- Collection:
- Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
- Title:
- Oral history interview with Governor Roy Barnes (March 11, 1948- ), 2001 August 7
- Creator:
- Barnes, Roy E. (Roy Eugene), 1948-
- Contributor to Resource:
- Steely, Mel
University of West Georgia. Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program - Publisher:
- Carrollton, Ga. : University of West Georgia Special Collections in association with the Digital Library of Georgia
- Date of Original:
- 2001-08-07
- Subject:
- Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950
Georgia--Politics and government--1951-
Governors--Georgia
Legislators--Georgia
University of Georgia--Alumni and alumnae
University of Georgia. School of Law--Alumni and alumnae
Barnes, Roy E. (Roy Eugene), 1948-
Barnes, Roy E. (Roy Eugene), 1948---Family
Bedingfield, Carl
Busbee, George, 1927-
Harris, Joe Frank
Callaway, Howard H. (Howard Hollis), 1927-
Concord Baptist Church (Mableton, Ga.)
Durden, Hamilton
Everett, Bob
Ford, Gerald R., 1913-2006
Garner, Wayne
Gibson, Chester
Glanton, Tom
Henderson, Jack
Kennedy, John F.(John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963--Assassination
Holloway, Al
Kidd, Culver, 1914-1995
Maddox, Lester, 1915-
Miller, Zell, 1932-
North, Jerry
Smith, Ben F.
Thomas, Robert Lindsay, 1943-
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Watergate Affair, 1972-1974
Party affiliation
Political campaigns--Georgia
Fund raising
Campaign funds--Georgia
High school student activities
School integration
Kennesaw College
High schools--Georgia--Cobb County
United States. Army. Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Future Farmers of America. Georgia Association
Georgia. General Assembly. Senate
Young Republican National Federation (U.S.)
Republican Party (Ga.) - People:
- Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002
Talmadge, Eugene, 1884-1946 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- oral histories (literary works)
moving images - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- Roy E. Barnes was born in the town of Mableton, Georgia in Cobb County on March 11, 1948. He earned his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1972 and went to work in the district attorney's office in his home county right out of school. He was elected to the state senate in 1974 as a Democrat, serving eight terms, including a stint as floor leader for Governor Joe Frank Harris. After an unsuccessful run for governor against Zell Miller in 1990, Barnes moved over to the state House of Representatives. Barnes made a second, successful run for the governor's mansion in 1998. His tenure in office focused on education and patients' rights, but was also marked by controversy over the state flag. His support for removing the Confederate battle emblem from the flag cost him re-election in 2002, and Sonny Perdue became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. Barnes went on to work with legal aid groups and opened his own law firm in the Atlanta area.; Interviewed by Dr. Mel Steely on August 7, 2001 at the Georgia State Capitol.; Barnes begins the interview by discussing his family and early life in Cobb County, Georgia, including his childhood church and high school years. He then goes into his experience at the University of Georgia, which was much bigger than anything he had ever seen and challenged him academically. He goes into detail about integration and its moderation during Governor Maddox's tenure as well as Bo Callaway's. He cites Watergate and his participation in UGA's debate club as the turning points in his political party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. He notes that working in his father's store helped him get into politics because that was all people talked about there. Governor Barnes then talks about his years in basic training and his time at the District Attorney's office, followed by his campaign in 1974 against Jack Henderson, who was killed in an automobile accident before the election. He discusses his initial impressions of the Senate, including Al Holloway and Culver Kidd, along with Zell Miller's creation of the Committee on Committees, which appointed him Chairman of Judiciary. He ends with a discussion of George Busbee and his effectiveness as Governor in comparison to Joe Frank Harris.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:uwg_phc_barnes
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:barnes
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [interview title], Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program oral history interviews. Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections, Irvine Sullivan Ingram Library, University of West Georgia
- Extent:
- 1 videocassette (57 mins.); Transcript: 23 p.
- Original Collection:
- Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program oral history interviews. Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections, Irvine Sullivan Ingram Library, State University of West Georgia
- Holding Institution:
- University of West Georgia. Special Collections
- Rights:
-
