Brian S. Wills interviews D.W. Brooks. Topics include the integration of Gold Kist, world hunger, Jimmy Carter’s run for presidency, the successes and failures of President Carter, and Ronald Reagan’s inner circle.
Brian S. Wills interviews Jimmy Carter. Carter discusses his first acquaintance with D.W. Brooks, Brooks as special consultant in agriculture, the Presidential Commission on World Hunger, diplomatic relations with China, and the Iranian situation and…
Harold H. Martin interviews D.W. Brooks. Topics include Brooks’ relationship with President Richard M. Nixon during his service as agricultural advisor, Brooks' opinion of Nixon, Truman and Brooks’ position on the Korean War Mobilization Board,…
Lea Agnew was born in Atlanta and grew up in southwest Atlanta. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism. Agnew became active in politics during the 1968 presidential elections, and she eventually…
Joseph B. (Joe) Wilkinson was born September 3, 1946 in Atlanta. Wilkinson is a graduate of North Fulton County High School and the University of Georgia. Wilkinson has held various roles with the Coca-Cola Company. He also worked as a White House…
John H. (Jack) Kingston was born on April 24, 1955 in Bryan, Texas. His family relocated to Athens, Georgia, after his father, Dr. Albert Kingston, joined the University of Georgia faculty. Kingston attended the University of Georgia where he earned…
Molly Dye Franklin was raised between Waynesboro and Augusta. She earned her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandizing from the University of Georgia in 1980 before earning a certification in executive secretarial protocol from Katherine Gibbs…
David Worley was born in Germany and grew up in Griffin and Jonesboro. He graduated from Harvard University in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in government. Worley worked for U.S. Representatives Dawson Mathis and Elliott Levitas in 1980. He earned…
Born on October 8, 1954 in Lansing, Michigan, Tom Price grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. An orthopedic surgeon, Price moved to Atlanta in 1979 when he began a surgical internship and residency…
Johnson recalls growing up in Macon and the influence that his high school job at the Macon Telegraph had on his career ambitions. He reminisces on his experiences at UGA, particularly covering the desegregation of the school for The Red and Black.…
Former Administrative Assistant Charles Campbell, former Press Secretary Powell Moore, former Press Secretary Earl Leonard, and former aid Norman Underwood discuss their experiences working with Senator Russell in his Washington office.
Chief Domestic Advisor in 1971. In 1975 Ehrlichman was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury for his role in the Watergate Scandal. J. Stanley Pottinger served as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the United States…
Giffin begins by discussing his early life in Canada before returning to the United States for his higher education. He talks about first interning for Sam Nunn’s office while in law school then permanently joining Nunn’s staff as chief legal counsel…
Mattingly begins by discussing his early life in Indiana during the Great Depression and World War II. He then talks about his service in the United States Air Force and why he decided to move permanently to Georgia afterward. Mattingly then covers…
Carlton Layne grew up in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He received an education at Clarion State University, leading him to work for the U.S Department of Agriculture and eventually the Environmental Protection Agency. In this interview, Layne talks about…
Russell King moved around frequently as a child but eventually settled in South Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia for undergraduate studies and law school before working as Herman Talmadge’s Senior Legislative Assistant. In this…
James Hamilton was born in South Carolina. Hamilton has worked in many sectors of litigation, and on many famed cases including as the assistant to chief council in the Watergate Committee. Hamilton represented Senator Herman Talmage in the Watergate…
Bill Talmadge was born in 1941 in New York City. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He attended law school at the University of Georgia before clerking for State Supreme…
Tom Johnson, from Macon, Ga, earned an MBA from Harvard University and worked in politics alongside Lyndon B. Johnson before working in professional journalism. In this interview, Johnson details his experience of the White House Fellowship Program,…
General Eugene “Gene” Habiger was born in California in 1939. He attended the University of California before enlisting in the Army. He then returned to school and graduated from the University of Georgia. In 1996 he became the Commander and Chief…
A resident of Brunswick and Glynn County since 1973, M. H. “Woody” Woodside has served as president of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce since 1985. He previously spent 11 years on the congressional staff of “Bo” Ginn and 3 years with…
Former President of the United States Jimmy Carter was born in Plains, Georgia. In this interview, Carter talks about historic preservation in Plains, his childhood during the Great Depression, his grandchildren and family events, and reflections on…
Nathan Deal worked as a lawyer, assistant district attorney and judge, before being elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1981. He served until 1993, and was president pro tempore in his last term. Deal was elected in 1992 as a Democrat to the U.S.…
Ed Jenkins was elected to the U.S. Congress as a Democrat in 1976. While in Congress, he was active in the Ways and Means Committee, passing and supporting bills involving taxes, trade, and land and mountain preservation. In this interview he…
Bob Short worked in various capacities in the administrations of Georgia governors Marvin Griffin, Ernest Vandiver, and Carl Sanders, served as the coordinator for President Jimmy Carter’s 1966 campaign for governor of Georgia, and was press…
Frank Moore worked in Jimmy Carter’s gubernatorial and presidential administrations. In this interview he discusses his specific roles as Deputy Chief of Staff to Hamilton Jordan, national finance chairman of Carter’s campaign, and congressional…
Phil Wise served as a member of the White House staff of President Jimmy Carter. In this interview, he briefly talks about his childhood, his early relationship with Carter, and his increased involvement in Carter’s administrations, first in managing…
Jay Beck was born in Albany, Georgia, and was a close friend of Hamilton Jordan. Beck served on Carter’s staff during his presidency, and later worked as financial consultant for the Carter Center. Beck discusses Hamilton’s Jordan’s role as campaign…
Johnny Isakson was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and has served in politics since his election to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1976. Since then, he has served in the Georgia Senate and both houses of Congress, and has run a successful real…
Andrew Young is a politician, businessman, and activist. Over his career, he has worked as a pastor, was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, served as a U.S. Representative and UN Ambassador, and as mayor of Atlanta. In this interview, he…
A former member of Congress, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and two-term Mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young began his political career as a minister and civil rights activist. Young discusses his upbringing in New Orleans, education, early career…
John Lewis is best known for his civil rights activism in the 1960s and, since 1986, his work as a U.S. Representative. In this interview John Lewis discusses his early years in rural Alabama and his work as a civil rights leader and U.S.…
Douglas Clark Teper attended Georgia State University both for his bachelor's degree and law school. He was elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives in 1988 and served through 2005. He served on the Industry, Judiciary, and Rules…
T. Rogers Wade was chairman of Herman E. Talmadge's 1980 re-election campaign, as well as a former administrative assistant and chief political fundraiser for the senator in Washington, D.C. Upon returning to Georgia, he was named vice president of…
William H. Jordan, Jr., served as executive secretary on the staff of Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr. from 1955 to 1968. In April 1968, he resigned to work for the Senate Appropriations Committee and was a member of the committee staff until circa…
Don Johnson was elected to the State Senate from the 47th District in 1987 to fill the unexpired term of the late Senator Parks Brown. Johnson, a Democrat, served on the Judiciary, Reapportionment, Agriculture, Transportation, Finance, Public…
Mary W. Beazley was bonh on November 8, 1929 in Athens, Georgia. She attended the Georgia State College for Women and the University of Georgia. Beazley worked as a staffer for Gov. Vandiver, Lt. Gov. Geer, Gov. Maddox, Gov. Carter, Lt. Gov Miller,…
James Roy Rowland attended South Georgia College and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. In 1952, he received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. He practiced medicine in Dublin, Georgia, from 1952 to…
Joseph Maxwell Cleland first became interested in politics during his Washington Semester Program. In 1965, he was asked by Senator Richard B. Russell to become a congressional intern. Cleland then joined the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. He was…
Charles Campbell met Senator Richard B. Russell when he introduced him for a Blue Key speech at UGA. He went to work as Russell’s legislative assistant in Washington, D.C., and eventually became his executive secretary. Upon Senator Russell’s death…
Eric J. Tanenblatt graduated from Emory University with a degree in economics. He immediately started as a campaign worker for George H.W. Bush, organizing college campuses. There, he met and worked with Senator Paul Coverdell. When Bush was elected…
William Wyche Fowler was elected to the Atlanta city council in 1975, and eventually became president of the council. Upon Andrew Young’s resignation, Fowler won a special election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1977. He served on the Ways…
Keith Mason volunteered for Jimmy Carter and worked for Zell Miller in Miller’s 1974 run for lieutenant governor. He continued to work for Miller, establishing himself as an advisor during Miller’s gubernatorial race in 1990, and becoming Governor…
Ben Blackburn was elected as a Republican to the US Congress from Georgia's fourth district and served from 1967 to 1975. While in Congress, Blackburn served on several committees, including Banking and Currency, the Housing Subcommittee, the Joint…
Erwin Mitchell practiced law in Dalton, Georgia, before serving as a solicitor general for the Cherokee Judicial Circuit and subsequently as a Superior Court judge on the same circuit. In 1958 Mitchell was elected as a Democrat to the 85th Congress,…
Marvin Dawson Mathis served as the news director of WALB-TV in Albany, Georgia, before running a successful campaign for Congress in 1971. He served on several committees, including Agriculture, House Administration, and Steering and Policy. Mathis…
Elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from the Eighth and later the Ninth District, Bill Stuckey served in Congress from 1967 until 1977. While in Congress, Stuckey served on the Agriculture committee, the District of…
Elliot Levitas was elected as a Democrat to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1964 and later served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia's 4th congressional district. In this interview he talks about his long career in politics, including the…
Democratic Congressman Ed Jenkins discusses his 16 years of service, from attempts at preserving the textile industry in his district to serving on the Ethics committee during the Page scandal and Iran Contra affair. Jenkins discusses his fiscal,…
Carter discusses his life as the son of President Jimmy Carter, from campaigning for his father to establishing free elections in Liberia. Throughout his life, he was active in many of his father’s affairs, from the peanut business to political…
Buddy Darden served as a U.S Representative from Georgia’s 7th district from 1983 to 1995, and previously served as a Georgia Representative and Cobb County district attorney. In this interview he discusses his early life and his political career,…
Doug Barnard discusses his early life and his career in banking and in Georgia and national politics. Barnard worked for the Georgia Railroad Bank and chaired the Democratic Executive Committee before becoming Governor Carl Sanders’ executive…
David Gambrell worked as campaign treasurer during Jimmy Carter's campaign for governor, and was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Carter after the death of Richard Russell. In this interview Gambrell discusses the highlights of his service in…
Clarence Saxby Chambliss was born in Warrenton, North Carolina on November 10, 1943. He attended Louisiana Tech University and the University of Georgia, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1966. He received his law degree from…
John Hardy "Johnny" Isakson was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 28, 1944 and has served in politics since his election to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1976. Since then, he has served in the Georgia senate and both houses of Congress,…
Griffin Bell was born Americus, Georgia, on October 31, 1918 and received his law degree at the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. In this interview, Bell discusses his early years growing up in Americus, his law career, his role as…
Mack Mattingly was born in Anderson, Indiana on January 7, 1931 and had a career in both business and politics in Georgia for many decades. In 1980 he became the first Republican from Georgia to serve in the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction. In this…
Stuart Levenson was born and educated in Savannah, Georgia. He attended Armstrong College before working for the Social Security Administration for 36 years. Levenson talks about growing up visually impaired, emphasizing the changing role of…
Harman discusses his early life, focusing on the events that became the foundation of his political views. He then talks about joining Sam Nunn’s senate staff and working his way up the ranks to become Nunn’s chief of staff. Harman also talks about…
Saxby Chambliss moved around the southeast growing up, due to his father being an Episcopal priest. He attended the University of Georgia in the mid-1960s, obtained his J.D. from the University of Tennessee, and moved back to south Georgia after…
Jay Morgan grew up in Talbotton, Georgia in Talbot County and attended the University of Georgia in the early 1980s. Morgan was a regional finance director for the Republican National Committee before becoming the executive director for the Georgia…
Eric Johnson was born in New Orleans, and moved to Savannah, Georgia with his wife. He studied architecture and has worked as a principal architect at Hussey, Gay, Bell and Deyoung International, as well as at North Point Real Estate. Johnson became…
John Linder grew up in Minnesota and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1967-1969. He moved to Georgia to pursue a dentistry practice, and he settled in North DeKalb County where he became involved in Georgia Republican Party politics in the 1970s.…
Bob Barr grew up in California. He graduated from Georgetown Law School in 1977 and worked for the CIA from 1971-1978. He moved to Georgia to pursue a law practice and became involved in Republican party politics in Cobb County in the 1980s, where he…
Jane Kidd is the daughter of former Georgia Governor Ernest Vandiver and his wife, Betty Vandiver. She is a graduate of Grady College at the University of Georgia and became politically active on the Lavonia City Council as well as managing the…
George Washington “Buddy” Darden was born in Sparta, Georgia. He attended North Georgia College, and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in 1965. He was selected to serve in Senator Richard B. Russell’s patronage program in…
Eric J. Tanenblatt was born in 1966 in Long Island, New York. He graduated from Emory University with a degree in economics. He immediately started as a campaign worker for George H.W. Bush and organized college campuses. There, he met and worked…
Hugh Peterson Jr was born in Washington, DC to Congressman Hugh Peterson, Sr. and Patience Elizabeth Russell Peterson. Peterson spent half of his childhood in Ailey, Ga and Washington, DC. After going to Yale University and Harvard Law School,…