Steve Thompson served in the Alabama Army National Guard from 2010 - 2019. He describes his occupation as a Religious Affairs Specialist and about his deployment to Afghanistan. He discusses his experiences as a student veteran at the University of…
Guyton Lee Robinson has served as an Aviation Officer in the United States Army since May 2000. Throughout his interview, he recalls his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and the responsibilities of an officer. He also describes attending West…
Hunter Holder has served as a Chief Warrant Officer in the Army National Guard since February 2011. Holder describes his occupation as a medical evacuation helicopter pilot, the extensive training he underwent at Warrant Officer Training School, and…
Lizette Busquets served as a intelligence analyst in the United States Army during the Cold War. She discusses her identity as a Puerto Rican woman in the military, her early training, and a deployment to West Germany. Busquets addresses public…
Marcus Garrison served in the United States Navy from 2010-2016. He discusses his occupation as an intelligence analyst and the job training that he underwent. Garrison describes his deployments to Syria and Germany, noting the work he did with…
Kate Dahlstrand is from Tennessee. She is a PhD student at UGA and served in the Army and the National Guard from October 1998 to October 2008 as a field medic. In this interview, Dahlstrand explains why she joined the Army and tells her experiences…
Philip Young Choi was born in Los Angeles, California but grew up in Costa Rica. He is a Captain of the United States Army, and enrolled at the University of Georgia. In his interview, Choi explains how and why he joined the Army, as well as his…
Jeremy Reynolds is from Jonesboro, Georgia. He served for four years in the United States Marine Corps, enlisted as an electrician and later assigned to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. In this interview, Reynolds discussing his…
Brian Hwang was raised in Marietta, Georgia. He has been a member of the Georgia National Guard since April 2014. He completed Infantry One Station Unit Training (OSUT) before joining the ROTC program at the University of North Georgia. He then…
Joshua Dillard was raised in Snellville, Georgia. He joined the Army and was stationed with 461 Human Resource Company in Decatur, Georgia before entering the ROTC program at Georgia Gwinnett College. He then transferred to the University of Georgia.…
Thai Le, from Lawrenceville, GA, served active duty in the Marine Corps for four years. He deployed twice, once on a tour of the Black Sea and the other to Okinawa, Japan. In this interview, Le discusses his experiences as a Marine, including boot…
Clinton Maxwell, a Georgia Native and child of a veteran, served in the Army from 1995 to 2016. He worked many technology and communications-based positions and deployed to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. He shares his stories from all around the…
Growing up as the daughter of an Army Veteran, Jordan Goolsby enlisted in the Georgia National Guard after her first year at UGA. Goolsby explains the many effects that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on her service with the National Guard,…
Born and raised in Georgia, Patrick Testa attended the University of Georgia for his undergraduate degree where he studied International Relations. During his time as an undergraduate, he decided he wanted to join the Marine Corps after graduation…
Travis Parker George is a Georgia native whose interest in the military was sparked by a childhood trip to Pearl Harbor. After deciding to join the Army, George was sent to various training programs and eventually became a member of a selection-based…
Nicholas Sesing grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his undergraduate degree. He notes that there were a variety of factors that influenced him to join the Marine Corps after his graduation and shares…
William Hunter Bradford was born and raised in Colorado to parents who were both UGA graduates. After high school, Bradford decided to attend UGA and join the Georgia National Guard. After attending Basic Training and AIT (Advanced Individual…
Growing up as the child of Army parents, Joshua Cushing decided to join the Navy shortly after beginning college. Cushing discusses the ample training he was tasked with throughout his time in the Navy, but shares his disappointment that his platoon…
Born and raised in Suwanee, Georgia, Derek Huff followed in his grandfather’s footsteps by serving in the Marine Corps. He shares his experiences at boot camp in Parris Island, training as a Rifleman, and being deployed to countries such as Australia…
Brennan B. Sanders grew up in Georgia and followed in the footsteps of many of his family members when he decided to join the Navy. Sanders spent the majority of his Naval career patrolling international waters on submarines. He shares his underwater…
Shirley Sherrod was born and raised in Baker County, Georgia. She was formerly the Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture. Sherrod married Charles Sherrod and built New Communities, Inc. alongside…
Yaz Johnson was born in 1967 in Albany, Georgia to Johnnie Johnson Jr. and Thelma Johnson. He resided in Albany his entire life, working as a full-time pastor, businessman, and non-profit director. In this interview. Johnson discusses the role of his…
Cornelius Wadsworth Grant was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1932. He attended FAMU College of Law after serving three years in the U.S. Army. Grant went on to teach at FAMU and Albany State. In this interview, he discusses the racial limitations…
Tommy Coleman was born in 1948 in Albany, Georgia. He served as the Mayor of Albany for ten years and continues to practice law in South Georgia. In this interview, Coleman discusses his role in Albany politics and the various tensions that were…
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…
W. Frank Barron was born in Rome, Georgia, and he graduated from Darlington School in 1948. In 1952, he graduated from Washington and Lee and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving on the USS Eversole DD789. Barron began his career at the Rome Coca-Cola…
Tom Crawford was born in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Clarkston High School in DeKalb County, Georgia in 1968. As a journalism student at the University of Georgia, Crawford worked at the student-led newspaper, The Red & Black, rising to rank…
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…
Rusty Paul discusses his early exposure to politics while growing up in civil rights-era Alabama and his involvement in Republican politics after moving to Georgia, including creating a statewide Republican Party newspaper. Paul recalls the political…
Bob Irvin grew up in rural North Fulton County in the 1950s and 1960s. He was elected as a Republican to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1972. He attended Harvard Business School, after which he came back to Georgia politics and was reelected…
Arthur (Skin) Edge IV is a former state senator representing the 28th senatorial district of Coweta, Pike, and Spalding counties. In 1993, Edge was appointed as chairman of the Senate Special Judiciary Committee as a Republican in a Democratic…
Galloway talks about the relationship of media to politics, how political reporting has changed since he entered the business, and comments on the role that technology has played in news reporting. He comments on factors for success of an elected…
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…
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…
John Padgett grew up as a Republican in Athens and has served in various roles in local and state party politics, including as Chairman of the Athens-Clarke County Republican Party, as Chairman of the 11th and 12th Congressional District Republican…
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 Bell grew up in Atlanta in the 1930s-1940s. He served in the U.S. Army from 1950-1952 and received his Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Georgia's Atlanta Division in 1954. Bell ran as a Republican for the Georgia House…
Robert (Bob) J. Shaw was raised in Bronwood, Georgia and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University before enlisting in the Air Force in 1950. Shaw served as the Chairman of the Development Authority of Fulton County as…
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…
Billy Lovett grew up in Dublin, Georgia in Laurens County. Lovett is a former Laurens County Commissioner and later served on the State Public Service Commission beginning the 1970s. In 1982, he ran as an unsuccessful campaign for governor and…
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…
Alec Poitevint grew up in Bainbridge, Georgia in Decatur County and attended the University of Georgia in the mid-to-late 1960s. Poitevint became chairman of the Decatur County Republican Party in 1975 and was later selected as Vice Chairman of the…
John Stuckey grew up in rural Louisiana and served five years in the military, primarily organizing military intelligence at the Pentagon. He attended Louisiana State University and obtained his J.D. from George Washington University. Stuckey became…
Roy Barnes grew up in rural Cobb County, Georgia in the 1950s-1960s. Barnes grew up in a Republican family but became affiliated with the Democratic Party. He graduated from the University of Georgia Law School in 1972, after which he moved back to…
Guy Millner grew up in Holly Hill, Florida and attended Florida State University. Miller moved to Atlanta for business reasons, and focused on growing his Norrell Corporation, a supplemental staffing business, during the 1960s and 1970s. Millner…
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…
Joyce Carter Stevens was raised in south Georgia. She served as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Del-Cook Lumber Company from 1964-1981. Stevens' first major involvement with the Republican Party was in fundraising for Mack Mattingly's 1980…
Steve Anthony was raised in a political family in Bremen, Georgia and attended the University of West Georgia. He worked as an aide for several state legislators and their committees, and later was the Chief of Staff for Speaker of the House, Tom…
Bobby Kahn is a Democratic political strategist from Savannah, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia Law School and afterwards worked as a trial lawyer in Atlanta. He served as Chief of Staff for Governor Roy Barnes from 1999 to 2003. He…
Chuck Clay is from a military family and moved frequently growing up. He attended the University of North Carolina, and obtained his law degree from the University of Georgia Law School. He moved to Marietta, Georgia in the 1970s for work and became…
Oscar Persons talks about his first interests in Republican politics in the 1960s, recalling in particular Barry Goldwater’s presidential run in 1964 and Bo Callaway’s 1966 gubernatorial run. Persons then describes how the Republican Party grew in…
Frank Strickland talks about his early life and becoming interested in Republican politics in 1966 due to Bo Callaway’s run for governor that year. Strickland afterward describes what occurred as the Republican Party grew in the 1970s and 1980s,…
Charles Bullock explains how he became interested in southern politics and then talks about the patterns that make southern politics distinctive, particularly in the areas of partisan realignment and demographic voting patterns. He then discusses the…
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…
In this interview, Levison discusses his early life in Georgia and his decision to enlist in the military. He talks about going to college and law school at Emory University and his legal career in tax law. Levison then describes his early…
Lindsey discusses his early life in Atlanta, witnessing the Civil Rights movement firsthand, and details his legal career. Lindsey outlines his involvement with political campaigns in the early 2000s prior to his successful run for the Georgia House…
Walker discusses his background and childhood, and talks about running for the Georgia House at Sam Nunn’s behest in 1972, winning as a Democrat. He tells of his first few terms in the legislature and his leadership role in the House. Walker…
Burkhalter talks about his early life and how he became politically active. Burkhalter then discusses returning to north Fulton County to work in the real estate business and explains why he ran for the Georgia House of Representatives in 1992 and…
Reed discusses his childhood and describes how he became involved in politics. Reed discusses meeting Pat Robertson in 1989 and being coaxed into writing a memo explaining how to organize evangelical voters. Reed explains that the memo earned him the…
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…
Nigut discusses his early life in Chicago and his entrance to political journalism through covering Chicago politics. He then talks about moving to Atlanta to work as a reporter for WSB-TV and the bonds he formed with political figures throughout his…
Lake talks about his childhood and early fascination with politics. Lake recalls moving up the ranks among Republican campaigns. Lake then turns to modern subjects, predicting that the 2018 election will be a wave election in favor of the Democrats…
Barnes and Irvin begin by talking about their early involvement in politics and why they chose to seek elected office. They then discuss their time in the legislature, the focus on national politics during that time, and the history of the Republican…
Evans begins the interview by talking about his childhood and early involvement with politics. Evans then discusses the plans and factors of growing the Georgia Republican Party. He specifically talks about party organization and how that process has…
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…
Matthew Allen (Matt) Towery was born in Atlanta on December 6, 1959. He attended the University of Georgia and graduated from Cambridge University and Stetson University College of Law. Towery ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for Lieutenant…
George Hooks was born May 9, 1945 in Sumter County, Georgia. He graduated from Auburn University and holds an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Mercer University. Hooks won election to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1980 and served as…
Tharon Johnson was born in Atlanta and grew up in Athens. He attended Clark Atlanta University where played football and graduated in 2001. Johnson began his political career working in Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell’s Office for Community Affairs…
Blake Aued was born in Kentucky and grew up in Alpharetta and Birmingham, Alabama. He attended the University of Mississippi, graduating with a degree in journalism. Aued worked at the Daily Tribune News in Cartersville, Georgia, before becoming a…
Lorie J. Smith was born in Atlanta. She attended the University of Georgia and Georgia State University before entering Democratic politics. Smith has worked, campaigned, and consulted for prominent Georgia Democrats such as former U.S.…
Albert J. (Al) Scott was born and raised in rural Effingham County before moving to Savannah when he was five years old. He graduated from Savannah’s historic Alfred E. Beach High School and Armstrong State University (now part of Georgia Southern…
John Watson grew up in Centreville in Fairfax County, Virginia, and attended college at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Watson moved to Atlanta in 1993. He worked on Bob Barr’s successful 1994 congressional and joined the Georgia Republican…
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…
DuBose Porter was born October 2, 1953, in Dublin, Georgia. He attended Davidson College and received a bachelor’s degree in English. He interned in Washington, D.C., with Senator Sam Nunn before attending the Cumberland Law School at Samford…
Jerry Keen was born and raised in metro Atlanta. Keen attended Mercer University in Macon and Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. He has worked as a financial management professional. A past Chair of the Georgia Christian Coalition and Director of…
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…
Bryan Long was born and raised in Troy, Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and American Studies. He worked as a writer and editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CNN, and the Atlanta…
Teresa Tomlinson was born in Atlanta and graduated from Chamblee High School. She is a graduate of Sweet Briar College and earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. Tomlinson practiced law at Pope, McGlamry, Kilpatrick, Morrison and…
John Oxendine was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and grew up in Tucker, Georgia. Oxendine graduated from Mercer University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Christianity, Greek, and political science. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Mercer…
Erick W. Erickson was born in Jackson, Louisiana, on June 3, 1975. He moved with his family to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 1980 after Conoco Oil (now ConocoPhillips) transferred his father to the country. He moved back to Louisiana in 1990.…
Keith W. Mason was born in Snellville, Georgia, on September 20, 1960. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and University of Georgia School of Law. Mason, a Democrat, began his career in politics working for Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller…
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…
James C. Cobb was born and raised in Hartwell, Georgia. A “Triple Dawg,” Cobb earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at the University of Georgia. A historian, Cobb has held numerous teaching positions around the country, and he is the…
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…
Dorothy (Dot) Padgett was born in Sandersville, Georgia, and grew up in Douglas County. She attended the University of Georgia’s Atlanta extension (now Georgia State University) but did not graduate. Padgett and other supporters of former Georgia…
Greg Bluestein is a political reporter at the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, covering local, state, and national politics. His work can be accessed in the print version of the AJC, the Political Insider blog, and the Politically Georgia subscription…
Blake Aued is the news editor for Flagpole Magazine in Athens, GA. He writes the weekly 'City Dope' column for Flagpole. He was also a writer at the Athens-Banner Herald, and is a regular contributor to WUGA's Athens News Matters with Alexia…
Johnny Kauffman is a reporter for WABE 90.1 in Atlanta. Prior to WABE, he worked as a producer for Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) and National Public Radio (NPR) where he produced Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, and Tell Me More.Kauffman talks…
Stephen Fowler is a politics reporter for Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) in Atlanta. He first worked for GPB's All Things Considered as the afternoon news producer, reporter, and fill-in host. His reports can be heard on programs such as On Second…
Professor Robin Morris was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and grew up in Tucker, Georgia. A graduate of Tucker High School, she earned her bachelor’s degree at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. After participating in the Teach for…
Phil Kent was born and raised in Auburn, New York. He relocated to Georgia to attend the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. Following graduation, Kent began a long career as an editorialist and writer at the Augusta Chronicle.…
Nseabasi (Nse) Ufot was born in Nigeria and immigrated to the United States as a child. She is a graduate of Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia Tech, and the University of Dayton School of Law. Ufot practiced corporate law before joining the American…
Max Blau was born in Evanston, Illinois, and grew up on Chicago’s North Side. He is a graduate of Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Illinois), Emory University, and the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Blau began…
Jim Galloway was born in Ohio and grew up near College Park, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and worked as a photographer, writer, and editor at the Red & Black. Galloway interned…
M.V. (Trey) Hood III was raised in Waco, Texas. A political scientist, Hood earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, master’s degree from Baylor University, and a doctorate from Texas Tech University. He was a visiting professor of…
J.A. (Sonny) Dixon was born in Savannah on August 5, 1952. He grew up in Savannah and attended the University of Florida. He served two terms as mayor of the Garden City, Georgia and five terms in the Georgia House of Representatives. Dixon retired…
Maynard Eaton was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in neighboring Orange. He graduated from Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) with a bachelor’s degree in mass media arts and Columbia University with a master’s degree in broadcast…
Sam Olens was born on July 8, 1957 in Miami, Florida, and grew up in South New Jersey. He graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international politics from American University in Washington D.C. and earned a J.D. from Emory University…
Christopher M. (Chris) Carr was born on February 8, 1972 in Lansing, Michigan. He relocated to Georgia with his family in 1978. Carr is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business and School of Law. Carr worked for Georgia…
Jerry Gonzalez was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M in 1995 and an MPA from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in 2005. He joined the Mexican…
Tim Cairl was born and raised in rural, central Michigan. He relocated to Georgia with his family as a child and attended high school in Douglasville, Georgia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Liberty University in 1997 and an…
Robert A. (Bob) Irvin was born on September 9, 1948 and grew up in North Fulton County. He attended Roswell High School and graduated from the Lovett School in Atlanta. Irvin earned a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William &…
Maxine Shapiro Goldstein was born on August 25, 1926 in Augusta, Georgia. She attended the Junior College of Augusta (now Augusta University) in 1945 and the University of Georgia in 1946. She married Jacob Louis Goldstein in 1947. Goldstein began…
Jeff DiSantis was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in various locations around the country while his father served in the military. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a J.D. from the Emory University School of Law.…
Leroy H. (Roy) Simkins, Jr. was born in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in Beech Island, South Carolina. He is a graduate of Richmond Academy in Augusta and Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. After serving two years in the U.S. Army,…
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…
Charles Hayslett was born and raised in Columbus, Mississippi. He relocated to Atlanta with his family in 1965. Hayslett is a graduate Briarcliff High School and the University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism. Upon graduation, he joined the…
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…
