- Collection:
- Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
- Title:
- Oral history interview with Governor Lester Maddox, 1986 March 7
- Creator:
- Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
- Contributor to Resource:
- Steely, Mel
Fitz-Simons, Ted
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:
- 1986-03-07
- Subject:
- Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950
Georgia--Politics and government--1951-
Governors--Georgia
Legislators--Georgia
Atlantic Steel Company
Bessemer Galvanizing Works
Pickrick Cafeteria (Atlanta, Ga.)
Biltmore (Hotel : Atlanta, Ga.)
Carnegie, Dale, 1888-1955
Carnegie Library (San Antonio, Tex.)
Cummings, Georgia
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
Fulton High School (Fulton County, Ga.)
Hale, Nathan, 1784-1863
Hancock, John, 1737-1793
Home Park Public School (Atlanta, Ga.)
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826
Leb's Restaurant (Atlanta, Ga.)
Linder, Thomas Mercer, 1887-1978
Lindsley, Archie
Maddox, Dean
Maddox, Flonnie Bell Castlebury
Maddox, Lester, 1915-
Stock Market Crash, 1929
Maddox, Virginia Cox, 1919-1997
Murphy, Thomas Bailey, 1924-2007
North Atlanta Baptist Church (Atlanta, Ga.)
Rivers, Eurith Dickinson, 1895-1967
Slappery, George
Washington, George, 1732-1799
Watson, Thomas E. (Thomas Edward), 1856-1922
World War, 1939-1945
WSB (Radio station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Electronic surveillance
Capitalism
Castlebury Family
Civil rights movements
Coca-Cola Company
United States--Constitution
United States. Declaration of Independence
Democratic Party (Ga.)
Democratic Party (U.S.)
Depressions--1929
Douglas County (Ga.)
Forsyth County (Ga.)
Fulton County (Ga.)
Georgia. General Assembly
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology. Bobby Dodd Stadium
Railroad cars--Georgia
William B. Hartsfield-Atlanta International Airport
Ingles Iron Works (Ga.)
Lang Steel Company
Lithia Springs (Ga.)
Political corruption
United States. Navy
University of Georgia
College integration--Georgia--Athens
Pearl Harbor (Hawaii)
Pirkle family
Republican Party (U.S.)
Republican Party (Ga.)
Salvation Army
Social Security System
Cable cars (Streetcars)
United States. Work Projects Administration - People:
- Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
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
- Medium:
- oral histories (literary works)
moving images - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- Lester Maddox (1915-2003) was born to a working class family on September 30, 1915 in Atlanta. He dropped out of high school to work, and received a draft deferment during World War II due to employment in an essential industry. He opened the Pickrick Cafeteria in 1947, and became as widely known for his segregationist political commentary, as for his food. Maddox ran for office several times with no success, but became known nationally after a picture of him and supporters holding axe handles turning away black patrons ran in papers nationally in 1964. In 1966 he entered the Democratic primary for governor and defeated liberal former governor Ellis Arnall. Maddox managed a victory in a tumultuous election that ended up being decided by the overwhelmingly Democratic Georgia legislature. Surprising to many, Maddox governed in a more moderate manner than expected and appointed more African Americans to government offices than all previous governors combined. He backed prison reform and secured more funding for the state's university system. Maddox could not serve a consecutive term as governor, so ran and won the office of lieutenant governor, where he often clashed with Governor Jimmy Carter. He went back into private business after leaving public office. Maddox died of cancer in 2003.; Interviewed by Dr. Mel Steely and Ted Fitz-Simons at the University of West Georgia.; In this interview, Lester Maddox discusses his early years. He answers questions regarding his lie at home, his family, his religion, and his education. He speaks of how he met his wife and reveals that he knew he would marry her from the moment he saw her. He also discusses her difficult rehabilitation after a bad car accident, and how she had taught him to be a more faithful man. He talks about the importance of personal campaigning, and laments that with television campaigning, anything can be projected, whether or not it is true. He addresses his segregationist beliefs, stating that he does not consider himself a racist because he does not believe in white supremacy; rather, he believes in the right to dissociate from other races. He characterizes individuals that supported him, including Hartsfield and Ivan Allen, as well as those that did not, like Ralph McGill. He continues on to discuss his views on the Civil Rights movement, and concludes the interview with words about his decision to close the Pickrick.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:uwg_phc_maddox1
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:maddox1
- 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:
- 2 videocassettes (circa 117 mins.; circa 36 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:
-
