- Collection:
- Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
- Title:
- Oral history interview with Lester Maddox, 1993 January 15
- Creator:
- Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
- Publisher:
- Carrollton, Ga. : University of West Georgia Special Collections in association with the Digital Library of Georgia
- Date of Original:
- 1993-01-15
- Subject:
- Atlanta journal-constitution
Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950
Georgia--Politics and government--1951-
Governors--Georgia--Interviews
Legislators--Georgia--Interviews
Atlanta (Ga.)--Race relations
Georgia--Race relations
Pickrick Cafeteria (Atlanta, Ga.) - People:
- Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003--Interviews
Arnall, Ellis Gibbs, 1907-1992
Callaway, Howard H. (Howard Hollis), 1927-2014
Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- oral histories (literary works)
sound recordings - Type:
- Sound
- Format:
- audio/mpeg
audio/ogg - Description:
- Lester Garfield Maddox was born on September 30, 1915 in Atlanta Georgia. Maddox worked in various jobs and positions during the years before he became involved in politics. In 1947, Maddox opened the Pickrick Cafeteria on Hemphill Ave. While running the cafeteria he began to write political commentaries regarding various issues that were of importance to local white, working class Atlantans. This is the beginning of Maddox's involvement with politics. In 1957 Maddox ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Atlanta against William B. Hartsfield. He lost again in a 1961 campaign against Ivan Allen Jr.Maddox's stand against desegregating his Pickrick Cafeteria garnered him much support from white Georgians; in 1966 Maddox won the Democratic primary against Ellis Arnall. This put Maddox squarely against Bo Calloway. Calloway won the popular vote but Arnall as a write in candidate caused the Republicans to not get a majority vote. As was law at the time, the Democratic legislature decided the election in favor of Maddox.; Maddox's term as governor was reasonably progressive: he appointed many African Americans to positions within the state, increased funding for the University System of Georgia, and made many prison reforms. Maddox ran unsuccessfully several more times for governor and once for president of the United States as an independent. He passed away in June 2003 after a long battle with cancer.; Interviewed on January 15, 1993 at an unknown location.; Maddox begins the interview speaking about his early life in Atlanta; he says that he and his family were sometimes hungry, sometimes improperly clothed and housed but that they never knew that they were in poverty. He speaks of the many jobs that he worked to make a living, selling chickens and vegetables from his house, making dentures in a dentist's office, and working at steel and other manufacturing companies.; Maddox tells how he started the Pickrick Cafeteria in a little house where he sold pigeons, with his life savings of $400. He started a column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Pickrick Says," as a platform to talk about all sorts of issues. The issues most remembered are segregation and racism. Maddox states that he was running an integrated business; he had 45 blacks and 20 whites working for him in the restaurant. According to Maddox the issue was not segregation but was private property rights.; Maddox goes on to speak about the Calloway, Arnall, and Maddox gubernatorial campaign. He was asked how he defeated the others in a race that no one thought he could win; he responds by saying he never promised anything to anyone personally but to the people as whole that his administration would be the most honest, open, and efficient in the twentieth century. He says this was not hard to do because he had no one to answer to and that both parties fought him on many issues.; Maddox ends the interview speaking about Ellis Arnall and his decision to continue as a write-in candidate. Maddox says that he spoke with Arnall about this; that he was beaten and should let it go; Arnall responds that he was not going to take a position on anything. Maddox says those that wrote in for Arnall could have voted for him and the election would not have ended up in the hands of the general assembly.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:uwg_phc_maddox19930115
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:maddox19930115
- 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 28 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:
-
