Virginia Shapard oral history interview, January 26, 1988

Interviewed by Diane Fowlkes. Among topics discussed: Education; family background; Tammany Hall; move to Georgia; child welfare work; Episcopal Church bi‑racial committee; Judge McGhee; the Stark case; changed attitudes towards participants promoting desegregation; husband's background and occupation; Shapard's children; first interest in politics; the Utility Club (community service); fertility difficulties; library bond referendum; ad valorem taxes; public education issue in Georgia; first campaign for state senate; Culver Kidd; difficulty of spread‑out nature of senatorial district; campaign organization; speeches and speech writing; campaign financing; why ran for Senate rather than House; Zell Miller; reforms wanted to see in Senate; women in politics; role of local Democratic Party in Shapard's campaign; first actions in Senate; legislative delegation and county interests; reaction to Shapard as first woman senator; House and Senate working together; legislative pay raise issue; committee appointments; Senate reform; Al Holloway; ethics issue; Roscoe Dean; controversial issues in the legislature; adoption code issues; learning disabilities issue; Shapard's second election; education issues; state budgeting process; Paul Coverdell; interacting with other legislators; constituency relations; lobbying; Elaine Bolton; time constraints; National Association of State Legislators; Governor Busbee; banking issue; why ran for Congress; Newt Gingrich; Women's Campaign Fund; 1978 congressional campaign; Betty Talmadge; campaign difficulties; campaign finances; reasons Shapard thinks she lost in 1978; how paid off campaign debts; current interests; welfare fraud and sales tax issue in campaign; feelings about losing to Newt Gingrich; accomplishments and disappointments; impact as state senator; Bev Engram; problems for women in the legislature; women candidates.