- Collection:
- Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
- Title:
- Oral history interview with Herman Talmadge, 1985 July 24
- Creator:
- Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002
- Contributor to Resource:
- Steely, Mel
Wagner, Don
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:
- 1985-07-24
- Subject:
- Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950
Georgia--Politics and government--1951-
Governors--Georgia--Interviews
Legislators--Georgia--Interviews
University of Georgia. School of Law--Alumni and alumnae--Interviews
Radicalism
Government etiquette
Diplomatic etiquette
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Watergate Affair, 1972-1974
Watergate Trial, Washington, D.C., 1973
Panama. Treaties, etc. United States, 1977 Sept. 7 (Panama Canal Treaty) - People:
- Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002--Interviews
Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002
Baker, Howard H. (Howard Henry), 1925-
Byrd, Harry F. (Harry Flood), 1887-1966
Carter, Jimmy, 1924-
Flynt, John James, 1914-2007
Griffin, Marvin, 1907-1982
Harris, Joe Frank
Hayden, Carl Trumbull, 1877-1972
Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
Kerr, Robert S. (Robert Samuel), 1896-1963
Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
McCarthy, Joseph, 1908-1957
McLeod, Mike
Miller, Zell, 1932-2018
Morse, Wayne L. (Wayne Lyman), 1900-1974
Russell, Richard B. (Richard Brevard), 1897-1971
Sanders, Carl, 1925-2014
Thurmond, Strom, 1902-2003
Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918-2005 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- oral histories (literary works)
moving images - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- Herman Eugene Talmadge (1913-2002), son of former governor Eugene Talmadge, was born on August 9, 1913 in the small Telfair County town of McRae, Georgia. He earned his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1936, and practiced law for several years before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he saw extensive combat in the South Pacific. In 1946, Talmadge ran his father's successful Democratic race for governor, though the elder Talmadge died before he could take office. The state legislature elected Herman to take his father's place, but the Supreme Court of Georgia ruled the move unconstitutional.Talmadge vacated the governor's mansion, but came back to win a special election in 1948, and a full four years as governor in 1950. As was common at the time, he was an ardent segregationist, but implemented the first state sales tax as a way to improve public schools. In 1956, Talmadge was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he concentrated on agricultural issues and sponsored the creation of a food-stamp program. In 1980, he lost his seat to Republican Mack Mattingly. Talmadge retired to his home in Hampton, Georgia where he died on March 21, 2002.; Interviewed by Dr. Mel Steely and Don Wagner at West Georgia College on July 24, 1985.; This interview is presented as a recollection of the Senate and senators during Herman Talmadge's time of service there. Talmadge cites the Vietnam War as the catalyst for extremism in liberal and conservative politics. He says that the biggest issues that were prevalent in Congress have been the same since World War II: communism, domestic/foreign policy, and economic/budgetary issues. Talmadge talks about the specialists on his staff and how they helped him decide which way to vote on certain issues. Talmadge gives examples of crazy things that happened to him while in office, as well as discusses some of the more interesting senate members that he served with. Talmadge states that the most important quality for a senator to have is courage, followed by character. In the second half of the interview, Talmadge talks about his participation in congressional committees and the protocol that one was expected to follow with them. He ends the interview by talking about procedures and differences between being a senator and a governor, and says that being a senator was much more frustrating due to all of the steps one must take to get anything done-- and he concludes that being governor was much more satisfactory as a political post.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:uwg_phc_talmadge19850724
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:talmadge19850724
- 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 interviews (circa 57 mins.; circa 57 mins.); 1 transcript
- 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:
-
