Georgia Post WWII
The important people and events after the war
William Hartsfield
William Hartsfield was known for active work in desegregation, supporting air transport, and creating the "city too busy to hate" phrase describing Atlanta. He was Georgia's longest serving mayor as well. Many other cities in the South were having problems with racial violence, but Hartsfield kept Atlanta from it. He was important in opening Atlanta's first airport, which was later named after him. Tripling Atlanta's size, getting Robert Woodruff to to finance the city, and expanding buildings and highways were more of Hartsfield's contributions.
Ivan Allen Jr.
Ivan Allen Jr. was mayor after Hartsfield. He was more involved in civil rights. Ivan worked with Martin Luther King Jr and business leaders of Atlanta to desegregate the city. Growth was a goal of his as well. He brought I-285 and was a supporter of M.A.R.T.A. as well. He also brought the Braves, Hawks, and Falcons to Atlanta, convincing the people to finance the stadiums each team required. This later brought the 1996 Olympics to the city.
Ellis Arnall
Ellis Arnall wanted to modernize the state. He was appointed to the Georgia General Assembly and was the youngest attorney general in the country. He beat Eugene Talmadge for governor because of Talmadge's university system losing accreditation. Arnall got rid of the poll tax, made the teacher retirement program, and lowered the legal voting age to 18. Many segregationists were elected to governor after Arnell's defeat in 1966
Major League teams of Atlanta
Braves
Baseball team in Atlanta
Hawks
Basketball team in Atlanta
Falcons
A football team located in ATL
Major league sports were and still are an immense part of Atlanta's economy. Ivan Allen Jr is known for bringing major league sports to Atlanta and convincing the people to finance stadiums and necessary buildings for the teams. Thousands of jobs and millions of dollars are produced each year by these teams. Without these stadiums, the 1996 Olympics would never have come to the city. The Braves are the only team in the city to have won a major championship.