George Busbee
Encyclopedia
George Dekle Busbee was an American
politician who served as the 77th Governor of the U.S. state
of Georgia
from 1975 to 1983.
Busbee was born in Vienna, Georgia
, and attended Georgia Military College
and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
before joining the Navy
. After his discharge, he completed his education at the University of Georgia
, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta
fraternity and the Phi Kappa Literary Society
, earning a bachelor's degree in 1949 and a law degree in 1952.
Establishing a law practice in Albany
, Busbee served nine terms in the Georgia House of Representatives
, and was floor leader for Governor Carl Sanders
. Busbee won the Democratic nomination
for governor in 1974—Jimmy Carter
's final year in that office—over Lieutenant Governor
Lester Maddox
. In the fall, he handily defeated Ronnie Thompson
, the first Republican
to have served as mayor
of Macon
. In 1976, voters approved a wholesale revision of the Georgia Constitution
, which included a provision that allowed Busbee to become the state's first governor to serve two consecutive four-year terms. He won election to his second term in 1978 with an easy victory over Republican
candidate Rodney Cook
.
After his service as Governor, Busbee joined the Atlanta law firm King & Spalding
and moved to the Atlanta suburb of Duluth
.
Busbee died of a heart attack
at the Savannah International Airport in Savannah, Georgia
. George Busbee Parkway and Busbee Drive in the Town Center Mall area of Cobb County, Georgia
are named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician who served as the 77th Governor of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
from 1975 to 1983.
Busbee was born in Vienna, Georgia
Vienna, Georgia
Vienna is a city in Dooly County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,973 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dooly County....
, and attended Georgia Military College
Georgia Military College
Georgia Military College is a United States Military Junior College, high school, and middle school in Milledgeville, Georgia. GMC is one of five military junior colleges that participates in the Army's Early Commissioning Program. Cadets who graduate from GMC's two-year, military science-oriented...
and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a State College of the University System of Georgia. Located in Tifton, Georgia, ABAC offers baccalaureate and associate degrees...
before joining the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. After his discharge, he completed his education at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity and the Phi Kappa Literary Society
Phi Kappa Literary Society
The Phi Kappa Literary Society is a college literary society, located at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.The Society was founded in 1820 by Joseph Henry Lumpkin, later to become the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and eponym for the , and by William Crabbe, Edwin...
, earning a bachelor's degree in 1949 and a law degree in 1952.
Establishing a law practice in Albany
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
, Busbee served nine terms in the Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
, and was floor leader for Governor Carl Sanders
Carl Sanders
Carl Edward Sanders Sr. is an American politician who served as the 74th Governor of the state of Georgia from 1963 to 1967.Sanders was born in Augusta, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia on a football scholarship...
. Busbee won the Democratic nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
for governor in 1974—Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
's final year in that office—over Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
Lester Maddox
Lester Maddox
Lester Garfield Maddox was an American politician who was the 75th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971....
. In the fall, he handily defeated Ronnie Thompson
Ronnie Thompson (Georgia politician)
Ronald John Thompson, known as Ronnie Thompson or Machine Gun Ronnie' Thompson , is a former Georgia Republican politician who was the first member of his party to have been elected mayor of Macon, the seat of Bibb County in central Georgia. Thompson served two controversial terms from 1967-1975...
, the first Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to have served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
. In 1976, voters approved a wholesale revision of the Georgia Constitution
Georgia (U.S. state) Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Georgia is the governing document of the U.S. state of Georgia. The constitution outlines the three branches of government in Georgia. The legislative branch is embodied in the bicameral General Assembly. The executive branch is headed by the Governor. The judicial...
, which included a provision that allowed Busbee to become the state's first governor to serve two consecutive four-year terms. He won election to his second term in 1978 with an easy victory over Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate Rodney Cook
Rodney Mims Cook, Sr.
The Honorable Rodney Mims Cook , a Georgia public figure, served for over twenty years as an Atlanta city alderman and member of the Georgia House of Representatives....
.
After his service as Governor, Busbee joined the Atlanta law firm King & Spalding
King & Spalding
King & Spalding LLP is an American law firm with 125 years of service. It was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1885 by Alexander C. King and Jack Spalding. The firm has expanded nationally, with offices in Austin, Charlotte, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C...
and moved to the Atlanta suburb of Duluth
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
.
Busbee died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the Savannah International Airport in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. George Busbee Parkway and Busbee Drive in the Town Center Mall area of Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
are named in his honor.