Lester Garfield Maddox

Lester Garfield Maddox (September 30, 1915 – June 25, 2003) was an American Democratic Party politician who was governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971. He initially came to prominence as a staunch segregationist but, like many, he moderated his positions somewhat when it became clear that the gains of the civil rights movement were not going to be rolled back by political means, peaceful or otherwise. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... This is a list of Governors of the state of Georgia, including governors of the British colony of Georgia. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties Libertarian Party State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... The Rex Theatre for Colored People Racial segregation is characterized by separation of different races in daily life when both are doing equal tasks, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or...

Early life

Lester Maddox was born in Atlanta, the second of the seven children of Dean Garfield Maddox and Flonnie Castleberry Maddox; his father was a steelworker. Dropping out of school following his junior year in high school, Maddox earned $4 a week at a local drugstore in order to help the family's finances in the midst of the Depression. He went on to become an apprentice dental technician before accepting a job in his father's line of work at the steel mills. Starting out at a salary of $10 per week, Maddox eventually was promoted to foreman. Nickname: Hotlanta, The Big Peach, The ATL, A-Town Location in Fulton and DeKalb Counties in the state of Georgia Coordinates: Country United States State Georgia Counties Fulton, DeKalb Government  - Mayor Shirley Franklin (D) Area  - City  132. ... The Great Depression was a time of economic down turn, which started after the Stock Market Crash on October 29, 1929, also known as Black Tuesday. ...

Life and career

In 1944, Maddox, along with his wife, the former Virginia Cox, used $400 they had saved to open up a combination grocery store/restaurant. Building on that success, the couple then bought property on Hemphill Avenue off the Georgia Tech campus to open up the "Pickrick" restaurant. The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly known as Georgia Tech, is a public, coeducational university, part of the University System of Georgia, and located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia and Metz, France. ...

Maddox made the "Pickrick" a family affair with his wife and children working side-by-side with him. The restaurant became known for its simple, inexpensive food, including its specialty, skillet-fried chicken.

The "Pickrick" soon became a thriving business. The restaurant also provided Maddox with his first political forum: the restaurant became well known in Atlanta for large newspaper advertisements that featured cartoon chickens. Following the Brown v. the Board of Education decision of 1954, these restaurant ads began more and more to feature the cartoon chickens commenting on the political questions of the day. However, Maddox's refusal to adjust to changes following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 manifested itself when he filed a lawsuit to continue his segregationist policies. He first prevented a trio of Negroes from entering his restaurant by holding a gun at the entrance, then later defied a court order by proclaiming to another group of Negroes, "If you live 100 years, you'll never get a piece of fried chicken here." President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ...

Unable to win his case, he became a martyr to states-rights advocates by selling the restaurant to employees rather than bowing to government coercion. Many of his fellow citizens praised him for doing this.

During his ownership of the "Pickrick", he twice ran for mayor of Atlanta. In 1957, he lost to incumbent William B. Hartsfield, who sought a more moderate racial approach, then lost to Ivan Allen, Jr. four years later, with the two politicians splitting the white vote. Allen's ability to garner virtually all the black votes proved to be the difference. 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... William Berry Hartsfield Categories: American politician stubs | Mayors of Atlanta ... Ivan Jr. ...

In 1962, Maddox ran for Lieutenant Governor against Peter Zack Geer, a candidate who shared his opponent's strong states-rights views. In an effort to differentiate from each other, both candidates attempted to paint the other as an extremist. Geer won the race, but Maddox gained valuable recognition across the state. 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ...

When Maddox sought the Democratic Party nomination for Governor of Georgia in 1966, his principal opponent for the nomination was former governor Ellis Arnall. That election was still in the era of Democratic Party dominance in Georgia, when winning the Democratic primary was tantamount to election. Since there was no Republican primary at the time, and there were a great many voters who identified with the Republicans, the Republicans voted in the Democratic primary and chose the candidate who they thought would lose against their candidate, Howard Callaway. In the primary election, Arnall won a plurality of the popular vote, but was denied the required majority. Lester Maddox, the candidate in second place, then ran in a run-off against Ellis Arnall. Again, the Republicans voted in the Democratic primary runoff. There were some two or three other candidates, including then-state Senator Jimmy Carter. Arnall barely campaigned in the run-off election, and the result was a victory for Maddox. The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... This is a list of Governors of the state of Georgia, including governors of the British colony of Georgia. ... Ellis Gibbs Arnall (March 20, 1907 - December 13, 1992) was an American politician who served as the Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1943 to 1947. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Stunned, Arnall announced a write-in candidacy for the general election, insisting that Georgians must have the option of a moderate Democrat besides party-nominee Maddox and the Republican candidate. In that contest, Republican nominee Howard Callaway, one of the first Republican members of the United States House of Representatives elected from Georgia since Reconstruction, won a plurality and Maddox finished second; under the election rules then in effect, the state legislature was required to select a governor from the two candidates with the highest number of votes. With the legislature overwhelmingly dominated by Democrats, all of whom had been required to sign a Democratic loyalty oath which required them to support Democrats only, Maddox became Governor, serving from 1967 to 1971. The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Democratic Party. ... Howard Hollis Bo Callaway (born April 2, 1927) is a politician from the state of Georgia. ...

Maddox campaigned hard for states-rights. He then governed as a moderate, and appointed more blacks to state government office than any of his predecessors. Despite this, Maddox did manifest anti-black sentiments while in office. Upon the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., he denied the slain civil rights leader the honor of lying in state in the Georgia state capitol. He reportedly abhorred the idea of flying the state flag at half-staff "in honor of a Negro." Martin Luther King, Jr. ...

His often self-deprecating humor and off-the-cuff manner stood in contrast to the fiery rhetoric of other Southern politicians such as George Wallace and Strom Thurmond: when asked what could be done to improve the abysmal conditions in Georgia prisons, Maddox replied that what was really needed was a better class of prisoner. Maddox's chief of staff was Zell Miller, who went on to serve two terms as governor in the 1990s. Governor George Wallace (in front of door) standing defiantly against desegregation while being confronted by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach at the University of Alabama in 1963. ... James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 – June 26, 2003) was an American politician who served as governor of South Carolina and as a United States Senator representing that state. ... Zell Bryan Miller (born February 24, 1932) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

In 1968, a small Atlanta repertory company produced a play entitled, "Red, White and Maddox". The play ridiculed Maddox and imagined him winning the 1972 U.S. presidential election, then starting a war with the Soviet Union. It was widely panned as an amateur attempt at comedy, and quickly folded. 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... United States presidential elections determine who serves as President and Vice President of the United States for four-year terms, starting on Inauguration Day (January 20th of the year after the election). ...

Under the Georgia constitution of 1945, Maddox was prohibited from running for a second consecutive term, necessitating a 1970 run for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. Although Maddox was elected as a Democratic candidate at the same time as Jimmy Carter's election as Governor as a Democratic candidate, the two were not running mates; in Georgia, particularly in that era of Democratic dominance, the winners of the primary elections went on to easy victories in the general elections without campaigning together as an official ticket or as runningmates. Carter and Maddox found little common ground during their four years of service, often publicly feuding with each other. 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. ... This article is becoming very long. ... A running mate is a person running for a subordinate position on a joint ticket during an election. ...

Shortly after that election, Maddox appeared as a guest on The Dick Cavett Show on December 18, 1970. During a commercial break, fellow guest and former football player Jim Brown asked Maddox if he had "any trouble with the white bigots because of all the things you did for blacks." On the air, Cavett substituted the word "admirers" in place of "bigots", enraging Maddox. After demanding an apology, Maddox walked off the show. The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of many talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on several television networks, including: ABC daytime (March 4, 1968–January 24, 1969) (originally titled This Morning) ABC prime time (May 26–September 19, 1969) ABC late night (December 29, 1969–January 1, 1975... In the Gregorian Calendar, December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years), at which point there will be 13 days remaining to the end of the year. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jim Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor and social activist. ...

Maddox ran again for governor in 1974 but lost in the Democratic primary to George Busbee. Maddox's former chief of staff Zell Miller was successful in his own bid to succeed Maddox as lieutenant governor. When Carter ran for President in 1976, Maddox ran against him as the nominee of the American Independent Party, saying that his former rival was "the most dishonest man I ever met." Maddox only received 170,000 votes in the election, less than 1 percent of the vote. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... George Dekle Busbee (August 7, 1927–July 16, 2004) was an American politician who served as the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1975 to 1983. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The American Independent Party is a California political party. ...

Retirement

With his political career over and with massive debts stemming from his 1974 gubernatorial bid, Maddox began a short-lived nightclub comedy career in 1977 with an African-American, Bobby Lee Sears, who had worked as a busboy in his restaurant. Sears had served time in prison for a drug offense before Maddox, as Lieutenant Governor, was able to assist him in obtaining a pardon. Calling themselves "The Governor and the Dishwasher," the duo performed comedy bits built around musical numbers with Maddox on harmonica and Sears on guitar. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Christianity (predominantly Baptist), Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

On September 25, 1977, Maddox suffered a heart attack, but recovered and attended a number of appreciation dinners from Georgia Democrats that reduced his debts. In an attempt to raise further money, Maddox auctioned off memorabilia the following year from his days as a restaurateur and a politician. Included in this collection were autographed ax handles. The auction brought only $1,392, but Maddox refused to declare bankruptcy saying, "I'd rather die." September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

Maddox began a real estate company, but never again enjoyed the financial success he had enjoyed with the "Pickrick". When he was diagnosed with cancer in 1983, Maddox traveled to the Bahamas for experimental treatment. Two years later, the facility where he received his treatment was closed due to fears of contamination by AIDS. He never contracted the latter disease and made a successful recovery from his cancer. Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ...

He made one final unsuccessful bid for governor in 1990, then underwent heart surgery the following year. He remained a visible figure in his home community of Cobb County for the remainder of his life. In 1992 and 1996, Maddox crossed party lines and endorsed unsuccessful populist Republican Patrick J. Buchanan for the presidency. His last public speech was in Atlanta in 2001 at the annual national conference of the Council of Conservative Citizens, of which he was a member. Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Patrick Buchanan Patrick Joseph Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), usually known as Pat Buchanan, is an American conservative journalist and a well known television political commentator. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

In 2003, after a fall while recuperating from intestinal surgery in an Atlanta hospice, he died from pneumonia and prostate cancer. Palliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of the symptoms of a disease or slows its progress rather than providing a cure. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the alveoli (microscopic air-filled sacs of the lung responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere) become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ... Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. ...

Lester Maddox and his wife Virginia were married for sixty-one years. At Maddox's home, a prominent landmark was a sign he had made. The first half of the sign read: "Thanks be to God; He has given me my precious Virginia for 61 years as of May 9, '97." A second sign was added below it after his wife died shortly after. This sign read: "and God took her from me and carried her home 45 days later."

The Interstate Highway 75 bridge over the Chattahoochee River at the southeastern boundary of Cobb County, GA is named the Lester and Virginia Maddox Bridge. His name also appears in the opening lines of Randy Newman's song Rednecks, in allusion to his appearance on the Dick Cavett television program. Map showing the Chattahoochee River Basin in Georgia and other Georgia river basins The upper Chattahoochee River at the Upper Chattahoochee River Campground north of Helen, White County, Georgia Chattahoochee River at River Park on Willeo Road, Fulton County, Georgia The Chattahoochee River runs from the Chattahoochee Spring in the... Randall Stuart Randy Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American songwriter, arranger, singer and pianist who is notable for his mordant (and often satirical) pop songs and for his many film scores. ... In modern usage, redneck predominantly refers to a particular stereotype of whites from the Southern United States. ... Dick Cavett in 1974 Richard Alva Cavett (born November 19, 1936) is an American television talk show host known for his conversational style of in-depth and often serious issues discussion. ...

References

External links

• Lester! from Creative Loafing, March 20, 1999 (with link to his personal rebuttal to the article)