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>> This is a living history interview with a d little class of 953 conducted by Marilyn summers on July the 24th the year 2003 we are at his office in Marietta Georgia the subject of the interview today is his life in general his experiences at Georgia Tech Mr Little It's a privilege to be here we thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story with us thank you and for the record we are at the offices of little and Smith incorporated and insurance company Right right and we'll get to that in due time but to start your story where were you born and where.

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I was born right here in Marietta Georgia July the 7th make them 32 in the old hospital which is since been gone back and what were your mom and dad doing in Marietta Georgia My father was in the same business he was in the insurance business and real estate business at the time and my mother was a housewife a home keeper they call it the day what I call they both were from area from I know my mother was from Marietta as a matter of fact we are the 5th generation excuse me I'm wrong on that 6 generation of the 1st male Marietta she was a Glover and they are great great great grandfather was the 1st mayor of Marietta my father was from event in Georgia and came to America in about my teens 16 so he came here to make his living came here to make his living worked in the 1st national my companies because we're trying to fill woman wonderful young lady after he served in World War one in the Navy always by the way with the Enjoyed Griffin may serve together how when he was a groomsman and their wedding night pains I want to be one of them is from aggressive and our quest legend or franchise tag for your dad was right there with me right there within that correct.

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Yes and that would have been. One avian World War One I remember that was interesting what would consisted of a Navy in those days I did he talk about that much to you not by chance was not in real long he was in that shake a world war one and got out and came back to America and then and I think 26 he left the bank and started this business so he found it a little and I think right that's correct and did you have any brothers or sisters I have an older small spot that was a graduate of an arrest in Georgia I'm sorry it's an older brother who's a graduate of the University of Georgia So you went against the grain I want to get married and I tried Now you were raised right here in Mary Agnes Levi just all right here elementary school here elementary schools here and then Merrill high school you now was that a 3 year high school or hold or you know it was 4 years but we were the last of the leaven year public school system we did not have an 8th grade.

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We were 2 years of junior high whatever you want to call it straight in the high school so I only had a levelling is a public education called formal training and I momentarily made a difference when I got a job or you know it did I always did now tell me about you in school when you started elementary school were you a good student.

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Yes I was good enough good enough I never walked out you never made good grades I had good grades except for we called the Portman back and that was behavior havildar citizenship or whatever your god or you was a little blessed you were the youngest in the family so you probably had teachers saying that you've done that like your sister you did that like your brother did yes that's the reason why we did so you could get down what you had to get done right but you got by with the bare minimum nest about it and what about sports for you in the sport yes I was in the play a little football and played and ran track and was never really outstanding and one but I did have fun but had found something you like to do where you have so would you say that you had a pretty happy growing up time in there then just beautiful this was a good place a good place America was a wonderful place because World War 2 changed a great deal when making 41 and 42 so in my years it was growing rapidly and then when World War 2 was over things slowed down tremendously and here in America but they were still good it was a wonderful place and still is that Snyder can know that right now now the college did your mama daddy raise you to say you were going to college but you know you still there was never a question you were about going to question my mother was a graduate of a Scot my father did not go to college she was the last of 11 children and the money had run out wow I guess not but yes we've gone is not a flat I've always thought I was going.

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You know Marie and but then some on the other changed and I know Mel that they perhaps encourage me because you can imagine the different situation between Emory and Georgia Tech and my brother and sister were still in college I have 3 of us college I am tuitions and 3 so I know now why they encouraged me to go to Georgia I was quite a sacrifice but really didn't consider going to Georgetown with your brother matter what a guy you knew from the beginning and I'm going to be going there and I said well at that.

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I am so glad you think that you had all your priorities in order I just had you been a follower of tech coming and we head into the I'm going to let it all go Thanksgiving freshman games who had done early or late no to get to those games and yes we want to many minutes Georgia Tech football so it was part of your social life calling others did your dad stay in touch with Dean Griffin Yes So did you get to meet him when you were tile and we asked this I know you would welcome but I know by him one when he was the in the students when I was there you want to have a different perspective and then that some of the older can go to get them didn't know accepted it could be growth on the outside.

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What was he like really he just warm up he did not tolerate a lot of weakness you had to stand up for yourself as long as you were willing to do that he would help in any way so he was looking for somebody who had their own background now I'll tell you a funny story about him sometime in one of my other tech people if you want to hear it abc or if I want to hear it any technology about you I might or might not know Dean Griffin had a little trouble as I recall with chemistry he when he was in school when he was in school and as I recall he always said he took each course each quarterly cost $4.00 times and out of the lesson he had 12 quarters to pass chemistry and that might have been something else but that's my recollection so he did have a lot of sympathy for people who had struggled I had a fraternity brother a boy named Tom Parkinson is now dead he was also in the class 53 he added in 48 and he was there 5 years and what some screw every year for 4 years he had been there all that time and 5 years to 15 plus fortnight team course and we came up to graduation in 1953 and he was 2 hours short of a number of hours so I set time in the stone seating Griffen So we did and we sent an all he greeted us he always did Boy Well you won't so we were man and I said then said POTUS and yeah no problem good boys and then there was yes.

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Spock has got a little problem he's 2 hours short of graduation is that right I said to our box and told him what he'd done and homeless period time and all that and he had tried engineering couldn't make it had fall back to industrial management and he said well I said you've been in 1000 strike orders and he said yes.

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They sent you high and said Yes so let me call them sustain the machine was named the scoop gets a moment phone conversation going by like this Griffin help serve our daughter more pockets in the mouth which silence while listening to him that she wants pennies to our shore to graduation the most lives he's given to it.

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And he did it so Paul Courson was able to graduate with us in June and then math going back to summer school for 2 hours true story what the full story to show given to him to it. What a great story any of you know one of the wildest things about being Griffin is that like dozens and hundreds of people have stories and we're never the same story never said everybody's got a different story from him which makes him so rare it's not a chance so what about it when a character that he was a pretty important partner some kids went to tech and never even laid eyes on him right but being a family friend he was keeping an eye on him more in life now and I never had a problem so I didn't have to go to him personally but bless your soul because it could have been real big Had I had why that's right I try so why don't you play the tech you became aware of the fact that you only have 11 year olds writing in the day isn't it when I got there for example in chemistry we finished everything I knew in the 1st 3 days I mean I was old for my own now I was prepared only and English because we had on the English stage and America system that really made a stoma and you know that all the things I was pretty much on to buy had fallen hard slave a dog a small but in my career at Georgia Tech and back when Kim Astraea was head of 3 hours a week in class and then you had a 3 hour lay up and the last you had you took a midterm exam in the final exam you had to pass lab in order to pass course we took a midterm lab exam and I made 27.

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Now that got my attention and I promise you made 93 on the final to average 60 which would give me a 60 average passing if you will barely follow lab and when the average that I buckle down in the class I had to be in the class and when they averaged 2 together I got a sleeve for the course that was a daughter's moment and my joy to take history but that's called pulling it up I think but I have room to play 1st base delight baby ever had Professor then give me a flying hour was not enough to make you fat it made made it to not a full Did you ever have a study when you came there not properly so you had to learn 1st how do I And then.

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There again I love intended to be an engineer and I'm probably one of the last few people that never learned how to use one slide rule because I never took calculus all real physics as we used to call it and when we separated as freshman Ike 7 of us signed up as a doctoral management majors when we graduated there were about almost $200.00 of us a lot of which had been there 5 and 6 years driving their cars the store management was only the only soft spot if you will academically and it really was a very soft it was not solved you know it but it was back apparent since I've been here but I never had a real calculus and physics and things like your experience and going away when the 194949 there were out a lot of g.i. there from the right drag down right they were going up in the bowl with a good bigger hole we had a very fine and the fraternity especially cause a lot of Mad Men there several years and you know get him out of a board for fun for sex and they would characterize him of poor little court.

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It was another screaming with my like those guys they knew how to do everything with exuberance not the least of which was party and they have and we've never seen it but my wife would think you had to kind of education secretary said they realize exactly right now I've had guys tell me that they said it was the a veteran set a real high standard and they really had to buckle down and learn and so it was a help and that we did that they were all of us that made it with a little bit from around the world without it they were having fun but they stood on end of it and I don't think I knew any of that fog that they might have when they 1st got there but these guys knew what they would do well by this time they they were men yes they'd been to the war and they came back ready to get on with their advisory we were 1718 you always and I would live I think it's a very extraordinary situation in the history of education and man that you know 2 very different species approach to gether like that but it was for the most part very positive rather than teaching you real life issues it was positive that we learn to have a good place and then that good place what did you think of this that the professors the faculty Well we had actual performances in particular and I am Bob And we also had some that would be gracious and call a margin call.

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That was 1 o'clock before I saw that. Well I don't know whether I should say his name or not there are go all gone home happy talk it's brown all my by you heard about I know I will have Yeah we have heard where. You never took his hat off what a character what a care absolute care and yet you have to kind of wonder how did he how did they are they are like that you're right he was there for you to get and he would teach it but if you didn't get it that was interpreter a problem and he was obsessed with the Russians and cosmic rays that's reason they said he was handsome but the Rays can get through his head we all phony all.

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Of that but it wasn't Paul that's not the pictures of you know you were out all like it was when he was about but I kid you not and then he thought the bet he always would say the bet made me do it and I promise you this is the truth and he had a great sense of humor but on the final exams of his course I forgotten who had just been killed some Russian men killed and I forget who it was at the time but I just drew a picture of a bat and say we know who's who killed so and so and turned it into my quiz paper government.

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That really want to I've heard that story but I've never heard anyone that has experience with it yet I'm a native of the mess there were some really good professors there always is they were some great d.m. Smith Did you ever have him did not have but your parents with but he was in mathematics as I recall definitely and slee I almost didn't have to go and have a mathematics now to just love for track but yes I read all the freshman track to him and the freshman cars country Lehman and one good enough to get very far I got my numerals we call them well that's good but what that matching graph on was watching the America always thought yeah he coached cross-country but it kept the Miami unreal Norris Dean was a truck coach that's true and Tommy Plaxico was assistant dummy just died here within the last few years great Georgia Tech He also coached the Gospel in life fact he left right and coach of play but nobody as I don't like to go for character and as was going to be asked Why are so many we have so many of the faculty work characters to mysterious types today.

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Everybody was unique in those days that very unique you either have to have the same or cookie cutter never got so right now you're learning. Technique you learned how to study tech got your attention you got involved so was it a pretty happy time for you I mean you were under stress I'm sure you know I work on the street or spend a lot in the Press Trust and now I know I was under stress and where the laws of my freshman year but I've got that now that I got out it was it was Ok the test years and your boss is yes perhaps she is our head for you know they make a joke about that but you never appreciate that Telus long gone past your now straight you were at a time when Baghdad came around I worked full time and and their football team started getting really good when you have a Caribbean ship and women came.

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Out a love story you heard them. But when dog came close he came I think a year or 2 before that actually came and 35 but he was working out here that will measure yeah that was of what you click 4 to 6 but a night in 4 in the would be George and we didn't lose 2.

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Years I've got h. 3 I thought in order to avoid one take your brother and sister had. 3 But our team really had the power about that didn't 2 but that was and then cost we were to those fun bowl games because we all followed the team to get you to bowl and the Sugar Bowl you got to go to load with Buffalo to have fun and you know the end of the great team really.

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The class I mean the season the 52 is perhaps a batch that you've already got enjoyed my speaking like that that was you know when they were in it we want sure the ball but the Orange Bowl a year before was pretty good to know that he was only on the last one day when then that was a typo I wrote that I was doing that how would you call Bob going to a ball game like that how did you get down there to get a bunch of guys against 56 you're not motivated by obligation to know somebody had a car and my dad calling you to stay with friends or perhaps trainer and a new all in for example which payment to Wayne Stern to house to to go also the a.t.o.s. put you up that yeah they were it was New Year's and they were out so little we had plenty of room in the house how did that work out well I stopped and wondered I knew how to tame that there but I don't know how the followers got there well we didn't do a lot of fly by now I knew you had to drive by and I didn't imagine you were staying in a motel that they knew no way or explain their state of the French Quarter when you got.

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Out of the office but you're a member those really really happy times right. Well we look at the films that we have of those times and I mean everybody was like just crazed with school spirit I mean it effected the whole community of our city of Atlanta was excited George good football was the of it in Atlanta in those days so I can get excited thinking aloud you know that it will all come to really what afternoon than to get a ticket and you know we got that's truth today ladled you are correct they walk I think after the general public there was a competition right in to what it was nothing to do with Lance and they did it up.

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Georgia Tech didn't and yellow jackets for riding high in Baghdad were a great example he was a great example and a great man and not a lot of flaws we all have all but he he really helped a lot of young men that might not be much today and that led many to make a difference and he made right of it yes handing a graphic novel you know changed people's lives by being kind and what a wonderful privilege I often wonder every university has somebody like that on my way to the last.

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I mean people that stayed so long and did so much now tell me your version of the women coming that that perturb you at all you. You've heard this sure but during that period of time as I recall the Board of Regents. You know asked us what we thought and we took a poll the technique the newspaper took a poll and the students not all well meaning women but did defeat the they voted not to admit girls how did you feel about that I didn't like the older girl I knew what we white get but our role we catch is attractive young lady but like the general thought that your general faltered they would all be I think to call him to be a nerd just in playing a mage but we thought we ought to stay like whoop one of the girls and Scott play girls and lie on university and all right but anyhow they took the issues and as I recall to the student guild so which voted for it so that Regent Street Madison vote Ga Tech students and.

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Then later had pretty much made up his mind that we're going to happen he was just going through the motions with the ark and who would have ever known how very positive it would all turn out to be but I would rather imagine that you didn't even see women.

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No they would kill me if they were so few of I think what to read in the 1st year of the 1st beer fridge and 2nd part of a master plan are a quarter and then later the waiter came more but not enough for you in a body I'm in what 52 and and they all came in engineering much so you probably know on the 1st might see him walking across it so it wasn't much of an issue when he got right down to it was that all.

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Tell me about being with a.t.l. with that a good thing for you which grand experience and when did you go with them I care when I was a freshman Lol you rushed right away right well back when we did our lives then we rushed the freshman with through Rush weakest So there's a Gap Band generally before school started and the the 80 year olds were among the top 5 and they extended in my freshman class an extended I think it may be exactly right I think they extended 55 beers and they got 51 people too except they were killed nomad we had a large plate class that ever was now what that was attributed to nobody really knew but my grandfather had been 80 or so one and my uncle had been an 80 year old George tax so it was a that was my 1st choice and there were several good.

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That was a shocker to the a.t.l. has to get $51.00 pledges it was a joke around screw you know if somebody anybody but the statistics are there they got a by the old name so that's pretty interesting that was your social life built around of the scholarship life but I had good friends another day and in fact this day one of my best friend's father held so we didn't I didn't limit it just a tale but it did provide a structure for Yele so he helped having started to do a very big background in those days even for the vets those that could afford it it was a very big sign in the sixty's that fell away all the worry that it is not public knowledge on this day and today they perhaps don't share the position on campuses that they might in the elderly and those they know they have done it was very important.

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I have to ask what you her and initiation was everybody has a different one in there so interesting do you remember your and how we used to have to carry a brick that's about a week at a brick wall listen all the time and if any brother holiday air raid you had to hit the ground that went on for about a week and then we had Hell my Which was really hill I had to drink out of water and had dark water all and go through you know all kinds of indignities there was nothing brutal there was no anything it was more meant to be humiliating humiliation right there was no beating involved we didn't go after the demand patterns so I'm going to stand by the boys I'd care plans and every time I saw a brother then stop gets one afternoon to do that thank goodness they were a little more civil little more civil but for an issue she was humiliating and humbling to say the least I have heard some outlandish I can't think of any other word stories about what people had to do or want to be called but this stuff.

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But that gave them the all of the upper classmen an opportunity to exercise their devious minds are part of that did you get taken out of the country and left of my new back I'll It's going to didn't do that either now the you picked wisely we did this they did that they used to take their boys up dump him out at the Fox They had a bottleneck and don't run back to camp it was a dud not heard about the Biltmore when they took note of the farm actually in full no running from street almost and dumping money here but and then some of the others would take them out in the country out and I can't lay on the lights with no id no money or anything and I had to give my best because in today's world that would be very dangerous but it it was just part of the trickery and now tried and all hard good important part.

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The memories that you have the last time right did you go to the dances yeah we you know we had much more fraternity dances and then go to all of the tech dances and. Everybody had you know they would have the naval and our o.t.c. would have been there for all those nations and what have you and of the we had had some good point is that the poor the yellow jacket club or the bulldog so I now look at your record in the yearbook it says you bum on to just about everything not a lot of money so you're a busy boy mode but if I had a ton other nets that is hard to sum up at that and I'm not bragging about that that's great that she did I would say this and accomplishments I finally made Dean's list my last year right there and make the Danes last she had to have a 36 as a freshman 34 as a sophomore 3 to the junior 30 is a c..

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And b. from the top finally get to 7 and which was rounded off to 3 and so I've made these lists for me. Your parents must have been very well proud of it will perhaps they were supportive of your time that we asked that actually doing the right thing by our o.t.c. which one naval or o.t.c. and our 4 year to you all for years and.

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Back then. That was. There again the numbers may not be exactly right but you know a lot of people didn't make it out of tech and then had used to have the story look on you're laughing because you're right those 2 guys will be here but unable or o.t.c. they were but no idea this is freshman and about 35 as I recall graduated was commissioned.

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Week course Korean war still going on and so we made a little back did you got your graduation got graduation and they said then commission the Slayer order that's right and I always said I'm not legally a naval officer because I'm not 21 and big if you worked with a woman you know I said this is not binding and they didn't look at it now they said.

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Well no I'm not asking for what you want to rebirthing with all my staff no I think they weren't counting No They they they gave people those responsibility stuff so really you you know what you face your last 2 years in school knowing you were going to have to go on active duty unless somebody said well why were you know I had played now because Korean War broke out with a freshman that are a college prank someone like and 50 and the war was over and one November of of there about 53 so out when I went in the war was playing down and there really wasn't much worry about it didn't bother you I did have 7 fraternity brothers who were killed in the war in Iraq I was hoping to live when there was another boy in the naval unit with us who was not killed in combat but killed in the plane crash she went to naval flight so we we had had a few that disappear which I like is always the worst kind.

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So when you think back on those times I mean there were a lot of dresses you know the most of them and so what were your orders all those I had to report to the naval supply course crew bailed on the Jersey which was cross river from New York City that was not bad at all.

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I'm doing that's right I was there for about 4 months and then was assigned a ship and in the Atlantic and then to be a strip carrier and we carry Marines and Seabees all over the Atlantic in the Caribbean was no good I was a supply of course office not what we call an officer so if you will a falling business at that.

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At that point is my main supply of zeros line off so you know I want to navigate the grammar so that means that you are actually doing management kind of things correctly the right thing or I think that actually it was a fat move house ordinary because I heard a lot of stories that were in that that.

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Yes that you you lucked out you actually got a task that suited you well yeah but you then asked for your preference in my 1st preference for sure duty Atlanta cowshed not a preference sure duty Pacific coast and 30 preference was combat ships for preference you had put on some with fields I got amphibious what Christmas I finally sucked so they went to the bottom of your land automatically making the Tories for that but at least they gave you some dry air how did you like being in New Jersey was that funded you have access to New York and different world where again flow of boy from America Georgia and New York City was never closed for much you know we didn't travel in those days 50 years ago like young people today and that's something that was part of the 1st time I ever went up that was that was my roommate was from Barrington.

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Rhode Island in the Navy I mean he was he and I would in the Navy up he was my roommate 2 years you know it and he's come in the fifty's reunion like to say Peter Dunlap Ok but did he know the big city that only 18 is big city and had a sister who lives in New York and and her Greenwich Village which was in the doors and his mother this mother and father divorced his mother lived in Spring Lake New Jersey a picture New Jersey as a whole smokestacks and slums not so it's beautiful state that I don't want to admit it it was a very agrarian spatially still is today model we have a little bit of it and things.

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But you actually got to sing York City and all that scar you made many nights. Warm am right now I've got more memories of your work spirits was relatively smooth slick smooth and I didn't end up being a problem you know did you make up your mind then that you were going to come back to Marietta and go in business with your dad know where you are not even think and I didn't know what I was known because I was a typical young man and.

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My father died in July 54 suddenly of a heart attack and my mother died in October some 3 months later. From lung cancer and so lost in both it's and I have to get out of the Navy early which they let me out about the heart I haven't heard yet and I came home and went into his insurance business because there was nobody else he was also president of the Savings and Loan and my brother was home from Korea and all me and he had to look after a few Well people money in the savings and loan so he took over working for the same 2 holes which left left insurance real estate to me and I didn't know much about it but I came right home jumped right in and sprats won the best minds and I happened to settle me now when I realized after here too what an opportunity it was and it was tough this little you had were coming from the military facing the tragedy of having a lot but your parents.

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And you decided because your brother was taking care of the same things around part of it you would happen to be in charge private What did you know about Mr Turner. 000 How did it work with my father a couple of summers and I knew a little bit but not enough to say you were in charge no not so on the business you had to come in and learn from the ground that I did and did you indeed do that yes but you know I had my father had 3 wonderful ladies with his business.

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They pretty well told me so they stayed they stayed as a matter of fact all 3 of them wound up working for he and I for at least 50 years before the coming of our main well ready made York was the oldest. And Mary groove of we just retired about 3 years ago she worked she will work 52 years now another lady named ivory black and white all calculate old god given a family as.

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He had hired them as young girls and as a right old man if it hadn't been for them I don't believe we will succeed we're very gracious to give them credit that's now and they took you out of their way again touch you hold me I was eyeing the only thing they couldn't teach me to do was to swell and I'm not the best no salesman orders but adequate at best but you had to take your turn at the trial I was more than just manager and we will insure it and real estate business but that meeting you were selling when we were a selling real estate and did you know anything about that no nothing like that where were you located at that time at all Atlanta street 3 blocks away from here 4 blocks away from outside square law office building that my father bought.

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We were there until $1074.00 and we both were so places remodeled Portland that it now this is and looks like other. I have a vintage house of the area that it was built some turn in the 1850s so far as we know Sherman burned all the records and got to the courthouse so we don't know exactly but we do know that it was left his office of course for the Union Army when they occupied America out so we do know that their original part of it has been here since late fifty's sometimes it was had been turned into an apartment house and we bought it my partner and I make things for remodel it in our business and then some 5 years ago I had a substantial amount more space we've grown from about 4 per cent of an association to 23 day which doesn't sound like a lot when I type this and yeah that's a lot a lot now you do not have a real estate not anymore not anymore without the strictly outing strictly on insurance back 4050 years ago you could do both though they both became a lot more complicated sophisticated.

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And like everything else like everything and you just couldn't do both so we outspanned sure plenty to take a partner on my part of the Bill Smith saying if he came here making 58 is my recollection and I've met on naval midshipman crews. And I think 50 to some of them I can fit and then he located in Macon Georgia some time later on in the fifties and one thing led to the other when he was looking for something else to do rather than sell carpet boxes and I told him I think it's a car get back to the Secret Service sure.

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And he came in. And has been a have a snit on this one for a nice good good partnership for both of his son is here now and then whether some. I get this from what I think some 16 or 17 years now and actually we both worked with his son.

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It's time to change the future and now let's go back to when you were learning the business and you've got the idea that it helps you to have a lot of great writing not because you want to be a lawyer knew I never really want to be a lawyer but I would do my close to 2 years got a degree which was you know you can do that and it helped me tremendously because the insurance business real estate business is nothing but people and paperwork and a lot of screw up their grades so it's a pain it's part of the whole thing the more you know about the law the better it serves Jacqueline you know it's always been contracts to join the contracts interpretation of contracts that's a grind to go to night school and run of there's a lot of signs of it it was there it was one any problem where you're pretty pretty cavalier about I'm going to law school did you take the bar I did took it one time and did not press it and they said they had but that and they prove that but the person the ball was a tremendous of playing and hard really had never intended to be I hadn't properly prepared but I had to get knowledge is yeah you never know they passed as I recall somewhere around 21 percent of the people the exam and everybody else took it over and over and bought it to him but then they only gave it wants a year so these people who wanted to be lonely.

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And there are a lot of Georgia Tech people who went on to be lawyers Yeah if they didn't personally they're there the way they hold here nearly give it about every 2 or 3 months of but no I did not pass but I didn't write it would have been just a you know a lack of a little icing on the cake like that I would not practice law.

[00:39:46]
So once you got into the swing of being an insurance agent and then you took some professional training to learn more about your your career more bath chair field started for the c.p.c. you a chartered propagation underwrites designation which is the today I guess still has the professional designation for.

[00:40:09]
Property Casualty Insurance agents that was a 5 year deal you could do it last I'm it's somewhat comparable to c.p.a. they are sleepy a is it take all parts for parts of their exam and passed most watched a lot of take wanted to and the c.p.c. you wasn't imports might wear and you could not learn them and take them to split that it was $5.00 back Emmett Till that day and I saw it took a man 55 years to pass but it is the highs designation you can have and they in turn may not be nice but ranks right up there so you got yourself did that that's yourself well prepared for what you were going to do her and me and Nicole but it made me look my best so what did establish yourself out as.

[00:41:00]
Littlest mess and then the business with running a law and you knew you were going to make it you started looking around your community and got involved in community things always Chamber of Commerce Bob in lots of things did you learn that lesson from your dad well yes you did love the 1st week I was it were the followers of corneas 1st week I was at work one of my good friends the movie it was a drug a scary movie it got mentioned glow with all the corners I mean I'm a choice just to be right here it was if you had been a clown for that's right and I was a poor man and still lost their way into this but what do you think don't do you feel that's an important part of you supporting the business community has to support I mean I'm not as active today in those online if you are to say if you do it down the manager if we look around your office we see plaques for various and sundry things like a Junior Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Commerce So you took your turn to be a leader and I was proud of Julie McConnell merged my team 64 that's a lot to go.

[00:42:05]
Short I have to get my merit badges and Boy Scouts. But in a hand I was Mary Jane but was not the organization that it is today it was early on getting struggling to get going to and it was a lot of small town county jealously among business people in the chamber was old but came in that in the next few years after that realization but it you know when you get into it to build the bottom of it right we go to a new building while I was president but it's like that that's pretty significant was a great grand experience also and it makes you feel so much like you belong to the right me and it needs to be so far have you been involved with the historic preservation of the Marietta so to speak the morning off the development on the Apollo we did hold a little open to the idea here what I was already chilled about and but no I haven't been actively involved enough support Yeah that's what I'm thanking him out there are those that would refer to some of those organizations assist his hysterical associations and I was not quite like that with a kid in here that crossed a lot with development as you say so I have never been that active but that's about aware of others and finally when did you get married got married in the way you get 950 not well not much long after you got going there I tried to tell me about your family my wife as possible Kendall from Sharon's doctor what she's your 1st South Carolina graduate.

[00:43:44]
As I just find her she came to religious tracing us to marry out of the bin my cousin's wedding we met and you know proverbial We met at a wedding on Yahoo has a little twist of that in that this was when she was a freshman in college and my cousin at the time they were Stephen's College at Missouri and she was a freshman and here I was a man of the world you know out of the Navy and out running the business side of wood to impress but so often did stick back in and she came back 3 years later my cousin coming in and said you would you like to take some of that which I would but I remember the rather favorably and I will then.

[00:44:29]
To 3 much we knew then we were only in America I came to work with Davis and so yes the law in Atlanta you just let her go and curl up and I don't wish she let me go or. Maybe it was a ritual a little bit of that and children to go to the children and.

[00:44:47]
So on this 80 the 3rd this of which the pope in the land that developers Larry King and another tech manage a land and. My daughter condole is a nurse practitioner a graduate of Amanda Masters George Strait son has a master's in Wake Forest also was a we would call the different schools but family they did you proud of what they did living graduate degrees and do tonight are as is the marriage of my son this man is just married in the past 3 years and presented us with our 1st grandchild maybe the 4th I want to make and I'm going to call him maybe we can call him up at night his name right now anyway.

[00:45:34]
So you have your 1st grandchild pretty exciting little late in life but well that's never to write that I hope like that I know you have maintained a very close relationship with Georgia Tech over the years at least you've been supportive right I guess something you learn from your dad are something you and him now yeah you do that as well no war on I have a great deal of respect and love for your life tonight there's no telling where I'd be if it hadn't been for what I got where.

[00:46:04]
Then you know I have a lot of friends with them supported not attack one of my mentors are proud left of Bob So you know you get caught up in a stranger and what you do you see if you support and dictation what it's doing for other people.

[00:46:22]
Gillette's bore moon course of love the sports project so you if you just do sports not support screw if you do the. Job well there's a little note on your found that says he's a golden giver which means a given for 50 consecutive year that sure is putting your money where your mouth is a little well that's the roll call.

[00:46:46]
Thank you so much for that my pleasure and it will be soley noted on your on your web page holding giver come on so well it's been what I would call a typical small town America story in a way the tragedy of losing your parents is very sad yes losing them both together that way but you had a happy coming up time and made the most of your college time and the military couldn't have been kinder to you it sounds like it's ready to go on fire and you certainly have been a great asset to your community to the business community where yeah so we thank you for sharing that story with us today the world you're a good storyteller and we enjoyed every minute like you you there was but we don't want crabby people know now I want to write down.

[00:47:38]
This belong to.