 Carl E. Sanders Papers
Collection DescriptionBiographical NoteCarl E. Sanders was born in Augusta, Georgia on May 15, 1925. He attended the Academy of Richmond County and received the alternate appointment to West Point. He found himself at the University of Georgia, however, where he accepted a football scholarship. In 1943, before he could finish his college education, he enlisted in the Air Force and trained as a B-17 pilot. After World War II he returned to the University, finishing three years of law school in two years and passing the bar in 1947. That same year he married Betty Foy of Statesboro, Georgia. Sanders entered private practice in Augusta and eventually started the law firm of Sanders, Thurmond, Hester and Jolles. In 1954, he made a successful bid for the Georgia House of Representatives. Two years later, in 1956, he won a seat in the Georgia Senate. At the time, the seat rotated between Richmond, Glascock and Jefferson counties. Sanders was subsequently elected to the same seat by both Jefferson and Glascock counties due to his overwhelming popularity, becoming the only man to serve three consecutive terms in a multi-county district. In 1959, Governor Vandiver named Sanders as Senate Floor Leader. He went on to serve as president pro tempore of the Senate from 1960 to 1962. Sanders took the next step in his political career by running for governor in 1962 against Marvin Griffin. Shortly after his announcement, federal courts ruled that Georgia's county unit system was unconstitutional. The state would elect its officials by popular vote, giving the urban candidate, Sanders, a greater chance at victory. As a moderate concerning racial issues, he faced an outspoken opponent of integration in former-Governor Griffin. While agreeing that Georgia should keep its tradition of segregation, Sanders believed it was imperative that the state avoid violence and obey the laws of the country. Unlike Griffin, his campaign issues were not built around race. Instead, Sanders focused on the elimination of corruption in state government and pushed for overall progress for the state. He also wanted to improve education and bring industry to Georgia. With his positive campaign, Sanders emerged victorious, making him the youngest governor in the country at the time. He was 37. Upon his election, Sanders set about following through on his campaign promises. In order to revitalize Georgia's educational system, the new governor created the Governor's Commission to Improve Education in 1963. Based on the commission's findings and with the General Assembly's approval, Sanders improved education significantly. His program raised teacher salaries, added new teachers to the system, and reorganized the Department of Education. It also built new school buildings, established more junior colleges and vocational schools and created the Governor's Honors Program. Sanders also appointed the Governor's Commission for Efficiency and Improvement which helped to reform many government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and the Highway Department, as well as the prison and state merit systems. In May, 1963, Sanders sought to draft a new state constitution. With the appointment of the Constitutional Revision Commission, he hoped to condense and clarify Georgia's Constitution. While the General Assembly approved the new constitution, it was never put on the general ballot. The momentum was lost when federal courts declared that the General Assembly was incorrectly apportioned and the constitution was, therefore, invalid. Sanders would later play an integral part in the passage of the reapportionment of congressional districts, but would never succeed in revising the constitution. Sanders appointed many blacks to state government jobs, but civil rights were never a pressing issue for the governor. He did, however, testify against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, being especially opposed to the section regarding public accommodations. Despite this, he greatly improved Georgia's image, giving the state a more moderate, law-abiding reputation. Sanders could not succeed himself as governor and, therefore, retired back into private life. Instead of returning to Augusta, he and his family remained in Atlanta where he started a new law firm. On April 25, 1970, Sanders reemerged to announce for what would be his last attempt at public office. His campaign for governor, however, ended in defeat, with Jimmy Carter taking office. Sanders never ran for public office again but worked for many other Democratic candidates such as Zell Miller, Andrew Young, and Sam Nunn. He also went on to serve as Finance Chairman for the Democratic Party of Georgia during George Busbee's term as governor. Sanders managed the law firm, today known as Troutman Sanders LLP, for 25 years, and afterwards continued to serve the firm as partner and Chairman Emeritus. Sanders died November 16, 2014. Scope and ContentThe Carl E. Sanders Papers documents his gubernatorial term (1963-1967), gubernatorial campaigns and, to a lesser extent his political activities after leaving office. Materials consist of correspondence, campaign material, speeches, press releases, photographs, and audiovisual materials. Organization and ArrangementThe collection is organized into seventeen series: I. Constituent Correspondence, II. Miscellaneous Correspondence, III. Campaign Materials, IV. Speeches, V. Press Releases, VI. Governor's Conferences, VII. Betty Foy Sanders, VIII. National Commission on Urban Problems, IX. Georgia Reorganization of Government, X. Georgia State Government Agencies, XI. 1976 National Elections, XII. Miscellaneous Files, XIII. Newspaper Clippings and Scrapbooks, XIV. Photographs and Slides, XV. Audiovisual, XVI. Editorial Cartoons, and XVII. Memorabilia. Administrative InformationConditions Governing AccessSeries XIV. Photographs and Slides contains digital files. To access these files, please request the folders you would like through the finding aid using your research account. An archivist will be in contact with you to explain how to access the files. Please note that not all file formats are currently supported by the library for research use. Preferred CitationCarl E. Sanders Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. User RestrictionsLibrary acts as "fair use" reproduction agent. Copyright InformationBefore material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permission. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original. Finding Aid PublicationFinding aid prepared on: 2008. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
Augustus Turnbull Collection of Carl Sanders Speech/Press Records Clifford Hodges Brewton Collection of Lester G. Maddox Speech and Press Research Files Related Collections in Other RepositoriesJimmy Carter Gubernatorial Papers, Georgia Archives Griffin Bell Papers, School of Law, Mercer University | ||||||||||||||||||||||