Repository:
Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
Abstract: Paul Broun, Sr. Papers documents Broun's senatorial career in the Georgia General Assembly (1962-2000), especially his service on the Economic Development, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs Committee. The papers include meeting minutes, committee reports, newspaper clippings, and constituent correspondence.
Paul Broun, Sr. was a Georgia state senator for District 46, representing Oconee County and parts of Clarke and Walton counties. He was elected in 1962 in the first election after the federal courts had ruled that Georgia's county unit election system was invalid. He served for nineteen consecutive terms in the senate until he lost the Democratic primary to Dough Haines in 2000 after voting for an unpopular education reform act of Governor Roy Barnes.
Broun was known for his leadership in the areas of budget and education, serving as chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the University System Committee. Notable accomplishments included budget allocation to develop the University of Georgia, passing legislation to establish the World Congress Center in Atlanta, and working with Governor Zell Miller to create a state lottery with the proceeds funding the HOPE scholarships for high school seniors to attend college.
Paul Collins Broun was born on March 1, 1916 and earned a bachelor of science degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Georgia in 1937. He married Gertrude Margaret Beasley in 1938 and they had three sons: Paul Jr., Conway, and Michael. Prior to his senate career, Broun served in the U.S. Army during World War II (1941-1945) and was an Athens businessman, operating a Studebaker-Packard dealership and a Firestone tire store. Broun died on February 14, 2005.
The Paul Broun, Sr. Papers documents Broun's senatorial career, especially his service on the Economic Development, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs Committee and legislation related to education. The majority of the papers date from after 1990 and include meeting minutes, committee reports, newspaper clippings, and constituent correspondence.
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