- Collection:
- Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
- Title:
- Oral history interview with Herman Talmadge, 1985 August 7
- 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:
- 1985-08-07
- Subject:
- Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950
Georgia--Politics and government--1951-
Governors--Georgia
Legislators--Georgia
Democratic Party (Ga.)
University of Georgia. School of Law--Alumni and alumnae--Interviews
Segregation--Georgia
Food stamps--United States
World War, 1939-1945--Veterans--Interviews - People:
- Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002--Interviews
Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002
Russell, Richard B. (Richard Brevard), 1897-1971
Nunn, Sam
Gambrell, David Henry, 1929-
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963
Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978
Goldwater, Barry M. (Barry Morris), 1909-1998
Dirksen, Everett McKinley
Brooke, Edward W. (Edward William), 1919-2015
Irwin, Sam
Byrd, Robert C.
Morse, Wayne L. (Wayne Lyman), 1900-1974
Baker, Howard H. (Howard Henry), 1925-
Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021
Eagleton, Thomas F., 1929-2007
Ellender, Allen Joseph, 1890-1972
Fulbright, J. William (James William), 1905-1995
Glenn, John, 1921-2016
Hart, Philip A. (Philip Aloysius), 1912-1976
Hayden, Carl Trumbull, 1877-1972
Javits, Jacob K. (Jacob Koppel), 1904-1986
Kennedy, Edward M. (Edward Moore), 1932-2009
Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968
Kerr, Robert S. (Robert Samuel), 1896-1963
Laxalt, Paul
Long, Russell B.
McCarthy, Eugene J., 1916-2005
McCarthy, Joseph, 1908-1957
McClellan, John L. (John Little), 1896-1977
McGovern, George S. (George Stanley), 1922-2012
Muskie, Edmund S., 1914-1996
Percy, Charles H., 1919-2011
Proxmire, William
Saxbe, William B.
Scott, Hugh, 1900-1994
Smathers, George A. (George Armistead), 1913-2007
Sparkman, John, 1899-1985
Thurmond, Strom, 1902-2003
Weicker, Lowell, 1931- - 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 August 7, 1985.; Throughout this interview, Dr. Steely simply prompts Senator Talmadge with Senators' names and Talmadge gives his candid opinion on their efforts in office. Talmadge begins by discussing his relationship with Richard Russell and Sam Nunn. He then notes that Gambrell was appointed rather than elected, which Talmadge sites as a weakness in his senate run. In regards to Kennedy, Talmadge is very complimentary of his charisma. Talmadge goes into a lengthy discussion about Johnson, Humphrey, and how their fates became tied together through the issues surrounding the Vietnam War. Talmadge calls Goldwater very courageous as a public servant, but says he often spoke before thinking. Talmadge calls Everett Dirksen an excellent orator, who could give you chills even talking about highway safety. Edward Brooke was the only African American senator that Talmadge served with, and Talmadge says that he was an "impressive fellow" held in high esteem. After touching on a list of several more senators, Talmadge praises Sam Irwin as the best lawyer in the Senate. In the last third of the interview, Talmadge addresses liberals and conservatives found in the Democratic and Republican parties. Talmadge concludes that Robert Byrd was the senator that impressed him the most, and that Wayne Morse was by far the most eccentric senator he worked with.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:uwg_phc_talmadge19850807
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:talmadge19850807
- 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:
- 3 interviews (circa 1 hr.; circa 58 mins.; circa 29 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: