| Ivan Allen, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 15, 1911 Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Died | July 2, 2003 (aged 92) Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Occupation | Politician, businessman |
Ivan Allen, Jr., (March 15, 1911 – July 2, 2003) was a U.S. businessman and Democratic political figure most notable for serving two terms as the 52nd Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia during the turbulent civil rights era of the 1960s.
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Allen graduated from Georgia Tech with a commerce degree in 1933, where he was President of the Student Council and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[1] The College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech was named for him in 1990.[2] After graduation, he joined his father's business, which supplied office equipment, and expanded it. He worked for Ellis Arnall after World War II as an executive secretary.[3]
Though he made a brief bid for governor as a segregationist in 1954, in 1961 he ran to replace outgoing Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield as an opponent of segregation and won the Democratic primary against the staunch segregationist Lester Maddox, carrying most of the African-American vote.[3]
Allen testified before the U.S. Congress in July 1963 in support of civil rights legislation and made major strides in desegregation in Atlanta's city government.[4] During his two terms as Mayor, Atlanta experienced dramatic growth and saw major construction including the Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta Stadium, which was built to help bring the Braves from Milwaukee, and Atlanta Civic Center as well as the beginning of Interstate 285, known as "Atlanta's Perimeter", and the Downtown Connector highway.[4] The Chateau de Sully air disaster at Orly Airport, Paris which killed over 100 Atlanta civic and cultural leaders occurred during his first term.[5]
His building program, with its emphasis on developing downtown, was opposed by some black leaders as not adequately meeting the need for low-income housing. Unemployment, poverty and the need for low-income housing among African-Americans led to unrest in 1966 and 1967, and undermined their support for Allen. Despite this, his decision to not seek a third term was unexpected.[3]
| Preceded by William B. Hartsfield |
Mayor of Atlanta January 1962– January 1970 |
Succeeded by Sam Massell |
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