- Collection:
- Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program
- Title:
- Oral history interview with Ernest Vandiver, 1986 June 25
- Creator:
- Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918-2005
- 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:
- 1986-06-25
- Subject:
- Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950
Georgia--Politics and government--1951-
Governors--Georgia
Legislators--Georgia
University of Georgia--Alumni and alumnae
University of Georgia. School of Law--Alumni and alumnae
Veterans--World War, 1939-1945
Darlington Prepatory School (Rome, Ga.)
New Deal, 1933-1939
Stock Market Crash, 1929
Mayors--Georgia--Lavonia
Political campaigns--Georgia
Camp Dixie (Ga.)
Fund raising
School integration--Georgia
School integration--Georgia--Atlanta
School integration--United States
Lieutenant governors--Georgia
Young Mayors Association of Georgia
Georgia--Militia
College integration--Georgia
Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918-2005--Interviews - People:
- Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918-2005
Arnall, Ellis Gibbs, 1907-1992
Byrd, Garland T. (Garland Turk), 1924-1997
Dikes, Jimmy
Duncan, Leb
George, Walter F. (Walter Franklin), 1878-1957
Griffin, Marvin, 1907-1982
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
Norris, Glen
Quiliam, Joe
Russell, Richard B. (Richard Brevard), 1897-1971
Smith, Al
Sunday, Billy, 1862-1935
Talmadge, Eugene, 1884-1946
Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002
Tate, William, 1903-1980
Watson, Thomas E. (Thomas Edward), 1856-1922
Geer, Peter Zack - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- oral histories (literary works)
moving images - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- Ernest Vandiver Jr. (1918-2005) was born and raised in Lavonia, Georgia, later obtaining a law degree from the University of Georgia. After serving as a bomber pilot during World War II, he was elected mayor of Lavonia as a Democrat in 1946 at the age of twenty-seven.He was appointed state adjutant general by Governor Herman Talmadge in 1947 and elected lieutenant governor in 1954. In 1958, Vandiver was elected governor of Georgia by a huge margin. He helped bring about fiscal order and restore the image of a state that had been tarnished by the scandal-ridden administration of Governor Marvin Griffin. While campaigning, he had promised to uphold segregation, but actually oversaw the desegregation of Atlanta's public schools. After leaving the governorship, Vandiver practiced law in Atlanta and in his hometown of Lavonia where he passed away in 2005.; Interviewed by Dr. Mel Steely and Ted Fitz-Simons in an unmentioned location.; Former governor Ernest Vandiver describes his childhood in rural Georgia, his family roots back to the American Revolution, and his years in school, up to Darlington Preparatory and the University of Georgia. He goes into his relationships with his father and the Talmadges, and the influence that Speaker Richard Russell had on his life. He discusses his time as an aid to Herman Talmadge, as Eugene Talmadge passed away before Vandiver had been able to start. He goes into detail about the campaigns and fundraising for several elections, including the 1946 and 1948 races. He also discusses his views on segregation and their affect on his campaign for governor. Vandiver also takes time to explain his fallout with Marvin Griffin, as well as his reaction to the integration of universities in Georgia.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:uwg_phc_vandiver
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:vandiver
- 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 videocassette (circa 117 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:
-
