Interview with George Berry, February 2, 2009

George J. Berry went to work in the finance department of the city of Atlanta in 1962. Berry was chosen to be the deputy chief administrative officer in Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen's administration. Mayor Sam Massell promoted him to chief administrative officer during Atlanta's critical transition from primarily white to mixed race leadership. Under Mayor Maynard Jackson, Berry was appointed Commissioner of Aviation in 1978. There, he oversaw the development of terminals and runways in the Atlanta Airport. In 1983, Berry became the commissioner of Industry, Trade and Tourism for the state of Georgia. He remained in that position until 1990, when he ran an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor. Berry discusses his support for Henry Grady's vision of the New South, his work as Commissioner of Aviation, and the relationship between businesses, Georgians, and the city of Atlanta.

2009-02-02

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