Known as "Georgia's Education Governor," Sanders led the state from 1963 to 1967 (elected at the age of 37), and worked to move Georgia politics beyond race and into issues such as education and economic development -- factors that could improve the quality of life for all. Sanders is credited with the expansion of the University System of Georgia and increased spending to support public schools. He also secured authorization from the state legislature for the study of public education from kindergarten through graduate school. Today, Sanders manages the Atlanta law firm Troutman Sanders LLP, one of Georgia's largest firms, with more than 300 lawyers, and is involved in several companies.
In an interview with the Georgia Center Quarterly, Sanders discussed his life, accomplishments, and future plans. Asked if he ever dreamed of achieving this much success in life, he replied, "I never had any idea. I have exceeded my fondest expectations."
Sanders said his children experienced "a good deal of pressure" while he was in office as governor. "I think they got an inside view of what the political world was and decided that they didn't want to be a part of it. Neither one of them expressed any desire to be in the public arena," he said, when asked if his children had any political aspirations of their own.
Sanders and his wife, Betty, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past September 6. He referred to his wife as a "wonderful supporter, my anchor," adding, "All of the things I have accomplished I could not have done without her." Betty, an accomplished artist, found solace in her work during times of what Sanders calls "political helter skelter."
Sanders was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, then to the Georgia Senate three times. "Things happen in your life that you never anticipated and don't really plan on it. I was elected to Richmond County, and when Jefferson and Glascock counties both waived their rights to elect a senator, they allowed me to serve them."
He added, "If that didn't happen, I never would have been governor. I would have rotated out and went back to my law practice and into civilian life."
"It was emotional being a part of the group on the bus when they drop you off at various and sundry points. Before they dropped off the first runner, they went around the bus and each individual torch runner told why they were running. It was fantastic to me to hear what some of these people had done with their lives in the communities where they live, in the vocations that they have, and so forth."
Sanders said that he was especially moved by a young woman who rode with the torch across the country and told, with tears in eyes, of her experiences listening to some of the stories that fellow torchbearers shared along the route. "It was patriotism at its best," he said.
"It was touching," he said, "when you got out of the bus and saw people from all walks of life, of all ages and all ethnic groups, sitting and standing ... waving American flags, cheering you on. It made you realize that there are lots of good people. Every night when you hear about all of these terrible crimes that go on in the community, you get the impression that everybody in the world is doing something bad. When in fact, that's just not true. The great majority of people in this country is still made up of good solid people who love this country and believe in it and want to do the things that uplift people. That's one of the feelings that this torch run gave me, and I hope it did the same for others. It was wonderful just to see this outpouring of goodwill.
"The Olympics gave us heroes. We don't have many heroes in this country anymore. We used to look up to athletes and political figures, but now you read about them in the tabloids. I don't know what kids in this day and time aspire to. I guess if I was a kid today, I would look forward to exploring the universe. That seems to be sort of pristine, clean, and pure out there -- something that a kid could look forward to that doesn't have the negative connotations that everything else seems to have."
Now that has changed, Sanders said, adding that the "media wants you to fear them. Fear and intimidation seem to be the key words in the media rather than mutual respect. I think that is a very sad transition. It does a disservice several ways. One of which is that it keeps the real story from being told and also keeps many good people from ever thinking about getting into public life because of the manner in which they are treated and their families are treated."
When asked if the current climate would have kept him from pursuing a political career, he replied, "I would be very dissuaded about public life. But you've got to put that in context. I've been through all of that. I've been able to financially secure my life, and back in those days, I was young and not very financially secure. I took a lot more risk then."
As governor, Sanders spearheaded the building of more than 70 community airports in Georgia. "I realized that large companies looking to develop industrial parks would not consider smaller towns as possible locations without these airports," Sanders said, adding that this development created opportunities for economic growth in these rural areas. With the federal government's participation, counties were provided money if the county provided the land for the airstrip.
When he is away from his law firm, Sanders enjoys hunting, golfing, and other outdoor activities, as well as reading non-fiction, particularly biographies and historical works. Recently, he read with great interest author Melissa Fay Greene's The Temple Bombings, which tells the story of the bombing of a Jewish temple on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, during the 1960s Civil Rights Era. He mentioned that he knows some of the people in the book.
When asked if he would be interested in pursuing writing, he responded, "I found out years ago, when working with Jim Cook on my biography, that writing is a hard, tough job. It is not one of my avocations," adding that his only writing is related to his career in law.
He's always been a YMCA enthusiast. "I go to the YMCA everyday when I'm in town. If I don't go, I can tell it. It gives me energy and stamina." He is currently involved in the construction of a YMCA (which is being named after him).
Sanders said that he is most proud of "that I'm still here and healthy, still doing some things and enjoying life."
At 72, Sanders commented, "I hope I still got another 15 to 20 years left. Whatever time I've got, I'm going try to live it enthusiastically and in good health. I have lived life to the fullest. I have enjoyed life and I'm still enjoying life and I hope to keep on."
Sharing their thoughts on Sanders are Rick Allen, author; D. Douglas Barnard, U. S. Congressman; S. Ernest Vandiver and George D. Busbee, former Georgia governors; George T. Smith, judge; Betty Foy Sanders, Sanders' wife; Bill Shipp, political analyst; Leroy Johnson, former Georgia state senator; Andrew Young, former U.N. ambassador; and Zell Miller, Georgia's governor today.
James F. Shehane, head
Department of Television Services
Georgia Center for Continuing Education
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602-3603
Phone: 706-542-6741
Fax: 706-542-6720
e-mail:
shehanej@gactr.uga.edu
Andrew J. Permar, producer/director
Department of Television Services
Georgia Center for Continuing Education
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602-3603
Phone: 706-542-6721
Fax: 706-542-6720
e-mail:
permara@gactr.uga.edu
Web administrator: webmaster@gactr.uga.edu All contents copyright © 1997 University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education. All rights reserved. Last revised: January 23, 1998 URL: http://www.gactr.uga.edu/GCQ/gcqfall97/sanders.html