SS8H10: Georgia After World War II

     World War II created an economic boom to lead Georgia and the rest of the United States out of the long-overstayed Great Depression. Times were really changing for Georgia. Cotton became less of a demand and the South began to really industrialize. Air conditioners, interstate highways, and lower taxes made Georgia a great place to be. This time was a time of great change and very progressive for the state of Georgia, due to a select individuals.

William B. Hartsfield

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

     Atlanta was moving ahead both in terms of social and economic progression. This can be largely contributed to William B. Hartsfield. You may be wondering "Have I heard of this name before?" and you would be right in doing so. The Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is partly named in honor of him (the other man being Maynard Jackson, whom you will hear of in the next post). Hartsfield (1890-1971) was a mayor of Atlanta during 1937-1941 and again in 1942-1962. He was in charge of the construction of Atlanta's airport, and made Atlanta a boom-town because of it. He also kept the peace in society by saying that Atlanta was the city "Too Busy to Hate." This meant that Atlanta does not care about the color of your skin because its citizens are too busy making it a great city. Willie B., the famous gorilla who used to live at the Atlanta Zoo, was named in honor of him.

Ivan Allen Jr.

Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

     Do you love the Falcons, Braves, and the Hawks? You can thank Ivan Allen Jr. for that. Ivan Allen (1911-2003) was the mayor of Atlanta during the 1960's. He first started the sports franchise plan by getting people to build the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. This provided jobs for many people to build and care for the stadium. The move was rather controversial at first, because the people did not know a sports team (sports teams for that matter) was coming to Atlanta. The Atlanta Braves came in from the cold of Milwaukee, Wisconsin first. The Falcons were a expansion franchise to the NFL, meaning that they were a brand new team. Then finally came the Atlanta Hawks, which came from St. Louis, Missouri.


Atlanta Braves Logo

Atlanta Falcons Logos

     All three of these teams brought major change to Atlanta, as well as rest of the state. Much revenue came from tickets, merchandise, among other things. Fans coming to see their team play meant that infrastructure like international highways were improved, as well as more restaurants, hotels, and shops. Fans could also travel to the sights like Stone Mountain.

 

Atlanta Hawks Logo

     These two men made Atlanta a major fame to Atlanta and made it a more respectable city. Today we are still benefiting from the revenue of these sports teams, as well as having the world's busiest airport for many years.