Arnall, Ellis, 1986 April 2
Scope and Contents note
Interviewed in the boardroom of Governor Arnall's Law Office at Arnall, Gold and Gregory on April 2, 1986, by Dr. Mel Steely and Ted Fitz-Simons.
Arnall begins the interview by discussing his relationship with presidential nominee Governor Cox and the 1942 gubernatorial election in Georgia, going on to speak of his relationships with Ed Rivers and Roy Harris. He then goes into his political influence in Coweta County - Dr. Steely refers to him as the "Godfather" of its politics. He also discusses the issue of education, the integration of University System of Georgia, the "race issue" and his relationship with Eugene and Herman Talmadge, who had been avid segregationists. Arnall also comments on his close relationship with President F. D. Roosevelt, the vice-presidential candidate for 1945 and his weekends spent at Warm Springs. Arnall also talks about the Leo Frank case and his acquaintances involved, like Governor Slaton and his decision to pardon Leo Frank. Arnall devotes most of this interview to discussing his views on economics, such as discriminatory freight rates and the case of Georgia v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co., as well as the performance of other Georgia politicians, both during and after his time in office. He speaks of the prison reform, poll reform and educational reform that had occurred under his governorship. Arnall comments on Andy Young's tenure as mayor of Atlanta, as well as his views on segregationist organizations. He speaks of his support of equal rights for African Americans and states that one thing that confuses him is that after all the bloodshed and trouble gone to in order to secure integrated education, many people still classify universities as "white colleges" and "black colleges." He speaks at length on the agricultural and industrial development, with emphasis on small rural communities, and these small communities' importance in relation to urban communities; he goes on to speak specifically about suburban communities. Arnall speaks of his relationship with several key individuals such as Helen Douglas Mankin, Ralph McGill, as well as Eugene and Herman Talmadge.
Dates
- 1986 April 2
Creator
- From the Collection: West Georgia College. Georgia's Political Heritage Program (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access note
Most unrestricted; inquire as to individual interview.
Extent
From the Collection: 26.29 Linear feet (53 boxes)
Language
From the Collection: English
Repository Details
Part of the University of West Georgia Special Collections Repository
Special Collections, Ingram Library
University of West Georgia
1601 Maple Street
Carrollton GA 30118-2000 United States
special@westga.edu