Sibley, John A. (John Adams), 1888-1986

John Adams Sibley (1888-1986), attorney, born in Milledgeville, Georgia.

John Adams Sibley (1888-1986), attorney, was born in Milledgeville, Georgia, the son of James Longstreet and Mattie Ernie Sibley. He joined the Atlanta firm of King & Spalding in 1918. In 1934, he became general counsel for the Coca-Cola Company and waged trademark violations suits against individuals and competitors. After resigning from Coca-Cola in 1946, he spent the rest of his career as president, then chairman of the Trust Company of Georgia. In 1960, Sibley was appointed by Governor Vandiver to head the Commission of Schools to test statewide on the integration issue.

John 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 Siblet 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 eventuallly 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. Sibley died in 1986 in Atlanta, Georgia.