Short, Bob, 1932-United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018Short, Bob, 1932Martin, James Francis, 19452009-01-21James Francis "Jim" Martin was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 22, 1945. He attended the University of Georgia, where he served in ROTC and was elected freshman class president. He served in Vietnam in the U.S. Army. Upon his return from the war, he earned a bachelor's degree and two law degrees from the University of Georgia. After graduation, he obtained work drafting legislation in the legislative council. He then worked for Legal Aid, representing low income families. In 1983, he ran for office, and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives as a progressive Democrat. He served as a chairman of numerous committees, including Human Services Subcommittee for Appropriations, MARTOC, Ethics, and Judiciary. In 2001, he left the legislature and was appointed commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources by Governor Roy Barnes. There, he worked to improve hospital conditions for the mentally disabled. From 2004 to 2005, he served as chief legal officer of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. In 2006, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor. He then helped develop the Master's Program in Public Policy at the Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. In 2008, he ran for U.S. Senate against incumbent Saxby Chambliss, and was defeated in a runoff.Martin discusses his childhood in Atlanta and his first political race when he ran for president of the freshman class of the University of Georgia. He recalls serving in Vietnam as a military intelligence officer. Martin recalls working in legislative council and subsequently working for Legal Aid, a program helping represent the voice low income citizens in legislature. He also mentions starting his own law practice in Atlanta. Martin discusses his campaign for state legislature in 1983 and his subsequent victory in a run-off. He mentions serving on the Appropriations Committee and serving as Chairman of several committees, including the Human Services Subcommittee for Appropriations, House Judiciary Committee, Ethics Committee and MARTOC Committee. Martin recalls his experiences with Tom Murphy, Zell Miller, Robert Harris, Sidney Marcus, Grace Hamilton, Georgiana Sinkfield, Larry Walker, and Jim Tysinger. He discusses the controversial nature of the incorporation of Sandy Springs. Martin describes working as Commissioner of Georgia Department of Human Resources, including the financial strains that resulted from 9/11 and his concern upon Governor Purdue's election. Martin recalls working on the new Georgia Public Defender Standards Council as the Chief Legal Officer after leaving the Department of Human Resources and his subsequent campaign for Lieutenant Governor. He also extensively discusses his campaign for United States Senate.Related materials available in the following collections of this repository: James F. (Jim) Martin Papers.Finding aid available in repository.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--House of RepresentativesGeorgia--Department of Human ResourcesGeorgia--Governor (2003-2011 : Perdue)University of GeorgiaLawyers--Georgia--InterviewsLegislators--GeorgiaPolitical campaigns--GeorgiaElections--GeorgiaVietnam War, 1961-1975--Veterans--United States--InterviewsElectionsLawyersLegislatorsPolitical campaignsPolitics and governmentUniversities and colleges--Alumni and alumnaeVeteransSandy Springs (Ga.)--HistoryGeorgia--Politics and governmentGeorgiaGeorgia--Sandy SpringsUnited StatesJim Martin, 21 January 2009.MovingImage