George B. Hooks is a sixth-generation native of Sumter County, Georgia. He graduated from Americus High School and earned a BA degree from Auburn University. He also holds an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from Mercer University. Hooks was first elected to the Georgia state Senate from South Georgia's 14th District in 1990 and is one of the Senate's most influential members. A Democrat, Hooks is a member of the Senate Economic Development, Rules, Natural Resources and the Environment, and the Appropriations Committee of which he served as chairman from 1993-2003. Senator Hooks is a member of the Executive Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC). He also serves on the Legislative Management Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Fiscal Oversight and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. While in the Senate, Hooks was responsible for the redesign of the Georgia state flag which omits the rebel cross prominent in the 1956 and 2001 flag. Politicians believed the rebel cross' association with slavery offended citizens and was hurting business in Georgia. In 2003, on the topic of the new flag, Hooks stated, "This gives the people a flag based on history, but yet looking to the future." Hooks also served five terms in the state House of Representatives from 1980-90 where he was assistant administration floor leader for former Governor Joe Frank Harris and was responsible for sponsoring and working for passage of the Governor's legislative proposals. Among Hooks' many honors, he was named an Outstanding Young Man of America in 1979 by the State Chamber of Commerce and was selected for Leadership Georgia in 1982. He has been honored as the Legislator of the Year by many organizations including the Georgia Public Health Association. Hooks received the "Legislative Service Award" for 1991 from both the Georgia Municipal Association and the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia. In both 1997 and 1998, he was honored with the "Speak Up for a Child" award. In 1997, Senator Hooks was recognized for his support to the Georgia Council for the Hearing Impaired and the Georgia Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf. Hooks is a member and former director of the Rotary Club, the Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Eagle Scout Board of Review of the Boy Scouts of America. Hooks has two children, Bardin and Mary Ann and currently owns an insurance and real estate firm in Americus, Georgia.
From the description of George B. Hooks papers, 1958-2008. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 274299055
