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'''George Dekle Busbee, Sr.''' (August 7, 1927 – July 16, 2004), was the 77th [[Governor]] of his native [[Georgia]], the first governor to serve two consecutive terms from 1975-1983. He succeeded [[Jimmy Carter]] the year before Carter was elected as [[U.S. President]] and defeated [[Lester Maddox]] to win the 1974 [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] gubernatorial nominee. He then swamped [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Ronnie Thompson]] in the [[general election]].

'''George Dekle Busbee, Sr.''' (August 7, 1927 – July 16, 2004), was the 77th [[Governor]] of his native [[Georgia]], the first governor to serve two consecutive terms from 1975-1983. He succeeded [[Jimmy Carter]] the year before Carter was elected as [[U.S. President]] and defeated [[Lester Maddox]] to win the 1974 [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] gubernatorial nominee. He then swamped [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Ronnie Thompson]] in the [[general election]].

==Life and career==

==Background==

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.

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  

Edward Sanders, Sr. (1925-2014). In 1967, Busbee was one of thirty in the legislature who voted for the Republican [[U.S. Representative]] Howard Hollis "Bo: Callaway, Sr. (1927-2014) in the disputed 1966 gubernatorial race, rather than the Democratic nominee Lester Maddox of Atlanta, then a [[Segregation|segregationist]]. Acting under the 1824 Georgia Constitution, the legislators chose Maddox, 182 to 66, a choice affirmed in 1927 by the [[United States Supreme Court]].<ref>Billy Hathorn, "The Frustration of Opportunity: Georgia Republicans and the Election of 1966", ''Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South,'', XXX (Winter 1987-1988), p. 47; publication defunct.</ref>

Edward Sanders, Sr. (1925-2014). In 1967, Busbee was one of thirty in the legislature who voted for the Republican [[U.S. Representative]] Howard Hollis "Bo: Callaway, Sr. (1927-2014) in the disputed 1966 gubernatorial race, rather than the Democratic nominee Lester Maddox of Atlanta, then a [[Segregation|segregationist]]. Acting under the 1824 Georgia Constitution, the legislators chose Maddox, 182 to 66, a choice affirmed in 1927 by the [[United States Supreme Court]].<ref>Billy Hathorn, "The Frustration of Opportunity: Georgia Republicans and the Election of 1966", ''Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South,'', XXX (Winter 1987-1988), p. 47; publication defunct.</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>

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 name=ency/>

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

 

After his service as Governor, Busbee joined the Atlanta law firm of King & Spalding and moved to the Atlanta [[suburb]] of Duluth.<ref name=ency/>

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/>

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/>