Oral history interview with George T. Smith, 1988 April 15
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| Type: | Oral histories | Moving images | MovingImage |
|---|---|
| Creator: | Smith, George T. (George Thornewell), 1916- Steely, Mel Wagner, Don |
| Title: | Oral history interview with George T. Smith, 1988 April 15 |
| Description: | George T. Smith was born in Mitchell County, Georgia on October 15, 1916. After a stint in the U.S. Navy he earned a law degree from the University of Georgia in 1948. He practiced law in Cairo, Georgia and also served as City Attorney until being elected to represent Grady County in the Georgia legislature as a Democrat in 1958. He remained there until 1966, serving as Speaker from 1963-1966. Smith was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1966 and served from 1967-1971 under Governor Lester Maddox. He returned to private practice in Marietta and in 1976 was elected to the Georgia Court of Appeals. In 1980, Smith was elected to the state Supreme Court where he remained until 1991. He is the only person in Georgia history to win contested elections to all three branches of state government. This interview takes place with Dr. Mel Steely and Don Wagner on April 15, 1988 at the office of George T. Smith. The interview begins with a discussion of Smith's childhood in Mitchell county, Georgia, and anecdotes about his father. Smith spends a few minutes discussing his childhood education, and his entrance to Middle Georgia (which he states was out of his economic class). He discusses his time at the University of Georgia as well as his time in California. The majority of the interview focuses on Smith's political career, with emphasis on his relationships with other politicians in Georgia. One of the key themes of the interview involves Smith's political position as Speaker in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. |
| Subjects: | Smith, George T. (George Thornewell), 1916---Interviews | Georgia--Politics and government--1865-1950 | Georgia--Politics and government--1951- | Lieutenant governors--Georgia--Interviews | Legislators--Georgia--Interviews | Arnall, Ellis Gibbs, 1907-1992 | Byrd, Garland T. (Garland Turk), 1924-1997 | Groover, Denmark, 1922-2001 | Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003 | Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 | Talmadge, Eugene, 1884-1946 | Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002 | Twitty, Frank Starling, 1907-1981 | Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918- | University of Georgia--Alumni and alumnae | University of Georgia. School of Law--Alumni and alumnae | United States. Navy | United States. Supreme Court | Civil rights movements--United States--History--20th century | Grady County (Ga.) | Mitchell County (Ga.) | Depressions--1929 | New Deal, 1933-1939 | Nova Scotia | World War, 1939-1945 |
| Contributors: | Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections | University of West Georgia. Georgia's Political Heritage Program |
| Online Publisher: | Carrollton, Ga. : Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections in association with the Digital Library of Georgia, 2010 |
| Original Material: | Georgia's Political Heritage Program oral history interviews. Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections, Irvine Sullivan Ingram Library, State University of West Georgia |
| Rights and Usage: | Cite as: [interview title], Georgia's Political Heritage Program oral history interviews. Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections, Irvine Sullivan Ingram Library, University of West Georgia |
| Related Materials: | Forms part of the online collection: Georgia's Political Heritage Program. |
| Persistent Link to Item: | http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/uwg/phc/do:smith19880415 |
| Related Institutions: | Digital Library of Georgia Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections |
| Collection Information: | Georgia's Political Heritage Program |