Joe Frank Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Frank Harris
Harris in 1985
78th Governor of Georgia
In office January 11, 1983 – January 14, 1991
Lieutenant	Zell Miller
Preceded by	George Busbee
Succeeded by	Zell Miller
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
In office January 3, 1965 – January 11, 1983
Personal details
Born	(1936-02-16) February 16, 1936 (age 88) Cartersville, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Elizabeth Carlock
Alma mater	University of Georgia (BS)
Military service
Allegiance	United States  Georgia
Branch/service	Georgia Air National Guard
Years of service	1953-1958

Joe Frank Harris (born February 16, 1936) is an American businessman and Democratic politician who served as the 78th governor of Georgia from 1983 to 1991.

Early life and career

Harris was born in the Atco Mill Village of Cartersville, Georgia, to Frank and Frances Harris. Harris was the second of three children with brother Fred Harris and sister Glenda Harris Gambill. Harris attended Asbury College for one year, then went on to graduate from the University of Georgia in 1958 with a degree in business administration. While attending Georgia, he also became a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Upon graduation, Harris returned to his native Cartersville, Georgia to join his father Frank and brother Fred in the family run cement business. Harris Cement Products, Inc. operated from 1940 to 1980, and during the late 1970s furnished all the cement for the bridges and overpasses constructed on Interstate 75 from Cobb County to Gordon County. Harris was persuaded to run for the Georgia House of Representatives in 1964 and served nine terms. Harris became the chairman of the Appropriations Committee in 1974.

Gubernatorial campaign

Harris speaking at the commissioning ceremony for the USS Georgia in 1984

When he ran for governor in 1982, Harris was seen as a long-shot candidate, but with the support of the Speaker of the Georgia House Tom Murphy, he was able to win the primary over U.S. Representative Bo Ginn. Deloss Walker, a political campaign consultant based in Memphis, Tennessee, played a key role in his campaign.

Gubernatorial accomplishments

Harris called himself the education governor as he raised the state salaries for teachers. and implemented the Quality Basic Education Act (QBE), built the Georgia Dome, created the Technical College System of Georgia formerly known as the Department of Adult & Technical Education, and lured the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta. Harris is also credited with building more libraries during his term than any other governor in Georgia's history. Also during his term, Harris created the Growth Strategies Commission chaired by Cartersville native and prominent developer Joel Cowan. His fiscal strategies resulted in higher bond ratings for the state and during his governorship Georgia was rated among the country's top 15 best-managed states by Financial World.

Board of regents

After two terms as governor, Harris was appointed to the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia serving for seven years, two years as chairman.

Georgia State University

From 1995 through 2009, Harris served at Georgia State University as an executive fellow and lecturer in the School of Policy Studies. He is chairman of the board of Harris Georgia Corporation, an industrial development firm that was established in 1980 in Cartersville, Georgia. He also served on the board of directors for Aflac from 1991 to 2011.

Legacy

The portion of U.S. Route 41 through Bartow County is named in his honor (Joe Frank Harris Parkway), as well as the Joe Frank Harris Commons that houses The Village Summit Dining Commons at the University of Georgia, the main entrance to the Georgia Ports Authority in Brunswick, Georgia (Joe Frank Harris Blvd.), and the main entrance to the Georgia State Fairgrounds in Perry (Governor Joe Frank and Mrs. Elizabeth Harris Blvd.).

See also

• New Georgia Encyclopedia Article .