 Tommy Irvin Papers
Collection DescriptionBiographical NoteTommy Irvin served as Georgia's Commissioner of Agriculture from 1969 to 2011. Prior to that, he held public office on the Habersham County Board of Education (1956-1976) and in the Georgia General Assembly (1957-1967), and also served as Executive Secretary to Governor Lester Maddox (1967-1968). Irvin was appointed as Commissioner of Agriculture in 1969 by Governor Maddox after J. Phil Campbell resigned. The commissioner heads the Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for promoting Georgia agriculture products and also for regulating food safety. Eradication of animal diseases was an early priority for the department, given the significant economic impact of an outbreak and the potential for some diseases to be transmitted to humans. Georgia was declared free of hog cholera in 1971 and of brucellosis and cattle tuberculosis in 1974. Irvin also established Georgia's first International Trade Division in 1974 to promote Georgia agriculture products abroad. As a result, Georgia's agriculture exports rose from $207 million in 1972 to $615.3 million in 1984. In 1985, they established their first overseas office in Brussels, Belgium to expand Georgia agriculture exports to Europe and the Middle East. Under Irvin's direction, the department also pursued markets in the Soviet Union, China, and Cuba. One unusual challenge that Irvin faced was over if horses with piroplasmosis could compete in the Olympic Games held in Atlanta in 1996. The disease, which is transmitted by ticks, is common in Europe but not in the United States, and horses with piroplasmosis were banned from entering the state. Irvin worked out an agreement that allowed these horses to compete while also instituting safety measures that successfully prevented the disease from spreading to any other horses. While commissioner, Irvin provided leadership on agriculture policy for the region and the nation. He was president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (1972-1973), the Southern United States Trade Association (1981-1983), and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (1987). The U.S. Department of Agriculture also used his programs to eradicate animal diseases and to control plant pests, and for ensuring food safety, as models for the rest of the country. Irvin chose to retire from office in 2010. He was succeeded by Gary Black in 2011. Tommy Irvin was born on July 14, 1929, the son of a North Georgia farmer. He married Edna Bernice Frady on June 1, 1947 and they had 5 children. Prior to embarking on his political career, he was self-employed in the lumber industry and also had business ventures in real estate, nursing homes, and food service establishments. Irvin was also an active member of the Georgia Free & Accepted Masons beginning with his initiation in 1953. Scope and ContentIrvin's papers document his service as commissioner, including promoting Georgia agriculture products and protecting Georgia farmers and Georgia consumers. The papers also document Irvin's campaigns for Commissioner of Agriculture. Common subjects include the economic impact of farming, food safety, pets and animal cruelty, farming methods and analysis about the state of Georgia agriculture, and natural disasters that impacted farming, especially drought. The papers include correspondence, department publications and news releases, subject files, photographs, audiovisual materials, and digital files. Organization and ArrangementThis collection is organized into 6 series: I. Communication and Outreach, II. Correspondence, III. National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, IV. Political and Personal, V. Schedules, and VI. Subject Files. Administrative InformationConditions Governing AccessThis collection is open for research. Series I. Communication and Outreach, Series IV. Political and Personal, and Series VI. Subject Files contain digital files. To access these files, please request the folders you would like through the finding aid. 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. Series I. Communication and Outreach, Series IV. Political and Personal, and Series VI. Subject Files contain audiovisual items. Reference copies of the audiovisual recordings are available upon request. Research requests will be filled as soon as possible and will be dependent upon the condition of the recordings. Preferred CitationTommy Irvin Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. Processing InformationWith the exception of correspondence, this collection was not received in any kind of order. The archivist created series by identifying related materials and bringing together isolated folders. Additionally, 20 boxes did not have any folders and were sorted into series at the item level. 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. Conditions Governing UseLibrary acts as "fair use" reproduction agent. Finding Aid PublicationFinding Aid prepared by Adriane Hanson, November 2016. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
Reflections on Georgia Politics Oral History Collection, ROGP 024 Tommy Irvin Related Collections in Other RepositoriesDepartment of Agriculture Records at the Georgia Archives | ||||||||||||||||||||||