- Collection:
- Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
- Title:
- Oral history interview with Jack Flynt, 1998 Apr. 21
- Creator:
- Flynt, John James, 1914-2007
- Publisher:
- Carrollton, Ga. : University of West Georgia Special Collections in association with the Digital Library of Georgia
- Date of Original:
- 1998-04-21
- Subject:
- Oxford at Emory
Habeas Corpus
University of Georgia
Emory University
Georgia. General Assembly
Georgia Military Academy
Carl Vinson Institute of Government
University of Georgia. Phi Kappa Society
University of West Georgia
Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950
Georgia--Politics and government--1951-
Legislators--Georgia--Interviews
Atomic bomb
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Methodists--Georgia
United States Attorney's Office
Flynt, John James, 1914-2007--Interviews
Asbury, Francis, 1745-1816
Broun, Paul C. (Paul Collins), 1916-2005
Churchill, Winston, 1874-1965
Clinton, Bill, 1946-
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1900-1969
Gillis, James L., 1892-1975
Griffin, Marvin, 1907-1982
Harris, Roy Vincent, 1895-1985
Maddox, Lester Jr., 1944-
Marshall, George C. (George Catlett), 1880-1959
McCormack, John W., 1891-1980
Morris, John Burnett, 1930-
Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961
Rankin, Jeanette, 1880-1973
Thompson, M.E. (Melvin Ernest), 1903-1980
Thurmond, Strom, 1902-2003
Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972
Lucy Cobb Institute (Athens, Ga.)
Brest, Battle of, Brest, France, 1944
Hiroshima, Japan
Nagasaki, Japan
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
World War, 1939-1945 - People:
- Russell, Richard B. (Richard Brevard), 1897-1971
Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002
Arnall, Ellis Gibbs, 1907-1992
Talmadge, Eugene, 1884-1946
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
United States, Georgia, Coweta County, Newnan, 33.38067, -84.79966
United States, Georgia, Elbert County, 34.11679, -82.8401
United States, Georgia, Fayette County, 33.41394, -84.49419
United States, Georgia, Floyd County, Rome, 34.25704, -85.16467
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
United States, Georgia, Hall County, 34.31689, -83.81968
United States, Georgia, Hall County, Gainesville, 34.29788, -83.82407
United States, Georgia, Monroe County, 33.01408, -83.91872
United States, Georgia, Pike County, 33.09227, -84.38923
United States, Georgia, Spalding County, 33.26087, -84.28416
United States, Georgia, Upson County, 32.88127, -84.29934
United States, Georgia, Wilkes County, 33.78195, -82.74323
United States, Kansas, Leavenworth County, Leavenworth, Fort Leavenworth, 39.345184, -94.921703
United States, Louisiana, Orleans Parish, New Orleans, 29.95465, -90.07507
United States, Maryland, City of Baltimore, 39.29038, -76.61219
United States, Tennessee, Anderson County, Oak Ridge, 36.01036, -84.26964 - Medium:
- oral histories (literary works)
moving images - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- Interviewed by Dr. Mel Steely on April 21, 1998 at the home of Flynt's friends, Harrell and Phyllis Fountain, in Carrollton, Ga.; John James "Jack" Flynt Jr. (1914-2007) was elected the 4th District Congressman in 1954 and didn't retire from politics until 1979. He twice beat newcomer Newt Gingrich in the 1970s for his congressional seat. Flynt chaired the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct while a congressman.; Steely opens by recalling that the last interview conducted with Flynt a little over a decade prior, noting that they had "covered up through the war years." Flynt discusses his involvement in the Battle of Brittany, during the Normandy Campaign of WWII, and how he came to receive a bronze star during that time and his involvement for the preparations of the Allied Invasion of the Japanese home islands. He then talks about Georgia politics and politicians Herman Talmadge, who he had met when he was 13, and Richard B. Russell, Jr., Speaker of the House of the Georgia General Assembly. He then talks about his successful campaign for the Georgia House of Representative in 1946. Flynt discusses at length the Three Governors Crisis of 1947 and in particular his involvement with the authorship of JSR1; he discloses his opinion on the governorship of Melvin E. Thompson, as well as several other politicians. The white primaries become a topic of conversation, as does Flynt's stance as a segregationist and his opinions on integration and racism. Flynt provides background on his decision to run for solicitor general in 1948, in which he 'carried' all four counties in his jurisdiction and his subsequent campaign for Congress in 1954 upon the death of Representative A. Sidney Camp. He reveals how he felt upon his arrival to Congress and the relationships he had developed there. Flynt delves into Samuel Rayburn's policy of "those who go along most get along best," and how he came into conflict with such beliefs. He discusses majority leader John McCormack and the division of liberal and conservative Democrats in the South. Circling back around to a discussion of Richard Russell, Flynt reveals the depth of loyalty he had felt for Russell. The conversation then takes a turn towards Flynt's early life in Griffin, GA, Flynt's parents, John and Susan Flynt, his early schooling, his most memorable teachers, and his extracurricular activities. Flynt then traces his family history back to the mid-1700s, as well as his family's adherence to the Methodist Church and his own involvement in the faith. Flynt then talks about his time at the Georgia Military Academy and his decision to attend the University of Georgia in 1932. Flynt goes into particular anecdotes of his time at UGA and discusses his courses, professors and extracurricular activities - noting his meeting with Representative Jeanette Rankin and a discussing America's entry into WWII. Flynt then shares an anecdote of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Winston Churchill, going into more depth on his relationship with Eisenhower and on the topic of isolationism. Flynt then discusses the time he spent in law school and as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia from 1939 until 1941. Flynt ponders over having never taken on a judgeship during the course of his political career and his decision to leave Congress after twenty-four years of service in 1978. He goes on to express his gratitude for his parents, his wife and his children, noting how his political career affected his children's schooling.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:uwg_phc_flynt19980421
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:flynt19980421
- 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 interview (circa 338 mins.)
- 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:
-
