sanders, Lamar Plunkett, Peter Zach Geer, Leroy Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Talmadge McKinnon, Celestine Sibley, Lester Maddox, Roscoe Dean, and Zell Miller. Rowan discusses his career in the state senate, including his 1962 campaign and his early authority resulting from his knowledge of Senate rules. He recalls being the youngest senator ever elected and how that influenced his work. Rowan also recalls his work with mental health issues and the bad conditions of Milledgeville mental hospitals in the 1960s. He also discusses the events of the 1962 Governor's race, the 1966 Governor's race, and his own campaign for Governor in 1974. Rowan discusses his re-entrance into politics with his successful campaign for the Public Service Commission in 1989 that coincided with his personal financial struggles and the discovery of cancer. He comments on the decline of the Democratic Party of Georgia and links it to public television.Interviewed by Bob Short.video/mp4enghttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Reflections on Georgia Politics Oral History Collectionhttp://sclfind.libs.uga.edu/sclfind/view?docId=ead/RBRL220ROGP.xmlGeorgia--General Assembly--SenateUniversity of GeorgiaDemocratic Party (Ga.)Milledgeville State HospitalGeorgia Public Service CommissionElections--GeorgiaGovernors--GeorgiaMental health laws--GeorgiaPublic televisionElectionsGovernorsMental health lawsPolitics and governmentUniversities and colleges--Alumni and alumnaeMilledgeville (Ga.)--HistoryGeorgia--Politics and governmentGeorgiaGeorgia--MilledgevilleBobby Rowan, 11 August 2008.MovingImage