 Mell Traylor Papers
Collection DescriptionBiographical NoteMell Traylor was born on August 13, 1949 in South Georgia. From an early age, Traylor was involved with politics in Georgia. As a high school senior, Traylor was selected by Senator Herman E. Talmadge to become a summer intern for the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. As a freshman at the University of Georgia, Traylor was elected President of his class and he was also selected to be an alternate delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Traylor was involved with the Young Democrats and he directed the youth division of Senator Talmadge's re-election campaign. At the age of 19, Traylor worked full-time as a United States Senate Doorkeeper in the Senate Chamber. Traylor eventually graduated with a BA in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland and returned to Georgia to open a gift shop on River Street in Savannah. In 1974, he bought the Pembroke Journal county newspaper and started Traylor Realty and Construction Company. In 1974, Traylor became the youngest Georgian ever to be elected to the Georgia State Senate in at the age of 25 for the 3rd Georgia Senate District in Pembroke. He won reelection to the seat in 1976 and chose not to seek reelection in 1978. Traylor was involved with Jimmy Carter's campaign for president in 1976. After an unsuccessful bid for position of the Georgia Public Service Commission in 1980, Traylor left public service until 1999 when Jimmy Carter asked him to become involved with the Carter Peace Center. Traylor campaigned for Lewis Massey, Roy Barnes, and Mark Taylor in their 19998 races for elected office in Georgia. In 1999, under the auspices of the Carter Center, Traylor and his wife traveled to Mozambique as official election monitors. Traylor resides on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Scope and ContentThis collection document the political career of Senator Mell Traylor from his earliest involvement as a high school student in the mid-sixties through his years at the University of Georgia to his time as State Senator in the mid-1970s. The papers include mainly campaign material and correspondence and memoranda related to committees Traylor served on. There are some papers related to his second term as senator in 1976. This collection also includes several clippings, state government publications, and photographs. Organization and ArrangementThe papers in this collection have been arranged loosely by format and subject and then chronologically. Administrative InformationAccess RestrictionsNone. Preferred CitationMell Traylor Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. 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. User RestrictionsLibrary acts as "fair use" reproduction agent. Finding Aid PublicationFinding aid prepared on: 2012. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
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