 John A. Sibley Speech
Collection DescriptionBiographical Note1932 Georgia Gubernatorial campaignIn 1932, former Georgia governor Richard B. Russell, Jr. ran against a veteran Georgia member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Charles R. Crisp, for William J. Harris' expired seat in the U.S. Senate. The Russell-Crisp campaign turned out to be long and bitter. Russell attacked Crisp's record in Washington and successfully identified him with the ruinous policies that had led to the Great Depression. He also accused Crisp of being aligned with the "power trust" and other representatives of "special privilege." In contrast, Russell presented himself as being "the champion of the masses." He did have the support of most farmers and of organized labor, and he spoke in every part of the state and aired his views in radio talks. His personal friends, once again, did yeoman service on his behalf. Despite most early predictions that he could not defeat Crisp, and opposition from many major newspapers including the Atlanta Constitution, Russell decisively whipped Crisp by winning some 58 percent of the popular vote and getting a higher percentage of the county unit votes. Among the prominent Georgia citizens who supported Russell in the Senate race was one of Atlanta's leading attorneys John A. Sibley. John A. SibleyJohn Adams Sibley (1888-1986) was born on a farm in Baldwin County, Georgia to James Longstreet (1863-1945) and Mattie Erwin Sibley (1862-1930). He graduated from Georgia Military College in 1904, and farmed for a few years on property he purchased from his father. He decided to pursue a career in law, attended the University of Georgia, and obtained his LL.B. degree in 1911. He returned to Milledgeville to practice law with his brother, Erwin Sibley. John Sibley married Nettie Whitaker Cone (d. 1934) on November 25, 1914 with whom he had four children. In 1918, Sibley was invited to join the law firm of King and Spalding in Atlanta where he attracted national attention as an attorney in the case of Coca-Cola Company vs. Coca-Cola Bottling Company. He eventually became general counsel to the Coca-Cola Company. Seeking the independence of a private law practice, he returned to King and Spalding where he specialized in corporate law. After the death of his first wife in 1934, Sibley married Barbara Sanford Thayer in 1937 with whom he also had four children. In 1946, Sibley left King and Spalding to become chairman of the board and president of the Trust Company of Georgia. He guided the bank through post-World War II growth and remained there until his retirement in 1959. He became Honorary Chairman in 1963, a position he held until his death. In 1960, he was appointed Chairman of the General Assembly Committee on Schools, a committee that became known as the Sibley Commission. The committee was instrumental in the peaceful transition to integration of Georgia's public schools. Sibley also became immersed in numerous civic, charitable, and educational programs. He served on the board of directors of a number of major corporations including the Georgia Power Company, U.S. Rayonier, the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railroad, and West Point Manufacturing Company. His contributions to leadership in education have been recognized by his service as chairman of the board of trustees of the Berry Schools, and trustee of Agnes Scott College, the Lovett School, the Rabun Gap-Nachoochee School, and others. He has also served as honorary chairman of United Appeal (later United Way) and the Egleston Hospital for Children. [Biographical note courtesy of Emory University Libraries] Sibley died in 1986 in Atlanta, Georgia. Scope and ContentThe collection consists of a verbatim copy of a radio speech made on September 12, 1932 by John A. Sibley in behalf of Senator Richard B. Russell's candidacy for the Senate. Also included is a photocopy of the speech as it appeared in the Atlanta Journal. Administrative InformationPreferred CitationJohn A. Sibley Speech, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. Processing NoteThe speech was copied onto bond paper for preservation. 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 permissions. 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 Other RepositoriesJohn A. Sibley Papers, Robert W. Woodruff Library, Emory University Libraries | ||||||||||||||||||||