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>> The Living history interview with leslie smith conducted by marilyn summers on April the 3rd, the year 2007. We are at her home in Gainesville, Georgia, and there goes our clock. Just wanted to speak to Mrs. Smith is the widow of charles miss junior class of $933.00, the subject of our interview.

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Today we'll be talking about her life in general and her, and charlie's life to what she's somewhat of an expert on. So let's see. Thank you for letting us come and meet you today. And you told me I can call you, let's see everybody cause us. And let's see is actually a nickname for.

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So last year, which is one, I wouldn't say nickname, sharp, name, short name for not nick nickname. Exactly. Now I want you to tell me please, if you will, where you were born and when out of a bone in, Well, actually I would buy him. My mother and father were building a house in Atlanta, but they for 3 months, we rented a house at east point, which is suburb and best route.

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So you were born in East points and went here. What was your birthday? 1911. And that. But then in 3 months I moved into this new home in Atlanta, west in now the interesting thing about your birthday is that it was just a few days ago, april the 1st and we just turned 96.

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You're pretty amazing. So, and we're so happy that you would let us come and talk to you about this. What did your daddy do for a living? What was one? The father was a printing salesman with davis cup and the foot davies. They were the company that published the Georgia Tech yearbook exactly for me.

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Yeah. So your dad was a rep for them then. I sales representative. Yeah. Wonderful. And he he liked that and didn't want to become a member of the back of faculty. The management of because yeah, any like people he might be allowed to sell. And although he had the opportunity and he did buy some stuff on the web now, was he born in Atlanta and your mom and that letter or had they come down in that clayton County all that area though your original feel comes from there.

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So you help them your real ga here, born and bred in Georgia. Okay. Now did you have brothers and sisters? I had a Brother and sister both. My brother was older about 4 years old. And my sister just 3 years younger. So you were the middle middle child.

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Did your parents raised you to believe that you were going to get an education you were going to go college? Because at that time they didn't want to go to college a lot. They wanted me to it was, I was always want journalism so they were out for that.

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Okay. Let's go back to when you started elementary School. Can you remember back that are yes, I certainly do a day of school day, a park name for the day, a family dare as well. Family. Did you love school? Yes. I guess I like doing homework for you didn't know.

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Did you like the social aspect of school? Well, yes I did, and I like my teachers. So you felt like you were getting it was good for you to go to school. You went home way? Yes. And then in those days, what did you go to high school or junior High after you got through elementary School, one to junior joseph a brown junior High did go to brown junior and then to the old girls school and the children said mama, that was rid of the school eve of school.

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Girls. Now did you go to the one that was down downtown across from the Capital? The one that was on washington. No, no. The one in part grant car, you know the one that Yeah. I know where that went in. Yeah. One new grant. Yes it was. It was over off of I 20 over that way.

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Now you went to school there and you already knew you wanted to be into journalism. How did you know that? What did you know about journalism? Well, I didn't, I mean, I wanted to write, i don't know. journalism you were good. I don't know that identified, it is journalism, but I wanted to write and see you were good writer when you were going to school you liked well, I don't work.

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I don't know that I was good. I one the 2 of the metals at george, joe bram for riding the I one the well, I can't tell you what mel where I feel, matt, are you one mattel? You must have been pretty good. Well I one I did when things to contest and I want to wonderful.

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Well congratulations. That's quite an achievement because those are fairly good size schools. You a lot of competition. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, sure did. And what year did you graduate from girls? High from 1929, 929. So you already made up your mind. You were going into college so you could own we're at right.

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Yeah. How did you pick your ga? Because with journalism, they had the best school that had this group, the only one that I don't know, maybe maybe the, I forgot. But I had, well, you could go out of the state, you could have gone up east or someplace like that.

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But you decided you were going to go to u T A. And so you moved from your home place and moved to athens, Georgia. No, no. The van or stay in Atlanta? Yeah, just you moved? Yeah. Let's see. Do you remember when you were a kid, the great fire that was in Atlanta?

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Bell. Remember, but I remember. Yeah, that's one of the big epic things that people talk about, you know, from that and the flu epidemic. That was a few years later when the 1901900, maybe before but it may be slow. I think the fire came 1st and then after a boy atlanta was under siege there for a while and but you do remember the flu have to get sure do without my however, by my family, I had it except my father re and he and nurse.

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So care all the rest of you so you had to, We all had my mother and brother and sister. I read it looking through some old newspapers i thought were at Georgia Tech they, they have like to, they finally close the school down. That's what they had to do cause other school.

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Yeah. And they had the schools in corn teed off with all these boys who were sick with the flu. So. So just about the time that you were starting at U G A to go to college. charlie smith, gaul was starting at us at Georgia Tech to go to last Friday.

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So you are your times now. What you was charlie born in the same a much in 16 months for me. So he made it to the world a little bit ahead of you. We were married. He said, he was 6 months younger. Katie and I still haven't had no he misrepresent.

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Never said I would marry and a young man younger than me. Good for you. What he was, he went there in 1929 and he said he was born in 1910. Okay, so I want to make that now was his family from Atlanta also? No, they lived in Florida.

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They were from Florida. So was charlie born down in Florida. So did. How did they happen to go to Georgia tech's in? Well, I can't tell you that except that he just won't go to this technical school. So he came up here to go to school that. Yeah, well good thing he did, you might not have met him a fee to state and That could happen.

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How did you like going to college? Well, I liked it pretty much. Did you feel independent you were ok away from home. Yeah. And you did well in a large group and I had some atlanta girls there with me. Yeah, I was rooming with one who just called me yesterday.

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Really is still living, isn't that grand? Nothing like an old friend. Nothing like it. So you did enjoy the collegiate experience as you were co, as you had a good time. You did well, did you come home in the summer's yeah. So that you, I didn't say then the summer you came home to Atlanta.

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Did you ever have a part time job or, or do anything during that? Well, I can't remember what year was, but I worked for the jones from the magazine. I wanted to know if you had an opportunity to do something like that. But the reason I did that, I don't think I can't remember where they, I don't think they paid me, but internship probably.

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Well lower. We didn't call it that. I just went over there. But I've been, I wrote several dollars for that. I've just sent sent over there, which they accepted. So then in the summertime base that I could come work down there. So you were published in the constitution.

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Yeah, the general magazine, the journal from the magazine and you were you do have you ever heard of the of course I have, I've heard of it. Yeah. I've seen they had the wrote a reviewer section where they had all the photograph had that to. So we went and looked at some of those early additions, we would find your bi line.

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And would it be so last year or would have been last week, I think seems to me it's less, but I'm not sure. So you've got, you've got call leslie when you were just a child. Yeah. And they stuck with you abo chairs. Yeah. But I was trying to think I might have some of those doors upstairs.

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It could sure we can probably find them in the stacks. You must have been a pretty good writer because she was just a young girl to be getting published. Well, I was a pretty good writer. I bet he says, I'm not. You said, you told me you said I don't know if I was that good, but you were, you were up to you some french such one story was did.

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Did girls ever get read back? It? Did you do a story? And I interviewed bill how's field was mayor, you know, and I was right, doing some copy for him to. So I interviewed him and To handle the visitors bureau and I think the, the good up to who was government was but you know, that's true.

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came later. Yeah. But you interviewed all these famous people and did you ask them that? Did they think scarlet ever got read? Yeah, that was the subject. hartsville said no, she didn't deserve it. But she probably didn't. Did she? What did you think? What was your theory? Did you come to a conclusion or not?

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Yeah, I think she probably got it. You say she got it back? Yes, there was another writer that was writing at that time. margaret mitchell. Yeah. Did you know her? Well, I knew knew her, but not well joe, up here, she would come up to the planet magazine.

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You know, that's what she did in the 1st place. Right. That's where she started. Yeah. Yeah. In fact, that was her livelihood. That book came along later, but that wasn't a livelihood. I believe she was already writing the book at that time cuz didn't she say it took her years in the yes.

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Right. Yeah. I mentioned to you earlier that I had interviewed ellen bryan and your husband was the editor the journal at that time of the constitution with John the journal. So they had not combined it that they do that much, much, much later. And you wrote for the journal if I want to keep that straight and well, the magazine lag now.

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Yeah. Was he's a publisher of that too. I mean the editor of that to Mr. Brian then, Well I think with a white fine I guess he was that though in did you know select in Sibley last year did her name was very close here just a little bit.

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That was the constitution. I knew she wrote for the other paper, but you still got to know her. Yeah, sure. Did. Well, I've gone to a a list of it. Let's go on to sister to sister writers. How you were both good writers were now we weren't real closely associated but I knew him and I think she came up if I believe she came up, it's a me to pay my moved to review you one time or 2.

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No one that anyways we, we, we can have it clearly established you have pretty much a lot of experience already writing and being published before you even graduated from the University of Georgia. But once you got your degree in 1933 you graduated in May probably may or june, june.

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And did you have a job? What were you going to go do when you went to whatever day? Think was the morning after I graduated. Boy, I was $10.00, we can't dollars and we can what were you going to do for them? What I wrote of copy will ever t as a mostly mostly advertising.

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Yeah. Ok. And tell me now where w g. S. He was located at that time of the roof guard of the and the old angela hotel. Right downtown i downtown. And so there you were a career girl. Were you living at home? Yeah, you went back home, but you went to work every day on the street car or did you have a automobile?

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Well, my father and brother work and so we have drive. Most of the time we wrote together to jam early carpooling got riding. I didn't dropped off. That's right. And it was there that you met charlie smith go. Sure. Did tell any of the, the 1st day that I met it, they put me at this pipe brought up this, this sort of that out in the middle of the angeles several lobby.

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And there was a few private offices for the manager and the treasurer. But after they put me at this desk out in the middle, and charlotte came and sat down, right by me and practices, announcing aloud what you're trying to write. I'm trying to concentrate and do this.

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Can you think he might have been trying to get your attention? I don't think so. I just wanted to practice. So did he introduce himself to you? I guess so I don't remember anything about that, but I couldn't stand him along really well now. But I want to cuddle up to this man and now i'd be so you get to know what you call us is no way to did he find me ask you to go into date.

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Yeah. At 1st you didn't want to Well, we got to be friends. So you got, you got past the annoying part. It was still going to school. He had to finish up that summer before he could graduate from act. But he was already an announcer on w g.

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S T. Yeah. It's we have isolate now the way the reason it got to be the announcer was that he announced the protect grey club every night at the dinner hour. He did. So he had some experience so that I got to be on. Yeah, I understand. He used to make announcements at britain dining hall and he made it out with at school every chance he got.

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So he had a really fine voice. And Disney, yeah, a nice boy, but you thought it could be annoying at times. My goodness. When I was trying to get the job is very knowing. Well, anyway, she worked your differences out and you went on a date with him.

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Yeah. And we dated nobody at the station, new dating. You kept it a secret, we kept it a secret until the day the engagement was asked. Why did you do that? When we we just didn't want to be seen as a dating couple up. I mean, we want to keep our advantages.

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professional advantages, separate from our social and professional is the work you are professionals. But you dated for how long before you announced your engagement. Not, not too long back, 6 months, I guess. Okay, and set your wedding to be the fall in 1934. So the year after you met, what month did you get married in October and october, october 27th.

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Okay, so it's a little more than a year after you met him that you decided that you would marry him and I don't know whether it was not. Where did you get married? Where you have dirtier baptist Church? Did you, do you remember him in the middle and the banister study, blue and newton?

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Have you ever heard of him? No. Well, he was pretty famous. administered there. Yeah. But he had been a journalist and he was answer the question. And **** and the church called him to be their minister and he came and you got married and you had a small wedding then?

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Yeah, just the small quiet when my father was a deacon by and he He was will very closely associated with the church. And when you had a small wedding for family and close friends and where to go on your honeymoon wells, out of various places, we went to actually down to the yoko dale at panama city.

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Her nice. Have to ask you this. Was it back in that time that when she got married, you didn't work anymore? Or were you allowed to keep your own? Gosh, I kept working for years. You did? Yeah. So you, you stayed there? Did you both stay at W g S T?

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Well, we went be together because lambert k wanted us to come out there, but he said he wouldn't take one that the other off. So we went to speak. And that was that the built more at the build. So you change your location port w g S T last, both of you.

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Then at one time if and you move now, where did you and charlie live in Atlanta? Did you have an apartment somewhere that married we had a little apartment out on camp street and then We lived in my father's hasbrook. P. My. My mother had died last year.

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Mother. Yeah. I lost her before john. I married but really Yeah, but an app. So you went home to keep house with your dad, was there we had he made a one of the bedrooms into a living room. We had saw a little apartment, A little bedroom and, and living room.

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And I don't know how long we stayed. Well, how long did you stay with w, f b? To me, I wonder if I could tell you that a while just to sure. Not know, probably 2 or 3 or 3 years. I would say, you know, elmore ellis? Yeah, I sure did.

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He was such a sweet guy was after I didn't know him not well, but he was a big it was there. figures that have like margaret mister, we all knew everybody didn't everybody? Yeah. It was a small town when we think of it, you know, it today and a lot of ways it's a big city, but there's still that community.

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Yeah. So because you were in the media, you know, everybody who was in the media well, you were most yeah. And you were right and copy their justice. Yeah, yes, always thing it. But I also wrote, besides, joe, joe wrote some stuff, a bill how I did stuff like that too.

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So he had a program as the he and they were banjo, it was a They cation brush, when you go travel tours, right. Yep. And, and the guy who have the governor was there. I just, I don't want to say because I won't know for sure. There were a lot of I'm, it'll come see I have in my memory, i have these segments.

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We have to think really put things in proportion to whether they happen. But did they happen in relation to this that so come and let's see. Some people have to think of what car that had to talk, it was something was going on. People just do that. But anyway, I was right and copy of of things where you were like, My title was continuity to continuity at a church.

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Keep things going, kind of really nice of my profession. When did you start having children? And then we have been married nearly 7 years. So you did have a good little career before. Yeah. And how long did you stay at W, f. B, after you and charlie were married before you decided to move up care to gain.

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How long did you live? We weren't be then. No, you already had left a child. I had gone with george dora, which is this group of radio stations now with no tv a store for them. And had done very well with the stations all over the country. Yes.

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And charlie, him the by that time we had 2 children, maybe jerry ok. So this was born and did you continue to work after elizabeth was for? Yes, you will never say, did I know I did from work? We called her bag bailey culture and app. charlie would we live?

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We had moved by that time and answered apart, blow hast player and show you our ad man. And I am somebody in town now. children in detail, george story, he was going to leave and he really was upset with him. But charlie's very was very gregarious. He love to talk to people, he knew everybody, disney, everybody.

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But he felt like he was short changing you and the children because he was never around and himself. So he wanted to go and business for himself and he had colleagues out, he had started the radio station up here. Now, how did he get the idea to do that?

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yet? How and what made him think about there was no radio station of here at all. Yeah. Now wait, wait, let me think deborah g, G, A radio station. He started that. He did start. I thought you told me that you had? Yeah. So he just decided to move this far north or whatever.

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He graduated from high School. Yeah. He did. He graduate in high School in Florida where he was born but he had moved up here who graduated that he was very familiar with this up here. Yeah, he knew a lot of people and he saw the need for a radio station, so he decided to move you all up here.

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Now, where did you move to when you 1st came to game? You didn't start with this house. Know for love. I'll pass over on park street. Wonderful. Have 3 stories really. And we had such good help. We had 2 women who moved with us. That's great. And they helped me with god with the children.

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When you had 2 more children after you moved up here that you had bay and the and the 3 little boys best right. You had your hands full, lengthy. I did, I had 33 babies in 33 much when I start having them I had them do, haven't got that out of the way to ship.

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So here you are for the kids and moving to a different place for you because you'd never lived in Gainesville, no, entirely starting a new radio station which is been kind of tough going in the beginning. You had to worry about making ends meet and he started the radio station as a business, but the announcing to not well, not much jenny.

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Bye. Okay. So he was ready to quit being the performer. He was ready to take out the management restaurant. Okay. And I would imagine that was what, within 10 years after I graduated from Georgia Tech, probably even sooner than that at the radio station got started, he left tech and $33.00.

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So this is probably in the early forty's that you moved up here. And in the later forty's was 1947 when he got the idea probably before that of starting the newspaper. Now he never ran a newspaper before and you had written for this paper before, but the 2 of you did, you did think those partners didn't show to be sure, did a brass plate on the date of current times building, I should say, not say david said Number, see if I can quote it.

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I know it says 1947 because I saw that by the constitution front principal of the people. Right to know, we dedicated this building to the education and enlightment other people nowadays. Josh. That's wonderful. That's wonderful. And it was 1947. Yeah. And that, that really launched a career for both of you and made a difference here.

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There were no daily newspapers stop here. No, this was the 1st one and it was a very much less population than there today. Today it's a booming city and all kinds of things are going on, but you, you had to work hard to get that daily newspaper going, didn't you?

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Well, lot start. From days it was just blindfold over. So we could call that 4 pages, couldn't wait. pages, right? When, when charlie and you started the business, does that mean you had to buy a printing press and do all that kind of stuff or did you farm out to begin with?

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We about that week or i've told you that. So we had all that equipment we, when you literally me, you met, you bought lock, stock and barrel. Everything out there. Okay. Okay. Well, actually up a brand of is that he started the radio station with own this the games will eagle is that what they call that?

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And but it wasn't going anywhere fast. And so charlie decided to invest in it to, Well, it was, are going all right, as a, as a weekly, but we wanted to daily because it was the people's right to know what was going on every day. People like money and education that the people that did the radio station work?

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24 hours a day or did it just have limited time on air? You don't remember app? No, I don't remember, but I think it probably did probably less than $100.00. And also did he give up the radio station after the paper got going go? No, no they. They stayed.

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He kept them both and bought some other re started debbie g G, A in Rome and So he branched out the yeah, he did. What did he call his company? What is smith galt, or did he have another name for all the radio stations? The old goodness store bride camp.

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Yeah. What did charlie call your combination? media publishing and all that, did you, did you all have an operating name? Yeah, but I think right now when you think of that, you can tell you were very much his partner and did you then continue to take a hand in your hands?

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Were very busy with children. I know, but you still always had an interest in the business here, but I didn't. I didn't work actively after that. You pretty much raise the chill. Let's see. One of the things I wanted to ask you about was girl scouting because you're very proud to have been a growth cult member.

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I think I've read 80 years but risk not. I was not active girl scout except right at the beginning. Yeah. I told you I never became, i was always tend of you were to her foot, but I want to know what cross cutting was like at that time.

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You were a child living in the Atlanta area. Well, we, we went after merit badges. I remember that I remember going camping. Well you did get to kelley area. You do remember that going out where we would pack out of these woods close to lash houses and be able to fire.

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Good backlist. You build your own fire. Wow. Yeah, they don't do that anymore. Yeah, yeah. We've got today, you know, very simple. I can show really. Yeah. It's much more uptown now that it used to be back in the day and it's kind of nice to hear that you know, you really literally.

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Yeah we, we, I remember mrs. Bob when b L J. M A M. Was app scout leader. Wonderful. That you remember her girl scouting started really just a few years before you were born. So you were really the very beginning of girl scouting that 1st 2025 years a girl scouting it was much what I was as I say I just was not active too many years after that point, but it goes back to when you were team.

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When I yeah, master i joined in and got stuff and we, we learned then I girls got myself. I know you learned the girl scout law and you knew that made you a better person to respect other people and, and get no badges or merit badges and you learn so much from you told me you thought your, you had you uniform for years and years and years what your uniform or Yeah.

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And I was just wondering if might still be in the bottom of us if you Don't ever throw it away. No, I would. I would love to have it. It's a treasure because it goes right back to the beginning, so that was nice that your mom and dad you like to be a girl scout?

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Well they, they were more made a baby. Yeah. What about your brothers that they go into boy scouting map as a bias really? Now my sister, i can't remember her. Do him very much scanning also I want to tell you about living in it. My father was a city councilman.

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He was an elective position in those days appointment. So he ran for office and he was chair of the park commission. And the old like ram was in a wooden bill. Have you ever heard about that? Of course was your father, one of the ones that helped to salvage it and save it.

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Yes he certainly was. They used to have a brass plate on the current building with his name, but do they play bailey? But if you think you think it's gone a while, no, it is tear maples. I have tried to find it for a moment, but he did find me up another plate after hartfield came in as mayor.

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That had your dad was in the same time that your name so your dad was a politician. I was interested. Did charlie ever think of going into politics? I don't remember. I don't think so. I don't think so. Now one of the interesting things that charlie did though was support his friend ivan alan.

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When ivan alan went into park, now we're talking big time support. Yeah. When i've been, alan ran for mayor charlie came right down and helped in the glass, right. He was a great supporter revive and now and now that was the 1st campaign and a friend of mine from the University journalism student was lay up a gun to helen bulge and he got behind.

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And ivan now and won the election. His father had been in politics so it was a natural thing for him to get. The 2nd time he ran charlie with his job, it was his campaign. So thurmond says, I can't remember that, but I'm or said you don't remember that dad, it was his campaign manager.

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The 2nd isn't that something that was taken a lot of his time and I don't, I don't really know. I don't remember any of that, but you do remember i've been out. Going to share your and and either we're all good friends. Yeah, I'm sure you were social friends.

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Yeah. We went, you know we, aca remember. Nice with them and jolly and and what ours far together to after you had. Wow. And that was a real experience but I've been around several childhood too, but not necessarily with ivan. They went on one day. They each got a lion.

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Goodness. Like and whoa, you can remember some of those story. Did you ever get to know for me and fisher, the writer at that paper I just thought you might know him could be was. He was another one that, you know, everybody knew, but I didn't really know him.

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Yeah. You were a girl. I understand. Again, this is from reading about you that you were quite a tennis player in your day. I played a lot of tennis, that I was quite dense, but I'm left handed in and I've had to have a falls elbow put in is on o D.

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shelf out dr. City Tennessee might have had something that had it. You were playing tennis right up into your 80. 0, I played tennis till I was 89. Can you believe that you could all around the court. This was up in May. We go there in the summer and I served a love game when I was 89 is you know what I love game and I do, I think that's just of made easy.

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So you know, very proud of that one should be, I wanted them to put them a little weak, the newspaper with the package, but they never did it ever did. What's in the papers now somewhere because I found it when I would get a search for you. So yeah, we found that you played till you were 89 years of age.

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So that's pretty remarkable. Not too many people are doing that and you played a lot of tennis, not just when we lived in flood. We had a place in Florida. Many went up, lot of withers and we played every day every day, every day, what the player to he played, but he didn't care for like, we used, we've got a co it down here.

[00:35:56]
I'll take you out there, let you see. When did you move here? To the town. This is 757. Okay. And then you could play tennis. You when the kids were getting bigger, by that time too. Are any, were any of your children wonderful tennis players? No, no. You were charles latch.

[00:36:17]
I think charles likes the star. I was just letting you know that you are the star i ever played. Very good. You don't think so? No, but you were consistent. You play, love it and I played and I played and I had people here played with me and nearly every day, 2 or 3 times a week I had anybody in the world was glad to come over here with you words that effect.

[00:36:42]
You know, I read that you played tennis with some pretty amazing people that everyone knows. It says somewhere that you play tennis with walter cronkite. Is that possible? No that's, that's a story about dennis, but not playing with it, not playing with them. What's the story, how did you get the paper?

[00:36:59]
It was a paper clipping. So we know the peabody awards. I used to go to because I saw the upstart, if you sort of yes, you definitely help start from there. Very, very important will in now to this I used to go, I used to go to the, the, the lunch with the where the Watch was presented.

[00:37:19]
And walter cronkite was the master said was one year. And I met him the night before with those of always a party for the judges. And I said, you know, you for 3 reasons. One, you still got such a good head of, hey, or to you such a a good broadcaster.

[00:37:43]
And you still played tennis because he was still playing tennis. That was the next day at the lunch. And he came out and said, I'm sorry, I'm going to have to preside sitting down because a strain my achilles heel playing tennis. And he said, by the way, there's a lady here Who challenged me to a game of tennis.

[00:38:07]
He said, she's 89 august and she's just taken up again. That was the last place that was 289. Like you didn't call him on that and go walk and beat him up when when we believe that his wife bits were dad since then was there with him and She was I was tell and hammett, childhood with him come in Your ear and she said, we'll walk and dip did same thing with me, said he, I wrote some copy.

[00:38:47]
That's what she did. She wrote wrote copy. So I wrote some copy and, and he said, who wrote this cry up? No in front of me, or did he say that? No. bad foot, you said I did write to faith over that. Yeah. And then I will. I mean this is our, is our a member it you know long, long, long ago.

[00:39:09]
Yeah. Did you ever tell charlie how annoying he was when he started broadcasting in your ear? Yeah, sure. Did you make sure you understand? I'll tell you another person who was buy up when we were double g. S. D was bert parks. You remember from Miss america? Yeah, are parked here, settled about and he was, he was a boy who yeah.

[00:39:32]
So you knew him from the radio station that day to do that? You gave him. Well, let's see how far I think he was the only person that child was ever jealous. Well yeah. Reason to be a good guy. It's best to remember him. He was a very handsome young man.

[00:39:49]
Yeah. He certainly was. He came to Atlanta After after the miss america program. One day he came back to Atlanta one time to judge a patch, patch. Show animal to me. For goodness sakes. And I was, I have an apartment in Atlanta and I was in the apartment and I got locked in the bedroom.

[00:40:18]
No, how did I have them? But I had to call somebody to let me up and took a while and I was turned on the radio and it was berg during this patch. And you called in? So did you call? Yes I do. See I called in, I said, bert, this is Lacey bailey.

[00:40:40]
He said, blessed the bailey. I'm still in love with you. And I know you said it because my cousin heard a lot of people heard it. I mean, our meant a lot of people. several people heard, i'm sure people heard of tell me, tell me about it. Somebody told charlie to, No, that was not before we met that he actually had you.

[00:41:04]
He was really war. burt was coming who is after he went to columbia, he was coming in and to town and got him cow, let me know, leave his cabinet won't want to have a date. And child did not want me to have it. He was already dating you at that time.

[00:41:26]
Well yeah. And he said, no way. You've told her you couldn't date of them. No. What went right on. Why do you, what do you know is right what, what is he telling you? You didn't belong to him then. So you want to bert without a date anyways.

[00:41:46]
Yeah, that's fine. And then I went to New York. Before I was married to. I'm you are a day to him every night when you were new York. Well, no wonder try. You with what he was. He was with columbia from c B S. Yeah. Let, don't make me talk.

[00:42:05]
Let's talk about what is your happiest memory when you think back on your 96 year. What was your happy? What is somebody happy not happy is but some at the memory that you're just really glad that you have. Well, I haven't thought about happiest something that really gave you pleasure.

[00:42:26]
Or maybe something you're really proud of. Of thank My madame truth, my children. Very proud of your children and how much fun we had over the old hash. The 1st house, the big 3 story house. There was a lot of good times that were had there her. That's a pleasant memory of the the 4 children, elizabeth, who you say has to weigh.

[00:42:56]
But you tell me what her career was. You told me she had a just, I told them. And she did a year saw bon so she and she was There isn't course in all kinds of animals perceived hip worked with the dian farsi. Thank. Although she did not know.

[00:43:22]
Okay, but you work with the diane and we went to see the she and I went on chevrolet bowers and we went see the mountain guerrillas. Did you happen to be a happy memory for you? Is certain is yeah, that'd be wonderful memories you share. And it was we I had paid mamma.

[00:43:44]
You had to meet these gods at 4 o'clock, 5 o'clock in the morning and You had to pay, they will take 4 people. And we got that they and they wouldn't take me this that I was too old. No, you're never too old. Are you? What did you do?

[00:44:06]
Have I just laid down the for the mountain until they came down and I said, day, I'm going to go come back out here tomorrow morning at 5 o'clock. And they, if they don't have people they have to take me with you or not. They didn't, and they did take it that you got there.

[00:44:25]
The schoolmaster I forget where it was with young, with pasco, children to bowers and him. And so they had to take me think and you kept up with everybody just fine. I'm sure. Yeah. Yeah, I didn't know you were a good tennis player. We're in good shape. You did.

[00:44:47]
They didn't know that though. So I got to see the map parallels. Tell me about the boy. It's Charles is the oldest one. What does he do? His as stores And he's ramp, but rent bashed hours. aaron. rent. Okay. Yeah. But they are not down this way. The beast has a number of them.

[00:45:13]
So he's a businessman and your 2nd son is John. John is he's a real dealer. He's a wheeler, giller, he's gonna love hearing that because he's good, really work with, with real estate in Atlanta. And the 3rd one is thermal musician. And he's a musician. What does he play?

[00:45:33]
We play the elbow. He doesn't play anything now, but he graduated from living conservatory. My he had a background. He f d graduate. He worked with he had a little african ma'am, sat for a while then he, he was a, he worked with a, an agency that placed shanghai and then now he's not doing anything except on the number of boards up.

[00:46:06]
They have had wonderful careers and such a rich variety of careers in it. You know, people say, well, they've been boring and you can say that kicked them around how? Because everybody's done something different. How many grandchildren do you have? 66 grandchild charles has 2 girls about it.

[00:46:27]
They're all, well, the girls are not through college yet. That's great. And John has 3 hours and the one I'm still in college was a nightmare. A nice selection of gradual at one of the peers, but any great grandchildren yet, but you can bet you will. Well, I've got a married couple that's just because you've gotten on that one, but some day there will be great grand, i'm sure, guess you've had a very interesting life and a lot of things to be grateful for a long marriage with charlie.

[00:46:59]
How long actually were you 60 years? Pretty long time, isn't it? Maybe even, you know, when you think about you got married in 1900. 34. charlie passed away. companies and 2001 not too long ago. You live years ago? Yeah. You were married more than 60 years and I guess, yeah, you can you just, it all goes by, doesn't it?

[00:47:22]
Sure the some ways does it feel like you just flicked dry and all those years went by. Exactly. If you've seen so many changes in Atlanta. So many changes in Gainesville and the world in the world. So you have a lot of good memories, you know, things to fall back on.

[00:47:40]
So yeah, you were so nice to say that you would let us come talk to you today about charlie and about you. And you've done a marvelous job telling me all these things for going to where you out. Know, I would like to ask you if you want to know more about charlotte, that fisher.

[00:48:00]
I still got an entity about him. I feel like if you have any funny stories or any interesting story about him, that only you know that you can tell us, we would love to hear it. I just don't want to wear you out. So you tell me what time is it?

[00:48:14]
Always about 10 minutes to 4. 0, yeah. Tell me something about certainly how do you remember him the best? Well, I remember pam, of course, some of the plumber, these furnace doors, and up. I felt that he was a very good father, the bus. The times I don't think so.

[00:48:40]
kids never think that when they're growing well, but it kids don't. I mean they don't appreciate it until after the back so that there's nothing but you felt like he was interested in the boys. Goodness. Yeah. And he and your daughter to he made changes in his life to accommodate them so that he could be with you all more.

[00:48:58]
Yeah. Did you like going lots of Family things together? Did he enjoy those? Yeah, sure. Did. And we went afterwards, we went to Maine, that was before they died we, we bought the house up they and with that was a 195050, maybe kind of all run together. Yeah.

[00:49:21]
You did that for years. Yeah. Yeah. And I'll come over of a place in Florida at lauderdale. We had that place for 15 plus some wonderful provider for all of you. I mean, obviously, and when the world thinks of charlie smith, they think of a philanthropist, somebody who gave that.

[00:49:43]
Yeah. And he not only do we have smith words, but if you read the story that are written about it, it was a project charlie start out a long time ago. He made sure that that area was re force, did properly the things he didn't know. He got someone to teach him or to do.

[00:50:02]
That's an amazing thing for him to 6 to 600 acres, just a match and took him a long time to accumulate. All that put put it together. He bowed and he were met in a mechanized equipment in it, we brought in where it causes from montana where he did is create a virgin forest essentially.

[00:50:25]
And you do, you know, have the state got it, don't you? I know that he was very generous and sold it to the mill. Yeah. less than half of its value with that, with the premise that it would always be kept environment. Exactly. So what he tried to do with that is rollback time.

[00:50:43]
You know? Yeah, he succeeded, he generous tough to a fault with a lot of things. That's the thing that the majority of the people who state of Georgia will know, charlie, for, that he was so good to Georgia Tech. Yeah, he's pretty good. Just buried but also we will well, good job of the lambert k, the professorship over there that said that come from you and charlie to the peabody watch.

[00:51:11]
He isn't over there who handles just. Yeah. You created the chair of the endowment for that To test and that the fact we just gave you were to work on behalf of you internally for the ivan, alan college, which wouldn't even exist today of charlie had initiated that really did.

[00:51:31]
He was very faithful to that. Very, but he, you know, charlie tried to keep but he did as low key as possible. Right. So that tells me he was a humble man that he wasn't doing those things because he wanted, you know, St. charlie, you need everything that he did, he saw or need, and he was generous enough to share what he had.

[00:51:56]
I don't think you'd count totally a faint would you know? Your word. He was a real man. He was a real man. Gosh. He was so funny, you know, I was thinking about funny things that right here in this house. We had a decorator in Atlanta who was doing something and he came to the door one day and rang the bell, rang the bell and charlie went to the door and charlie had on his coat, i mean is shirt but know nothing below except yours under way and I'll show his gators is loading up his socks.

[00:52:45]
You and what did the big, robert grant was his name and charlie said, hello, robert said I was just fixing to take a nap car and take one with do you know that robert is the one who told diamond this story? Child and his thanks. Never told the story like they went back, they had got on my big king's kids and child jack and I have a data for it to be thought.

[00:53:15]
Well, I would go along with this with charlie was a character you really, really? Well, I've heard stories of how he liked to pull tricks on people, and that was dr. shannon that told me that the charlie was a trickster. Yeah. I can't remember 2 minute tricks, but the spoofing people.

[00:53:34]
Yeah. You know, having fun. Yeah. So we'll remember him as someone who was enormously generous, very time, but a character, but a couch, be certain about it wasn't done all those years. What? Well, it wasn't done for you. No, no, really not there. Yeah. You're right about here.

[00:53:56]
You live life at the fast lane, but I gentle lane. Yeah. I, I did. They said I don't want to tire you out. You could just wonderful to share with us your story. Well, I think we about through, I think we're just about through. Yes. I just want to say thank you officially, on behalf of Georgia Tech and the community for allowing us to come here today and listen to your story.

[00:54:19]
And thank you from Georgia Tech for all your generosity towards us. We're so grateful that we have the Avenue in college and all the other good things that charlie smith, golf student services building. I, you told me a funny story when I came in that charlie announced when he went to the microphone at the dedication of the building that he didn't think it was make.

[00:54:40]
It Should gotta be that that's right. And all the time, it was not that he wanted a big monument. Yeah, no, he got to be that the student company, they can not very american get in here. It was probably, it was, it was, I thought it was very endearing by it was, it is to this.

[00:55:06]
Thank you. Let's see smith, scott, for sherry with us. It's been really a wonderful privilege to meet you today. The merrill average our meeting you and talking to you and love talking about my I'm glad to hear that. Thank you so much bye.