George Busbee

George Busbee (born August 7, 1927 in Vienna , Georgia , † July 16, 2004 in Savannah , Georgia) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) and governor of Georgia.

youth

Young Busbee attended Georgia Military College and Abraham Baldwin College before entering the Navy. After the end of his military service, he completed his education with a law degree at the University of Georgia , which he successfully completed in 1952. He then worked as a lawyer in Albany . In 1956 he decided to go into politics and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives.

Political rise

Originally he only wanted to remain politically active for two years, but changed his mind very quickly. In total, he was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives for 18 years and governor of that state for eight years before retiring from politics in 1983. He quickly made a career as a member of parliament and became leader of the Democratic group in 1967. In 1974 he decided to apply for the office of governor. He succeeded within the party against two rivals, including ex-Governor Lester Maddox , to win the nomination of his party. In the end, he won the actual election against Republican Ronnie Thompson and succeeded Jimmy Carter .

Georgia Governor

As governor, he relied on harmonious and efficient cooperation between all elected officials in Georgia, thereby solving a problem with which his two predecessors had difficulties. The focus of his work as governor was education policy, the economic boom, prison reform and a constitutional amendment. In the area of ​​educational policy, he primarily promoted the development and expansion of kindergartens. But it also raised salaries for teachers and university professors. Economically, the country was initially drawn into the depression in the mid-1970s, which also had a negative impact on the state's budget. In the short term, the governor also had to cut the budget for education policy, but once the economy recovered, the necessary funds were made available again.

Another focus of his policy was the settlement of high-tech industries in Georgia. For this purpose, the country's infrastructure had to be improved. He had the road network expanded and the capacities of the ports expanded. This led to success. Numerous companies, banks, film and television companies set up shop in Georgia or set up branches of their companies in this state. The number of Georgia-based international firms rose from 150 in 1975 to 682 in 1982. George Busbee also campaigned for a new revision of the state's constitution. The new constitution of 1976 allowed, among other things, a one-time direct re-election of a governor after the end of the first term. At the same time, work continued on the new constitution of the country until 1982, which finally came into force in 1983, completely revised and adapted to the needs of the time. Due to the constitutional amendment, Busbee could be elected for a second term in 1978, which was not difficult for him due to his popularity. He was the first governor of Georgia to serve two consecutive four-year terms.

Old age and death

After his second term of office, Busbee resigned from office in 1983 and retired to Duluth , where he returned to practice as a lawyer. He was also an active member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce . Busbee died unexpectedly of a heart attack in July 2004.

George Busbee was married to Mary Elizabeth Talbot, with whom he had two sons and two daughters.

literature

• James F. Cook: The Governors of Georgia, 1754-2004. 3rd edition, revised and expanded. Mercer University Press, Macon GA 2005, ISBN 0-86554-954-0 .
• Harold P. Henderson, Gary L. Roberts (Eds.): Georgia Governors in an Age of Change. From Ellis Arnall to George Busbee. University of Georgia Press, Athens GA et al. 1988, ISBN 0-8203-1004-2 .

Web links

• George Busbee in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• The New Georgia Encyclopedia (English)
• George Busbee in the Nationa Governors Association (English)