William Hartsfield: Served as mayor of Atlanta longer than any other mayor. Under him the population of Atlanta increased 10 times. He promoted the idea of “A city too busy to hate” and was named the father of aviation because of his work to build Atlanta’s aviation industry. His strict budgeting helped the city of Atlanta recover from the Great Depression. He joined the military after the U.S. became involved in World War II. In 1942, a special election was held and he won the title of mayor once again. He served four more terms.
Ivan Allen, Jr.: Served as mayor from 1962 to 1970. Many thought he helped keep Atlanta calm during the civil rights movement. He was considered liberal for this time period as his first act as mayor was to remove the “White Only” signs from City Hall and was the only politician from the South to speak in favor of the Civil Rights Act. He also ended the rules stating that black officers couldn’t arrest whites and laws prohibiting black firefighters. Allen was mayor during the Peyton Road Affair. This was when a concrete wall intended to keep blacks away from the white area was constructed. He also helped bring the Braves and other sports teams to the city.
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Civil rights leader during the civil rights movement.
Atlanta Braves: First professional sports team in the South. They won the World Series in 1995. This was the first time a major league team in Georgia had won a national title.
TBS: Cable network system that televised Braves games. It was owned by Ted Turner.
Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta’s football team that first played in 1966 at Atlanta Stadium. They played in the 1998 Super Bowl. Today they are owned by Arthur Blank and Rich McKay.
Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta’s basketball team. They moved to Atlanta in 1968 and play at the Philips Arena. Once owned by Ted Turner, they are now property of Atlanta Spirit, a company with nine owners that also control the Philips Arena.
Atlanta Thrashers: Atlanta’s hockey team that plays in the National Hockey League. They came to Atlanta in 1999 after they were purchased by Ted Turner. They are now owned by the Atlanta Spirit.
Ellis Arnall: Governor of Georgia from 1943 to 1947. St age 31, Arnall was the youngest attorney general of the state. At 35, Arnall become the youngest governor in the nation. He is best known for bringing progressive reform to the state. He also reformed state prisons, the tax system, the constitution, and lowered the state’s voting age. Some of his other reforms include allowing black voters to vote in the state’s white-only primaries.
Eugene Talmadge: Governor of Georgia after unseating Ellis Arnall.
