Ernest Vandiver
| Samuel Ernest Vandiver Jr. | |
|---|---|
| 73rd Governor of Georgia | |
| In office January 13, 1959 – January 15, 1963 |
|
| Lieutenant | Garland T. Byrd |
| Preceded by | Marvin Griffin |
| Succeeded by | Carl Sanders |
| 3rd Lieutenant Governor of Georgia | |
| In office 1955–1959 |
|
| Governor | Marvin Griffin |
| Preceded by | Marvin Griffin |
| Succeeded by | Garland T. Byrd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 3, 1918 Canon, Georgia, United States |
| Died | February 21, 2005 (aged 86) Lavonia, Georgia, United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | University of Georgia |
| Religion | Baptist |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Samuel Ernest Vandiver Jr. (July 3, 1918 – February 21, 2005) was an American politician who was the 73rd Governor of the US state of Georgia from 1959 to 1963.
Contents |
[edit] Early life and career
Vandiver was born in Canon, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia. After serving stateside as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, he was elected mayor of Lavonia, Georgia in 1946 and supported Eugene Talmadge's candidacy for Governor, and Herman Talmadge's claim to the governorship after Eugene's death.
In 1948, Talmadge appointed Vandiver to be the state's adjutant general. Vandiver was elected lieutenant governor in 1954. Vandiver ran for governor in 1958 and promised to restore the state's image, which was tarnished by the scandals of Governor Marvin Griffin's administration; he was overwhelmingly elected.
[edit] Governor of Georgia
As governor, Vandiver cleaned up the corruption associated with the Griffin administration. He pledged to defend segregation, and in March 1960 called "An Appeal for Human Rights" published in the Atlanta Constitution by black students at Spelman College "an anti-American document" that "does not sound like it was written in this country" (Howard Zinn, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train [Boston: Beacon Press, 1994, 2002], p. 28).
But when a federal district court ordered the admission of two African-American students to the University of Georgia, although some have believed that top state officials did all they could to preserve segregation under cover, unlike Governors George Wallace in Alabama and Ross Barnett in Mississippi who were also faced with federal court orders to integrate their states' universities, Governor Vandiver did not resist the court order and thus played a huge role in sparing the University of Georgia the negative racial stigma that still lingers to some degree with the Universities of Alabama and Mississippi.
In fact, shortly after UGA's integration, Vandiver urged the state legislature to repeal a recently-passed state law barring funding to integrated schools. With the aid of a local-option closure provision in the possible case of desegregation, this was achieved. Atlanta's public schools were peacefully desegregated. Vandiver also presided over the end of the state's County Unit System: when the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional, he ordered the Democratic Party to return to using the popular vote in primaries.
[edit] Later career
Vandiver was initially a candidate for Governor in 1966 but he withdrew for health reasons.
He also ran for the United States Senate in 1972, in the race for a full term to replace his wife's uncle, Richard Russell, Jr., who had died in office in 1971. Vandiver finished third behind Sam Nunn and Senator David H. Gambrell in the Democratic party primary election.
[edit] Marriage and The Russell Family
Vandiver was married to Betty Russell, a niece of Richard Russell, Jr., who also served as Governor of Georgia, and also later served as a United States Senator. Russell was very popular and powerful in Georgia, and helped to promote Vandiver's career and his election as Lt. Governor and Governor.
Vandiver was also a nephew by marriage of Judge Robert Lee Russell, and grandson-in-law of Judge Richard Russell, Sr.. For information, see Russell family.
[edit] Memorials
The stretch of I-85 through Franklin County, Georgia, is named "Ernest Vandiver Highway" in memory of Vandiver. Vandiver was the person responsible in changing the path of the planned interstate to go through Franklin County instead of farther south, as it was originally planned to do. Additionally, the University of Georgia dedicated a residence hall in the East Campus Village to Governor Vandiver on September 26, 2008.
[edit] Death
Ernest Vandiver died on February 21, 2005, at the age of 86 in his home in Lavonia, Georgia.
[edit] External links
- New Georgia Encyclopedia: Ernest Vandiver
- Ernest Vandiver
- Governor Ernest Vandiver's Public Education Address in response to federal desegration of the University of Georgia, January 18, 1961. From the collection of the Georgia Archives.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Marvin Griffin |
Lieutenant Governor of Georgia 1955–1959 |
Succeeded by Garland T. Byrd |
| Governor of Georgia 1959–1963 |
Succeeded by Carl Sanders |
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||
- 1918 births
- 2005 deaths
- Governors of Georgia (U.S. state)
- Lieutenant Governors of Georgia (U.S. state)
- Mayors of places in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Georgia (U.S. state) Democrats
- American military personnel of World War II
- People from Franklin County, Georgia
- University of Georgia alumni
- United States Army Air Forces officers
