Carl Sanders

Carl Edward Sanders Sr. (born May 15, 1925) is an American politician who served as the 74th Governor of the state of Georgia from 1963 to 1967.

Sanders was born in Augusta, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia on a football scholarship. Sanders, a backup, left-handed quarterback, received little playing time, causing coach Wally Butts to recount years later, "Carl, if I had known you were going to be governor, I'd have played you more." He was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity, Order of the Greek Horsemen, Gridiron Secret Society and the Phi Kappa Literary Society. He left to fight in World War II, enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1943 and became a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber pilot. After the war, he returned to complete his bachelor's and law degrees.

In 1954, Sanders won a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. He won a seat in the Georgia Senate in 1956. He served two years as president pro tempore of the Senate.

Sanders defeated former governor Marvin Griffin in the 1962 primary. Sanders was the first Georgia governor from an urban area since the 1920s and he was the first modern Georgia governor nominated in the Democratic Party primary by the popular vote, following the end of the County Unit System.

As Governor, Sanders worked to improve education and the environment. Sanders also led the transition toward racial desegregation, cooperating with John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson on complying with civil rights laws.

Under the term limit law then in effect, Sanders was ineligible to run for re-election. He left office at the peak of his popularity, and turned down several jobs from President Johnson. He returned to run an unsuccessful campaign for Governor in 1970 against future President Jimmy Carter, who is accused by some of employing race baiting tactics to defeat Sanders in the Democratic primary. Carter's campaign criticized Sanders for paying tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and distributed grainy photographs of Sanders arm-in-arm celebrating with two black men. At the time, Sanders was part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks and the two black men were Hawks players celebrating after a victory.^[1] After the loss in the primary, Sanders left electoral politics to concentrate on the practice of law. As of 2007, he is Chairman Emeritus at the law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP.

References

External links

• Governor Sanders' official website
• Profile on Troutman Sanders