Donald Stewart discusses his education, his work with the Soil Conservation Service and the idea for Sandy Creek Park. He comments on watershed programs in Athens including dams and flood control. Stewart also discusses Athens-Clarke County's…
Rick Kelly discusses Sandy Creek Park’s role in the Athens community, its budget and maintenance, and many aspects of the lake including security, lifeguards, and concern for patron safety. He comments on the merger of the city and county governments…
Robert Farmer discusses his work with the Soil Conservation Service, priorities for the design of Sandy Creek Park, and the importance of setting, maintenance, and meeting citizens' desired uses for a park. He comments on the involvement of county…
Richard Guthman discusses his work on the Atlanta City Council and the major developments in the city since the 1970s. Guthman was elected to the council in 1973, representing District 8. Prior to this he chaired the Police Commission and the Fulton…
James Lester “Jim L.” Gillis, Jr. is the grandson of Treutlen County founder and state representative Neil Gillis, the son of State Senator and Highway Commissioner Jim L. Gillis, and brother of Hugh Gillis. He discusses his time working as an…
In 1969, Sam Massell was elected as a Democrat to be the Atlanta's first Jewish mayor. He discusses his early political career and his time as mayor, including the development of MARTA, his support for the advancement of minorities, and the role of…
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…
Charles C. “Chuck” Clay worked as assistant solicitor in Marietta. He went on to become district attorney, and then, in 1986, commissioner, for Cobb County. In 1988, Clay was elected to the Georgia State Senate as a Republican. After his election,…
Karen Handel served as Secretary of State of Georgia from 2007 to 2010, when she resigned to run for governor of Georgia, a bid which was ultimately unsuccessful. In this interview she discusses her upbringing, public service career, and political…
Eva Galambos has served as mayor of Sandy Springs since 2005. She is a retired economist specializing in urban finance and labor economics. She has also served as an arbitrator resolving disputes between labor and management. Galambos has been deeply…
Billy Lovett is a former Laurens County Comissioner, member of the State Public Service Commission, candidate for Governor, and businessmen in Atlanta. Lovett discusses his work in the Public Service Commissioner, his campaign for Governor, and the…
Russell Thomas Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1934, though he grew up in Americus, Georgia. He graduated from Auburn University in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural administration and served as mayor of Americus for fifteen years.…
Mike Wharton has worked for the Athens-Clarke County Government in the Leisure Services Department for approximately 30 years. In this interview, Wharton talks about the construction and planning of Beech Haven Park, future plans for the park, the…
Virginia Gunn was a prominent television personality in Atlanta before she moved to St. Simons, Georgia where she worked to protect sea turtles. Gunn started the nonprofit Save the Beach and successfully ran for County Commissioner in order to…
In an addendum to an earlier interview, Thomason discusses the work of Virginia Gunn to prevent beach renourishment at St. Simons Island. She describes Gunns’ work as County Commissioner and as president of Save the Beaches.
Gwendolyn Ingram O’Looney grew up on St. Simon’s Island, graduated from the University of Georgia, and has worked in human service positions throughout her career. In this interview, she talks about her public service career in local politics, as a…
Gwendolyn Ingram O’Looney grew up on St. Simon’s Island, graduated from the University of Georgia, and has worked in human service positions throughout her career. In this follow-up interview, O’Looney discusses more specifically the initiatives…
Jill Jayne Read attended both Wesleyan University and the University of Georgia where she got a Bachelor’s of Music and a Master’s in Public Administration, respectively. After marrying and moving to Athens, Georgia, Read served in a number of public…
Harry Sims grew up in Athens, Georgia and received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He taught at David C. Barrow Elementary before retiring and served as Athens City Commissioner before running for mayor. In this interview, Sims…
Bennie Lee Coleman III was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. He grew up with a single mother, his aunt and his grandmother in a little house on Oconee Street. In this interview Coleman shares how his values were shaped by listening to the advice…
Donarell R. Green III was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1946. His family moved to Athens shortly after his birth to start a medical practice for Black Athenians. In this interview he remembers the Susan Medical Center, growing up as the son of a…
Pearl Hall was born in Rocksprings Homes in Athens and has lived a life dedicated to serving the public. She attended West Broad Street School, Burney-Harris High School, and was a part of the first class to formally integrate into Clarke Central. In…
Tiffany Taylor was born in Athens in 1988 and grew up on the East Side. She was raised by a single mother, and the community provided assistance in her upbringing. In this interview, she recounts her experiences through her various careers and…
Content Warning: This interview includes references to sexual assault. Asia Thomas was born in Athens, Georgia. She is a former candidate in the Athens- Clarke County Commissioner race and has played an active role in the Athens community through her…
LaKeisha Gantt was born in Athens in 1978, where she attended elementary through high school. In her undergraduate years, Gantt knew that she wanted to help people, but wasn’t sure how; through graduate school and upon completing her Ph.D in…
Barnard Sims was born in Barrow County to a family of four. Once he started school, he realized that Black people were systematically treated differently than white people and felt that he lacked understanding of Black history. In this interview,…
Content Warning: This interview includes references to sexual assault.MyKeisha Ross grew up and attended school in Athens, though her family has its roots in Ohio. Raised by a single mother, Ross had to look after herself and got her first job in the…
Barbara Barnett is an active member of the community who has dedicated her life to working with the youth. Barnett has served as a Program Director of Rites of Passage, an organization focused on empowering Black youth through Black history…
Charlotte Sosebee was born in Gainesville, Georgia in 1966. She moved to Athens in 2016. In this interview, She discusses elections in Hall County, where she worked her way up from an elections clerk to interim director despite hardships with the…
Danny Ronell Davenport was born in Athens, Georgia in 1965 and was raised in the Pauldoe/Jack R. Wells Community. In this interview, he details a history of his life, from childhood to his long-standing career with the Athens Housing Authority,…
Ola Jennings Stevens was born in Athens in 1944. After graduating from Athens High and Industrial School she went on to Fort Valley State University, and then received her Master’s degree from UGA and her Doctorate from the University of Tennessee.…
Melissa Link moved to Athens, Georgia in 1993 where she attended the University of Georgia as a graduate student of art history. She has served in various positions in media, community organizations, and government throughout Athens. Currently, she…
Genether Spurlock was born in 1951 in Enid, Mississippi. She grew up chopping cotton before attending college and becoming a teacher. She served as the mayor of Tutwiler and works as the Education Coordinator at the Tutwiler Community Education…
Eddie Carthan was born in 1949 and was raised by his grandparents on their family farm in Mississippi. He attended college and became a businessman and then a farmer. Carthan was the first Black Mayor of Tchula, Mississippi before becoming the County…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
