- Collection:
- Reflections on Georgia Politics oral history collection, 2006-2010
- Title:
- Fletcher Thompson, 06 April 2009.
- Creator:
- Thompson, Fletcher, 1925
Short, Bob, 1932 - Contributor to Resource:
- Short, Bob, 1932-
- Date of Original:
- 2009-04-06
- Subject:
- Georgia--General Assembly--Senate
United States--Congress--House
Republican Party (Ga.)
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
Lawyers--Georgia--Interviews
Politicians--Georgia--Interviews
Political campaigns--Georgia
World War, 1939-1945
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Lawyers
Political campaigns
Politicians
United States--History
Georgia
United States - People:
- Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
Bush, George, 1924-2018
Weltner, Charles Longstreet
Thompson, Fletcher, 1925-
Young, Andrew, 1932-
Nunn, Sam - Location:
- United States, 39.76, -98.5
United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018 - Medium:
- oral histories (literary works)
interviews - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- Related materials held in the following collections of this repository: Georgia House of Representatives Communications Office Records.
Standish Fletcher Thompson was born in College Park, Georgia, on February 5, 1925. During World War II, he joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps, and then transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he served as a navigator for the Air Rescue Service. Thompson graduated from Emory University in 1949. During the Korean War, he served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He graduated from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law in 1957, practicing in East Point, Georgia. In 1964, he was elected as a Republican to the Georgia General Assembly as a state senator. In 1966, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served in the two succeeding congresses, but was unsuccessful in a bid for reelection in 1972, returning to his law practice in Atlanta.
Finding aid available in repository.
Thompson discusses growing up in College Park, Georgia. He recalls some family stories from his grandfather's life in the South during the Civil War. Thompson explains his origins as a Republican politician and recalls his first campaign. He discusses his experience serving as a pilot in World War II and recalls several specific battles. Thompson recalls attending Emory University, being enlisted in the Reserves, and working as a lawyer who was familiar with aviation. He discusses his time in legislature and recalls introducing several bills. Thompson recalls participating in the drafting of the MARTA Authority Act. Thompson discusses his tumultuous campaign for U.S. Congress and his subsequent election. He also recalls his role in instituting 911 as an emergency phone number nationwide. Thompson discusses meeting George H.W. Bush and Lyndon Johnson and the reaction of Congress to the Vietnam War. Thompson recalls other campaigns against Charles Weltner, Andrew Young, and Sam Nunn. He discusses several missteps in his campaigns and comments on the high cost of running a campaign in modern times. Thompson also discusses party politics in Georgia, his continuing interest in civic and military matters, and his involvement with the Atlanta World War II Roundtable.
Interviewed by Bob Short. - Metadata URL:
- http://purl.libs.uga.edu/russell/RBRL220ROGP-075/ohms
- Language:
- eng
- Additional Rights Information:
- Resources may be used under the guidelines described by the U.S. Copyright Office in Section 107, Title 17, United States Code (Fair use). Parties interested in production or commercial use of the resources should contact the Russell Library for a fee schedule.
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Reflections on Georgia Politics Oral History Collection, ROGP 075, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.
- Extent:
- 1 interview (108 min.) : sd., col.
- Original Collection:
- Reflections on Georgia Politics Oral History Collection
http://sclfind.libs.uga.edu/sclfind/view?docId=ead/RBRL220ROGP.xml - Holding Institution:
- Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
- Rights:
-
