Atlanta, Ga., May 18, 2016 – The Georgia Historical Society will dedicate a historical marker at the Albany home of former Georgia Governor George Busbee this Thursday, May 19, 2016.

Busbee was born in Vienna, Georgia, and settled in Albany with his wife Mary Elizabeth where he practiced law.  In 1956 Busbee entered political life with a run for the Georgia State Legislature where he subsequently served for 18 years before running for governor.  Busbee served as Georgia’s chief executive from 1975 – 1983,  and holds the distinction of being the first Georgia Governor to serve two consecutive four-year terms in office.

The featured speaker for the event is George “Buz” Busbee, Jr., son of the late Governor.  Other speakers include Reverend Stephen Dervan, Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church; Mack Wakeford, Albany Dougherty Historic Preservation Commission; Billups “Bo” Johnson III, the current owner of the property; Mark Taylor, Former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia; and Elyse Butler, Membership and Outreach Coordinator for the Georgia Historical Society.

The program begins at 11:00 a.m. Thursday May 19, at 1205 West Third Avenue in Albany.  The public is invited to attend.

The historical marker reads:

Albany Home of Governor George D. Busbee
Governor George Busbee (1927-2004) and his family lived in this ranch style home (c.1956) from 1962 until 1983. Busbee launched his underdog campaign from this residence in 1974 to become Georgia’s 77th governor with the slogan, “Elect a Workhorse, Not a Showhorse.”  Busbee’s political career began with his 1956 election to the Georgia House of Representatives, where he served for 18 years. In 1960, Busbee sponsored the Sibley Commission legislation, which sought public opinion on desegregating Georgia’s public schools and helped avoid a conflict between the state and federal government. Under his leadership as governor (1975-1983), Georgia developed a statewide kindergarten program and prospered economically by attracting the film industry and international businesses to the state. A statewide referendum passed in 1980 allowing Busbee to become Georgia’s first governor to serve two consecutive four-year terms.

Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, Albany/Dougherty Historic Preservation Commission, and Thronateeska Heritage Foundation, Inc.

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ABOUT GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.
To learn more visit georgiahistory.com.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM
The Georgia Historical Society has administered Georgia’s historical marker program since 1998, erecting over 200 historical markers across Georgia on a wide variety of subjects. Now, online mapping tools allow you to design statewide driving routes based on historical markers, while mobile apps give information about markers nearby. Visit georgiahistory.com for more ways to use Georgia’s historical markers and experience history where it happened.