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==Life and career==

==Life and career==

Busbee was born in Vienna in Dooly County in south central Georgia and attended Georgia Military College and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College]] before joining the [[United States Navy|Navy]]. After his discharge, he completed his education at the [[University of Georgia]] in Athens, from which he received both bachelor's and law degrees. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and the Phi Kappa Literary Society, having procured a bachelor's degree in 1949 and a law degree in 1952.

Busbee was born in Vienna in Dooly County in south central Georgia and attended Georgia Military College and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Milledgeville before joining the [[United States Navy]]. After his discharge, he completed his education at the [[University of Georgia]] in Athens, from which he received both bachelor's and law degrees. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and the Phi Kappa Literary Society, having procured a bachelor's degree in 1949 and a law degree in 1952.

Establishing a law practice in Albany in southeastern Georgia, Busbee served nine two-year terms as a state representative and served as the Majority Leader for Governor Carl  

Establishing a law practice in Albany in southeastern Georgia, Busbee served nine two-year terms as a state representative and served as the Majority Leader for Governor Carl  

In 1974, Busbee won the Democratic nomination in Carter's final year in that office. In the party runoff, he defeated, 551,106 votes (59.9 percent) to 369,608 (40.1 percent), former governor and sitting Lieutenant Governor Lester Maddox, the man whom Busbee had voted against in the legislative election for governor some seven years earlier. In the fall of 1974, Busbee handily defeated Ronnie Thompson, the first Republican to have served as [[mayor]] of Macon. In 1976, voters approved a wholesale revision of the Georgia Constitution, which included a provision that allowed Busbee to become the state's first governor to serve two consecutive four-year terms. He won election to his second term in 1978 with an easy victory over [[Moderate Republican]] Rodney Mims Cook, Sr. (1924-2013) of Atlanta.<ref>[http://www.newgeorgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/GovernmentPolitics/Politics/PoliticalFigures&id=h-595 ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' profile of George Busbee]</ref>

In 1974, Busbee won the Democratic nomination in Carter's final year in that office. In the party runoff, he defeated, 551,106 votes (59.9 percent) to 369,608 (40.1 percent), former governor and sitting Lieutenant Governor Lester Maddox, the man whom Busbee had voted against in the legislative election for governor some seven years earlier. In the fall of 1974, Busbee handily defeated Ronnie Thompson, the first Republican to have served as [[mayor]] of Macon. In 1976, voters approved a wholesale revision of the Georgia Constitution, which included a provision that allowed Busbee to become the state's first governor to serve two consecutive four-year terms. He won election to his second term in 1978 with an easy victory over [[Moderate Republican]] Rodney Mims Cook, Sr. (1924-2013) of Atlanta.<ref>[http://www.newgeorgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/GovernmentPolitics/Politics/PoliticalFigures&id=h-595 ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' profile of George Busbee]</ref>

After his service as Governor, Busbee joined the Atlanta law firm [[King & Spalding]] and moved to the Atlanta suburb of [[Duluth, Georgia|Duluth]].

After his service as Governor, Busbee joined the Atlanta law firm of King & Spalding and moved to the Atlanta [[suburb]] of Duluth.

Busbee was married to the former Mary Elizabeth "Mary Beth" Talbot (1927-2012), originally from [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] in north [[Louisiana]]. The sixth child of a country physician, Dr. and Mrs. B. H. Talbot, she graduated from [[Louisiana Tech University]] with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in biological sciences and also did graduate work in pathology at [[Charity Hospital (New Orleans)|Charity Hospital]] in [[New Orleans]]. She moved to Georgia to work as a medical technician at Athens General Hospital in Athens, where she met George Busbee, then a law student. In 1952, they relocated to Albany, where they remained until his inauguration as governor in January 1975. As First Lady of Georgia, Mrs. Busbee was known for her emphasis on volunteerism. In 1985, she co-authored a cookbook, ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,'' about favorite recipes and guests served at the governor's mansion during her eight years there. Mrs. Busbee was a 40-year cancer survivor.<ref name=mbbusbee/>

Busbee was married to the former Mary Elizabeth "Mary Beth" Talbot (1927-2012), originally from [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] in north [[Louisiana]]. The sixth child of a country physician, Dr. and Mrs. B. H. Talbot, she graduated from [[Louisiana Tech University]] with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in biological sciences and also did graduate work in pathology at Charity Hospital in [[New Orleans]]. She moved to Georgia to work as a medical technician at Athens General Hospital in Athens, where she met George Busbee, then a law student. In 1952, the Busbees relocated to Albany, where they remained until his inauguration as governor in January 1975. As First Lady of Georgia, Mrs. Busbee was known for her emphasis on volunteerism. In 1985, she co-authored a cookbook, ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,'' about favorite recipes and guests served at the governor's mansion during her eight years there. Mrs. Busbee was a 40-year cancer survivor.<ref name=mbbusbee/>

The Busbees had four children, Beth Kindt and husband John, Jan Curtis and husband Carlton, George D. Busbee, Jr., and wife Tammy, and Jeff Busbee and wife Kelly. After the governorship, the Busbees started a church in their home while they resided in Duluth. That congregation is now the Parkway Baptist Church.<ref name=mbbusbee>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/atlanta/obituary.aspx?pid=156251515#fbLoggedOut|title=Mary Beth Busbee|publisher=''Atlanta Journal-Constitution,'' March 5, 2012|accessdate=April 19, 2013}}</ref>

The Busbees had four children, Beth Kindt and husband John, Jan Curtis and husband Carlton, George D. Busbee, Jr., and wife Tammy, and Jeff Busbee and wife Kelly. After the governorship, the Busbees started a church in their home while they resided in Duluth. That congregation is now the Parkway Baptist Church, a moderate congregation with a woman pastor allied with the [[Southern Baptist Convention]].<ref name=mbbusbee>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/atlanta/obituary.aspx?pid=156251515#fbLoggedOut|title=Mary Beth Busbee|publisher=''Atlanta Journal-Constitution,'' March 5, 2012|accessdate=April 19, 2013}}</ref>

Busbee died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] at the [[Savannah International Airport]] in [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]]. George Busbee Parkway and Busbee Drive in the [[Town Center at Cobb|Town Center Mall]] area of [[Cobb County, Georgia|Cobb County]] are named in his honor.

Busbee died at the age of seventy-six of a [[heart attack]] at the Savannah (Georgia) International Airport. George Busbee Parkway and Busbee Drive in the Town Center Mall in Cobb County are named in his honor. The Busbees are interred at Peachtree Cemetery in Norcross in suburban Gwinnett County.

== References ==

== References ==