Ivan Allen Jr.

Ivan Allen Jr. (March 15, 1911 - July 2, 2003) was a U.S. political figure most notable for serving two terms as mayor of Atlanta, Georgia during the turbulent civil rights era of the 1960s.

Biography

Allen graduated from Georgia Tech with a commerce degree in 1933, where he was President of the Student Council and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. [ [http://www.iac.gatech.edu/legacy/timeline.htm The Legacy of Ivan Allen Jr. Teacher's Guide] ] The College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech was named for him in 1990. [cite web|url=http://www.iac.gatech.edu/legacy/panel8.htm|title=The Enduring Legacy of Ivan Allen Jr.|publisher=Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts|accessdate=2007-03-09]

Politics

Allen testified before the U.S. Congress in July 1963 in support of civil rights legislation and made major strides in desegregation in Atlanta's city government. [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1382 New Georgia Encyclopedia] ] During his two terms as Mayor, Atlanta experienced dramatic growth and saw major construction including the Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta Stadium, which was built to help bring the Braves from Milwaukee, and Atlanta Civic Center as well as the beginning of Interstate 285, known as "Atlanta's Perimeter", and the Downtown Connector highway. The Chateau de Sully air disaster at Orly Airport, Paris which killed over 100 Atlanta civic and cultural leaders occurred during his first term. [ [http://www.ngeorgia.com/feature/orly.html Photo of the mayor inspecting the crash site at Orly in 1962] ]

References