Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003

Lester G. Maddox was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on 30 September 1915, to Dean and Flonnie Maddox. He was educated in the Fulton County public school system but dropped out of high school in order to persue a career (either "to start working" or "to persue a career in something"). In 1936, he married Virginia Cox and the couple eventually had four children. In 1944, Maddox opened a short order grill in Atlanta that he sold a year later at a profit. Maddox continued to hold jobs in the grocery business and real estate until 1947 when he opened a restaurant, the Pickrick. Maddox achieved great success with the Pickrick and expanded it nine times over the course of fifteen years. His business was bolstered by clever advertisements, entitled "Pickrick Says," that ran in Atlanta newspapers. After the 1954 Brown vs. the Board of Education school desegregation ruling, Maddox's advertisements became more political, earning him greater notoriety. It was Maddox's open defiance of the the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that thrust him into the national spotlight. Not only did Maddox refuse to serve three black students in his restaurant, but he also chased them out with a gun while his customers wielded axe handles. He contended that both his business and property were being threatened. The students sued Maddox. The court ruled that Maddox had to desegregate the Pickrick within twenty days. Rather than accept the ruling and integrate his restaurant, Maddox closed the Pickrick. In October 1965, he announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for governor. True to his reputation, Maddox ran a grassroots campaign; his platform supported segregation and opposed federal encroachment on state and individual rights. Maddox came in second to Ellis Arnall in the Democratic primary and defeated Arnall in the runoff. In the General Election, the Republican candidate, Howard "Bo" Callaway, received more votes but fell short of the majority due to a write-in campaign for Arnall. Therefore, the General Assembly determined the election and selected Maddox on the first ballot. The new governor was sworn in on 10 January 1967. It was during Maddox's term that the newly independent legislature came to dominate the state government. They found in their governor an executive who believed in legislative independence. However, Maddox was able to increase funding for the university system as well as state teachers salaries. He continued to be an outspoken opponent of school desegregation and specifically, the transportation of students to schools to achieve integration mandates. On 17 August 1968, Maddox announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for president, but withdrew before any ballots were cast. Since the Georgia constitution barred him from seeking consecutive terms as governor, Maddox was unable to run for that office again. In order to remain in politics, Maddox ran for lieutenant governor and won in 1970, making him the first former governor to become lieutenant governor. After exiting from the political scene, Maddox spent most of his time at home in Marietta, Georgia, caring for his wife, Virginia, who died on 24 June 1997. Lester Maddox died in an Atlanta hospice on 25 June 2003.

From the description of Lester G. Maddox biographical file, 1990-1999, undated. (University of Georgia). WorldCat record id: 233651888

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