Lester Maddox (1915–2003) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 75th Governor of Georgia from 1967 to 1971. Born Lester Garfield Maddox on September 30, 1915, in Atlanta, Georgia, he was the second of nine children in a working-class family. His father was a steelworker. Maddox dropped out of high school to help support his family, taking various odd jobs, though he later earned his diploma through correspondence courses. During World War II, he worked at the Bell Aircraft factory in Marietta, helping build B-29 bombers. He went on to own and operate several businesses, including a restaurant called the Pickrick in Atlanta.
Political Rise
Maddox gained national attention in the mid-1960s as a staunch segregationist. He famously refused to serve Black customers at his restaurant after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This action led to legal confrontations but boosted his popularity among white voters opposed to integration. Running as a populist Southern Democrat, he won the 1966 gubernatorial election in a major upset.
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Governorship (1967–1971)
As governor, Maddox was known for his colorful personality and strong opposition to federal civil rights mandates, particularly school integration. He advocated for states’ rights and “freedom of choice” policies in education. Despite his segregationist views, his administration also pursued some progressive measures, including prison reform and increased funding for the University System of Georgia. He appointed more African Americans to state government positions than any previous Georgia governor.
Constitutionally barred from succeeding himself, Maddox ran for and won the office of Lieutenant Governor in 1970, serving alongside Governor Jimmy Carter from 1971 to 1975.
Later Life
After leaving office, Maddox remained active in politics. He ran unsuccessfully for governor again and was the American Independent Party’s nominee for president in 1976. He continued to express conservative and segregationist views into his later years. Maddox died on June 25, 2003, at age 87.
He was married to Virginia Cox Maddox from 1935 until she died in 1997, and the couple had four children. Maddox remains a polarizing figure in Georgia history—remembered by supporters as a defender of Southern traditions and by critics as a symbol of resistance to civil rights.