Joe Mack Wilson oral history interview, April 1, 1988

Interviewed by Thomas Allan Scott. Among topics discussed: Family background; early family homes; education; successful students; ditch digging; quality of Marietta education; teacher salary; FHA mortgages; WPA jobs; effect of the Depression; hitchhiking to Atlanta; Wilson family business; family history; interest in city politics; 1959 Marietta mayoral race; Red Atherton; campaigning; power within Cobb County and the press; C. W. Barmlett; Sam Welsch; Rip Blair; Jimmy Carmichael; 1960 legislative race; support for education; interest groups; local races as personality contests; constituencies; county unit system; political support in local politics; university accreditation issue; attitude toward Ellis Arnall's book, The Shore Dimly Seen; Cobb County changes to five‑man commission system; 1964 commission race; voting machines; cause of lost 1964 election; Lester Maddox election; increase in legislative power; Tom Murphy; urban caucus; Elliott Levitas; George Busbee; reapportionment committee; affect of reapportionment of Atlanta area; 1980 reapportionment; Dorothy Felton's comments on race; country club Republicans; legislating by court edict; result of special session reapportionment; Rules Committee; Ways and Means Committee; elimination of factoring in tax assessments; Al Burruss; Burruss‑Wilson local sales tax bill; Southern Tech student center; domed stadium issue; decline of downtown Atlanta; Downtown Marietta Development Authority (DMDA); Kennesaw College conversion to four year college; University System Board of Regents; Maddox governorship; Jimmy Carter government reorganization; George Busbee as governor; Joe Frank Harris and Quality Basic Education (QBE); taxes; Republican Party of Cobb County; social responsibility; heroes. This interview is also deposited in the Cobb County Oral History Collection, Kennesaw State University.