Jeanne T. Cahill oral history interview, December 1, 1995

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: Cahill, J_19951201

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Dana Von Tilborg: Jeanne Cahill's oral history provides great insight into the life of a young girl in post-war America. She describes her childhood in South Georgia, and discusses her own and her parents' expectations for her life. She recalls how she became involved in the women's movement and what the women's movement meant to her. Cahill also discusses many other important social issues such as rape, hiring quotas, reproductive freedom and equal pay. Cahill was very active in working toward the better treatment of female prisoners in Georgia and she recounts her efforts in great detail. She also provides a rich description of the goals of the women's movement in Georgia, the leaders of the movement, and also some of the biggest obstacles these women faced in attempting to achieve their goals.

Dates

Creation: December 1, 1995

Creator

Cahill, Jeanne Taylor, 1932- (Interviewee, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Oral history available for research. Please contact Special Collections and Archives about accessing this oral history.

Biographical note

Norma Jeanne Taylor, civic activist and businesswoman, was born in Alma, Georgia in 1932. She graduated from Bacon County (GA) High School in 1949, and attended Berry College (Rome, GA), 1949-1951. She went on to attend Jacksonville Jr. and Massey Business Colleges in Jacksonville, Florida (graduating in 1953), and studied business law and elementary psychology at the University of Georgia, Waycross Center, 1957-1958. Jeanne married Al (William Alpheus) Cahill in 1959. She worked as Industrial News editor with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1962-1965, and then with various family businesses until 1972, when she became president of Cahill Properties, Inc., a company specializing in land development and real estate. Appointed in 1972 to the Georgia Commission on the Status of Women, Cahill became chair in 1973, and in 1974 she became the Commission's first and only paid executive director. The position was funded for one year only. She was appointed to the White House Conference on Families in 1979, was a member of the Georgia Coordinating Committee for the Observance of International Women's Year, and was also a member of the board of directors of ERA Georgia, Inc. Active in Democratic politics, Cahill supported Jimmy Carter in both gubernatorial and presidential races and served as a delegate to the 1974 and 1978 Democratic National Conventions. In 1975-1976, she campaigned for a seat in the state House of Representatives, but was unsuccessful in her bid against incumbent Ken Nix. Founder and CEO of Advanced Fitness Systems, 1981-1994, Cahill was also president of the Buckhead Business Association, 1994, vice president of the Epilepsy Foundation of America, 1982-1994, and in 1995 was vice president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Cahill has been involved in many civic organizations, including the Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs, the Cobb County (GA) Symphony, N.W. Georgia Girl Scout Council and Leadership Atlanta.