Goodson Family Photographs Discovered

Here are photos of the Goodson family, circa 1943 - newly discovered by Winecoff Fire reader, Cheryl Pampe Fowler. She tells the story of the photos, kept safe for seventy-five years, in her Readers' Mail item.

The Goodson's tragic story is told on pages 51, 52 and 226 of the hardback edition of The Winecoff Fire: The Untold Story of America's Deadliest Hotel Fire.

The Goodson home in Clay City, Ill.

Living room where Cheryl Pampe Fowler later lived and played.

The home was on Pure Oil Company land.

Joe Goodson. a Pure Oil geologist and his wife, Galdys

Joe Goodson Jr. and son, Joe III

Gladys Goodson and Joe III

Cheryl Pampe Fowler and brother, Carl William Pampe.

 

 

The Pampe family moved into the Goodsons' Clay City home in the weeks following the Winecoff fire.

Jane Wallace - A Winecoff Biography by Chet Wallace

Jane Wallace survived the 1946 Winecoff Hotel fire

   Jane Wallace checked into room 1522 the night before the fire.  She was from Holly Springs, Mississippi and was born Jane Graham on February 3, 1922.  Jane grew up in the Pontotoc, Mississippi area and graduated from Pontotoc High School.  She had brown hair and was about 5’6”.  (3) 
    Jane married Byron Orville Wallace during World War II.  Byron was a serviceman during the war and the Army sent Byron to the University of Mississippi in Oxford and Jane was a student at the Oxford Hospital Nurses Training School attending a four-year program.  It is believed this was how Jane and Byron met and soon they were married.  Jane’s sister Eva described Byron as “a real nice guy” and probably Jane was attracted to Byron because of his heroic status as a serviceman.  (2)
    At the time of the fire Jane and Byron were separated and she traveled by bus from Holly Springs to Atlanta, according to her sister Eva, “to see if they could reconcile differences and get back together.”  Jane divorced Byron soon after the fire and in October of 1947 married Bill Newsom.  Bill mentioned in an interview with Winecoff Fire co-author, Sam Heys, that it was Jane’s intention to divorce Byron because she had met Bill and wanted to marry him.  Bill mentioned that he knew that Jane was in Atlanta for this reason but didn’t know what hotel she was staying in and didn’t think Jane was in any danger when the news spread about the Winecoff fire.  (3)
    The hotel register for the night of December 6th shows that Mr. and Mrs. Byron Wallace checked in that night from Holly Springs.  But Byron wasn’t in the hotel at the time of the fire.  Different scenarios could be deduced from this.  Maybe Byron paid for the room and didn’t intend to stay in the hotel.  Maybe Jane intended for both of them to spend the night at the hotel or maybe they had argued and Byron left. 
    Regardless of the situation Jane was alone in 1522 and she awakened when “a terrific roar hit the door.  I looked out and smoke poured in.  A man and a little boy also came running in.  Somebody ran a ladder from the next building and I climbed out of my room.   I yelled to the little boy and his daddy to come too; I tried to pull them, but they apparently had passed out.”  (1)
    The man and little boy mentioned in the above excerpt were Carlos and his son Richard Hamil from Rome, Georgia.  Carlos was the advisor, to the Rome Hi-Y delegates.  Jane had the intention of jumping from her window but Carlos Hamil talked her out of it and the three of them wet towels and covered their faces.  Someone extended a ladder from the roof of the Mortgage Guarantee Building and Jane was the first to go across.  Once Jane made it across she called to the Hamil’s but found that they had passed out in the room so the men who extended the ladder across climbed into the room to take the Hamil’s out. 

Jane resumed her nursing career after the fire

    It is believed that Jane didn’t suffer any physical injury and never went to a hospital after the event.  Her sister Eva mentioned that Jane spent a few days recuperating at Byron’s parents’ house in College Park but the extent of the injuries she suffered, whether physical or mental, is unknown.  (2)
    Jane’s second husband Bill described that at one point soon after the fire while staying in a hotel in Memphis that she was very concerned about what floor they were staying on.  Jane did mention to her husband once that “she and some others crawled on a ladder, fourteen floor up to another building.”  (4)  Jane and Bill had two daughters throughout their marriage.  One of their daughters, Judy, described that Jane was a very private person and never talked about the fire.  In fact Judy never knew that her mother was previously married until Judy had married herself.  When she found out Judy was visiting her mother and her aunt mentioned that Jane was in a hotel fire.  Judy turned to her mother and asked “you were in a hotel fire in Atlanta?”
    Jane responded “yes”.
    Judy asked “what were you doing over there?”
    Jane said “just visiting.”
    Judy said that’s all her mother said and she knew she didn’t want to talk about it.  Judy asked another aunt who told her more about the story of Jane being married. 
    After Judy found out that her mother was in the fire Jane scratched out the name Wallace on her nursing pin from when she attended nursing school.  Apparently she didn’t want her daughter to know that she was divorced.  Jane considered her divorce to be shameful to her family.  She was a Baptist and later when one of her own children went through a divorce it devastated her.  (4)
    Jane continued her nursing career after the fire and soon acquired a job working at the Marshall County Hospital and then for the last ten to fifteen years of her life she worked in the surgical supply department.  (4)  Jane died on May 14, 1984 of a brain tumor.  (5)

Sources:
Macon Telegraph Monday December 9, 1946
Eva Moore/Sam Heys phone interview
Bill Newsom/Sam Heys phone interview
Judy Mims/Chet Wallace phone interview June 2015
Letter written to Sam Heys from Bill Newsom

George Goodwin Biography by Matt Porter

George E. Goodwin:

Service Before Self

By Matt Porter

Behind the Scenes Advisor’s Wisdom and Long Perspective

Shaped Modern Atlanta … and Countless Lives

For more than 60 years, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and public relations counselor George Goodwin was one of Atlanta’s leading civic architects — and perhaps its greatest and most unseen. Beginning in the 1940s, he helped shape modern Atlanta, guiding it to become an economic powerhouse and leading population center. While Goodwin never sought the spotlight for his influence, his fame was legend, earned by his talent for helping people of different political, religious and social backgrounds work towards common purpose: the improvement of Atlanta.

Born June 20, 1917, George Evans Goodwin, Jr. 97, died January 21, 2015, at his Atlanta residence surrounded by his family. His guiding philosophy was captured in a brief, revealing inscription penned in his own hand to his son Allen inside the cover of a book he co-authored with Atlanta writer Anya Martin and Herbert Miller entitled Boys High Forever: The History of an Extraordinary Atlanta Public High School:

“This book is about my high school in Atlanta. It no longer exists, but its well-trained alumni have helped make Atlanta the good city it is. The moral — if there is one — is seek the best, and all around you will benefit.”

Belief in the Capacity of Others

Search the Internet for Atlanta’s history over the past 70 years, and Goodwin’s name is interwoven with the city’s story. His role in shaping the city is preserved in the archives of the state’s trade associations, newspapers, major universities, philanthropic organizations, museums, civic associations, corporations and religious institutions. He was a quiet giant, shaping Atlanta through expansion of its civic, cultural and economic infrastructure, including the building of the Peachtree Plaza Hotel, Oglethorpe University, Westminster Schools, Alliance Theater, MARTA, the Atlanta Arts Alliance, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Atlanta Public Library. He achieved these things by drawing together people of diverse perspectives, means and talents to create philanthropic organizations, businesses, and economic might as well as advancing the quality of race relations, religious tolerance and civic responsibility.

Former Trinity Senior Minister Rev. Joanna Adams, speaking at Goodwin’s 95th birthday observance (2012) said, “Of all the legacies George is going to leave, his greatest is helping our city learn how different people can live together and communicate with each other in a spirit of civility and respect.”

Goodwin’s sincere belief in capacity of others and his interest in their lives was legend, inspiring generations to make Atlanta the economic capital of the Southeast and a city of international significance. He made Atlanta’s success the measure of his success, generating valuable friendships with scores of business, civic and religious leaders. Every Atlanta mayor from William B. Hartsfield to Shirley Franklin saw him as a progressive, practical thinker who fully understood and drew energy from the urban environment and need for bi-racial cooperation. Said Mayor Shirley Franklin in a tribute to Goodwin in 2004: “I think George has made all the difference in the world to this city. If it hadn’t been for George and his commitment to this city and his willingness to tackle tough problems, I am not sure we’d be the city we are today. His mark will be long-lasting.” (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeJeESOW59A)

In the cause of Atlanta’s spiritual, cultural economic and civic development, no one was more devoted than he. He helped lead the effort to build the Woodruff Memorial Arts Center following the tragic jetliner crash on June 3, 1962, at Paris Orly Airport that claimed the lives of more than 106 Atlanta arts patrons, plus 24 others. He and his wife were among a handful of families who used their own homes as collateral to found and build Trinity Presbyterian Church in northwest Atlanta. When Atlanta’s leaders were organizing for the 1996 Olympic bid, the call came to Goodwin to help shape the communication effort. In economic development, he worked with such leading businessmen as James D. Robinson (First National Bank of Atlanta), Robert Woodruff (Coca-Cola), and John C. Portman (Portman & Associates). And while Goodwin could walk among civic titans, his greatest satisfaction came in helping the young and disadvantaged form careers of good purpose, opening doors and encouraging them to exceed his high expectations. He sincerely believed that all good people, no matter their background or education, could help make Atlanta great, step-by-step, brick by brick, deed by deed.

When asked what set his father apart, his son Allen Goodwin said, “My father had an aura that engulfed every person he encountered, evoking the best in them because he honestly expected it. It was amazing to watch, like magic. He inspired those around him to excel.”

Skippy and George Goodwin in 1998

His Passion Was Atlanta

While George’s first and only love was Lois “Skippy” (Milstead) Goodwin, his wife of 65 years whom he married in 1940, Atlanta was his life-long passion. His stock and trade were friendships and civic connections, which he wove into coalitions that dared mighty things for decades. His final great civic contribution came in the fall of 2003 when Mayor Franklin and other leaders sought his advice on how to handle the controversy that had erupted over the renaming of Atlanta’s airport in the wake of former Mayor Maynard Jackson’s death in June that same year. Goodwin’s advice was archetypical in its succinct blend of historic accuracy, cultural respect, and reason: “The new name is clear to any reasonable person,” he told them. “Two great mayors, one great name: ‘Hartsfield-Jackson International.’”

Youth and Early Career, 1917 to 1939

The only son of Carrie (Clark) and George Goodwin, Sr., he was born June 20, 1917, and grew up in Atlanta’s west end near Gordon Street. His father was a travelling salesman for a fire extinguisher company, and after separating from young George’s mother, settled in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a single mother Carrie Goodwin was an indomitable, self-sufficient woman and an icon ruling as manager at the Ponce de Leon Apartments (North Avenue and Peachtree, now the Ponce Condominium) from 1913 into the 60s. She died there a resident at age 94 in 1989.

Yet Carrie was not alone in raising her son. In 1932, she moved to Morningside to live with her sister and brother-in-law, Anna and Ben Burgess, he a builder and developer of Cascade Heights and Morningside Park. While Carrie, Anna and Ben protected and shaped young George, George never lost the love for his father. “I was lucky,” he said of his childhood. “I had two mothers and two fathers. No boy could have wanted more.”

As a student at Boys High (now Grady High School), young Goodwin developed an avid interest in reading, writing, history and inquiry. A career in journalism called. Upon graduation from Boys High in 1934, Goodwin entered Washington & Lee University, graduating with an AB in Journalism in 1939. Returning home, the Atlanta Georgian, a former Hearst publication purchased that year by James M. Cox, gave him his first reporter’s job.

On December 15, 1939, Goodwin was among the pool of reporters who covered the star-studded, three-day premier of Gone With the Wind. Goodwin recalled accompanying Olivia de Havilland from a press event to the film premier at the Lowes Grand — a moment in his reporting career he would never forget, but one that would be eclipsed by his Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for distinguished Local Reporting nine years later. When the Atlanta Georgian merged with the Atlanta Journal in the days following the premier of GWTW, Goodwin left Atlanta to join the Charleston News & Courier (1940) and, soon after, the Washington Times-Herald (1940-1941).

The War Years, 1942 to 1945

George Goodwin and Skippy then moved to Miami where he joined the staff of the Daily News (1941-1942). Shortly after December 7, 1942 he enlisted in the Office of Naval Intelligence and took basic training in Santa Barbara, California. Ordered to Attu Island, the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, en route, foul weather delayed his connecting flight from Seattle. The plane he missed crashed that night, killing everyone on board. Goodwin was soon transferred to the Philippine Islands, tasked with gathering the nighttime reconnaissance reports from incoming torpedo boat squadrons. Japanese fighters often strafed his base and, in one instance, came close enough that an explosion injured Goodwin, earning him a Decorated Purple Heart.

During the war years, Goodwin wrote his wife every day, but his letters took two weeks to reach her. Goodwin spoke of the excruciating fear his wife then endured, not knowing where George was, or if he was alive. “Like many loved ones, Skippy endured that fear every day of the war,” he recalled. “Upon my safe return, she made me promise that when the time came, she wanted to be the first to go. She never again wanted to endure the agony of waiting to rejoin me.” God helped George keep his promise: Skippy Goodwin died peacefully on December 11, 2005.

Goodwin (circled) covered the 1946 Winecoff fire for the Atlanta Journal. His front page article began, "The Winecoff Hotel was a scene of garish, water-soaked terror Saturday morning..."

Atlanta Journal Years, 1945-1952

In 1945, Goodwin returned from war and was hired by the Atlanta Journal as staff writer assigned to cover City Hall. There, Goodwin began to form relationships with men and women such as William B. Hartsfield, Margaret Mitchell, Ralph McGill and Eugene Patterson that would define his career. On December 7, 1946, Goodwin covered the Winecoff Hotel fire, which remains America's deadliest hotel fire.  It was also at the Journal in 1948 he would win his greatest acclaim: Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for distinguished Local Reporting for outstanding coverage of what became known as “The Three Governor’s Affair.”

In November 1946 Eugene Talmadge won his fourth term as governor but died the next month. His death led to a special election, with three leading contenders: Ellis Arnall, Melvin Thompson and Eugene Talmadge’s son, Herman. While canvassing write-in election results in January 1947, state officials reported irregularities in voting patterns from Telfair County, the seat of Talmadge power. The Atlanta Journal sent Goodwin to investigate, and he phoned in his report from the McRae, Georgia train depot. On Sunday, March 2, 1947, the Atlanta Journal broke the story under a 150-point headline, “TELFAIR DEAD WERE VOTED.” The 29-year-old George Goodwin reported:

“Examination by Journal representatives revealed that the last 34 names on the list of 103 appeared in alphabetical order, starting with A and ending at K. It appeared impossible that 34 citizens anywhere could have appeared at the polls and voted in alphabetical order, starting with the first letter and stopping abruptly at K. So this reporter paid a visit to the Helena precinct [of Telfair County] to find there as many of these 34 persons he could and ask them some questions.”

Some, he reported, were alive but had not voted; others, he proved, were dead and couldn’t have voted. Goodwin’s report resolved the “Three Governor’s Affair,” chasing Herman Talmadge from his occupation of a desk inside the Governor’s office at the Georgia Capitol and leading to the Pulitzer Prize. His reporting and the historical events it precipitated were the most publicly celebrated achievement in his long career — yet his most significant contributions to Atlanta history were still to come.

Selling a Precocious Southern City, 1952 to 1964

Goodwin’s career in journalism ended at the Atlanta Journal in 1952. With Ralph McGill as Managing Editor and Eugene Patterson as City Editor, there wasn’t room for him at the top. Moreover, Skippy and he had two young sons, Clark Milstead (b. 1947) and Allen Burgess (b. 1951). The family needed more income than a beat reporter’s salary paid. Goodwin left the paper to become the first executive director of Central Atlanta Improvement Association (1952-54, now Central Atlanta Progress). Goodwin, by then one of the city’s most acclaimed and respected journalists, directed the association’s national media effort to promote Atlanta as a sought-after location for business and families. It was also here that he began to make his lasting mark as one of its most effective promoters and civic leaders, becoming friends with the leading businessmen and civic leaders of the day while collaborating with them on actions to improve the city and transform it into a place of national significance.

One of Goodwin’s collaborators at the association was James D. Robinson, chairman of First National Bank of Atlanta. Believing he could do more good by helping one of Atlanta’s largest financial institutions invest in Atlanta’s future, Goodwin was hired by the bank in 1954 as its Vice President of Advertising and Public Relations. Goodwin finally had the tools he needed to shape Atlanta’s future: financial power, civic influence and a wise and willing boss to whom he could deflect the glory. Goodwin served under Robinson until 1964 during which time Atlanta grew into a leading regional cultural and economic power and the South’s leading city.

Public Relations Career, 1964 to 1985

In 1962 Ivan Allen, Jr. took office as mayor. He was determined to maintain Atlanta’s economic and cultural ascendency. In 1961, his office published a white paper for revitalizing downtown Atlanta. Adopted by the Metro Atlanta Chamber, it became known as the “Six Point Forward Atlanta” plan, which, in turn, evolved into the second “Forward Atlanta” campaign (the first of which was led by Allen’s father, Ivan Allen, Sr. (1926-1929)). (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Allen, _Jr.)

It was clear to committee leaders that a sustained national news media campaign was needed to promote the Forward Atlanta campaign. That George Goodwin would be the most qualified leader for such an effort was given, but rather than take a job at the Chamber, Goodwin decided to make it his first client: he opened the first national public relations agency south of Washington DC, the Atlanta office of New York-based Bell & Stanton public relations, later renamed Manning, Selvage & Lee.

Beginning in 1964 under George Goodwin’s leadership, the second Forward Atlanta campaign exceeded even Allen, Jr.’s lofty expectations, cementing both Goodwin and Allen as perhaps the most effective marketing team in the history of civic promotion. Said neighbor and friend Peter White, founder and president of the Southern Center for International Studies in Atlanta, “I recall George and Opie Shelton, then Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, sitting on the Goodwins’ back porch drafting the Forward Atlanta campaign. When they finished, they retired to Lake Lanier to hammer out the final plan with the entire committee. His involvement was not tangential — he was a co-author of the entire damn program!” Goodwin is also credited with coining the concept of “Coopetition” into the plan to encourage Atlanta’s fierce business competitors to join together to promote Atlanta’s greater economic good.

Forward Atlanta was a monumental success: during the 60s, Atlanta’s population grew more than 30 percent, ranking in the top ten in the nation in downtown construction, with more than 55 new buildings constructed and 22,000 new jobs created each year. By 1969, Atlanta’s unemployment rate was among the lowest of any big city in the country and the Atlanta Airport (now Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport), acquired its first direct international air routes and saw its ranking change from the tenth-busiest airport in the nation to the third busiest. (Source: Wikipedia, Ivan Allen, Jr.)

His reputation as a back stage facilitator of effective business partnerships and civic collaboration soared, mirroring Atlanta’s reputation as the city “too busy to hate,” a place where leaders steered a progressive path through the turbulent waters of desegregation and towards racial justice. While Goodwin never claimed Atlanta’s much-heralded success as his own, few business or civic leaders, then or now, would deny the tremendous role he played in them.

“The quality of thought that George represents became a beacon that blessed many institutions and many people and is one of the reasons why so many have wanted to move here.”

— Beauchamp Carr, former Chairman of Board of Advisors,

Woodruff Arts Center, 2011 Dan Sweat Awards Tribute

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeJeESOW59A)

Goodwin became known as Atlanta’s “Dean of Public Relations,” setting the highest professional standards for public service, integrity and honesty in a field often criticized for the notorious few who are known as mercenaries or spin-masters. The Public Relations Society of America’s Georgia Chapter named its highest honor the George Goodwin Award for Volunteer Service. (Source: http://www.prsageorgia.org)

Said Clyde Tuggle, Chief Public Affairs for Coca-Cola Service in a film tribute to Goodwin on the occasion of the 2011 Dan Sweat Award, “You know we all say, ‘If I could just have a touch of that George Goodwin wisdom, just a touch of insight and good judgment, boy, I’d be a lot more effective at what I do.’” (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeJeESOW59A)

In the final two decades of his public relations and marketing career, Goodwin turned much of his attention to serving the needs and interests of clients, linking their success to Atlanta’s improvement. He was adept at finding and hiring young men and women of green talent whom he could mentor and put in place to do the legwork. To one young man who came to him for a job in 1985, he said, “Well, it seems we always seem to have too many chiefs around here and not enough Indians. We’re always looking for a few good Indians — come in and let’s see what we can do.” He hired the young man. Today, the many whom he championed are in significant positions at cultural, commercial, civic and philanthropic enterprises across Atlanta as public relations executives, civic leaders, cultural directors, business owners, journalists, and contributors to Goodwin’s lifelong cause: Atlanta’s good name.

Retirement, Quiet and Blue Birds, 2005 to 2015

In 1985, Goodwin retired as the head of Manning, Selvage & Lee/Atlanta, but that didn’t stop him. For the next 20 years, he came to work nearly every day until the death of his beloved wife Skippy in late 2005. By then his thirst for public relations and marketing had ebbed, but his mind remained as sharp as people half his age and his advice was still sought.

In the final five years of his life, Goodwin’s door remained open, relying on friend and caregiver, Jackee, to schedule visits and attend to his needs. Wearing an Atlanta Press Club baseball cap, seated in his favorite recliner in his den, Goodwin was surrounded by higgledy-piggledy stacks of books, haystacks of commendations and proclamations and the charred 2002 Winter Games Olympic torch he once carried through Atlanta en route to Salt Lake City. George relaxed and chatted with friends, with occasional meals at his favorite restaurant, Canoe, or visits to the Cherokee Club. He took time to read detective novels and revel in the stupendous love of his friends, children, grandchildren and, most recently, his first great-grandchild, Davey. When the weather was mild, he moved to his screened porch to enjoy the latest news from the 60^th generation of a blue bird family who enjoyed the abundance of his backyard feeders.

By the end of his life, George Goodwin had outlived most of his peers, so while fewer today may know much about the enormity of his contributions, he remained confident that Atlanta’s new generation of leaders would deliver their best — and serve Atlanta’s greater good.

The Truth Within

What those closest to George Goodwin will long remember are not lists of his enormous accomplishments and honors but instead the magnitude of the generosity and kindness he accorded us as individuals. They will remember not what he said, but what he asked, because those questions led them to the truth within. His questions led them to solutions that arose from their own hearts, making them more capable, more resilient, more tolerant citizens willing to serve others.

George Goodwin greeted every friend with his signature “Whadayaknow?” And as we talked to him, he’d sit patiently listening to us, saying few words. But somehow, in some magical way he alone possessed, he guided us up, out and beyond our fears and self-limitations. That he was there for you, that he cared for you, that this noble and wise man had time for you — was enough. He just made us feel so damn good. When he later bid us all farewell, he’d lean back in his chair, lift his eyebrows and looking at us with his bright, beautiful blue eyes and radiant smile. Then, with encouraging fist stabbing the air, he implored us forward, speaking to us in his soft, Southern baritone, “Fight On!”

George Goodwin with sons Allen (left) and Clark (center)
Photo by Bard Wrisley 2009

And so we did — and so we shall. Rest in peace George Goodwin. You’ve earned it. We, on the other hand, have work to do.

George Goodwin remembered here. 
Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame tribute video here.

Robert and Harold Irvin

Robert Irvin Sr. 1920 - 2014

Robert Irvin Sr.

Harold Irvin

Winecoff fire survivor Robert Irvin Sr. passed away on Father’s Day, 2014. His brother Harold died in the 1946 fire at age 23. Both were Navy pilots who flew together in World War II until Robert was sent back to the United States to train more pilots while Harold served on a torpedo bomber squadron.

By 1946 the brothers were in Atlanta to interview for jobs as commercial pilots and staying at the Winecoff Hotel. It is believed that Harold had been offered a job as an Eastern Airline pilot. Friday night December 6th Harold and Robert were together, attending a party in the hotel, until Robert retired to room 806. Harold remained at the party. A few hours later they were separated by fire and only Robert survived. He was rescued by ladder from the eighth floor, as high as the ladders would reach. "I went down the ladder and left everything that I had in the room except the clothes that I had on," he said.

Robert Irvin Sr. later become a Delta Airlines pilot and flew for Delta until his retirement.


Robert Irvin Sr. Remained a Pilot Until Retirement

Photos courtesy of Robert Irvin Jr.

Maude Whiteman Biography by Chet Wallace

Maude Whiteman 1885-1971

Mrs. Maude Whiteman and Mrs. A. F. Geele Sr. occupied suite 1608-10-12 on the top floor. Mrs. Geele’s bedroom was 1608, Mrs. Whiteman was in 1610 and 1612 was used as a living room. Maude, age 61, was five feet tall and weighed 135 pounds and, according to her granddaughter, was “a little spitfire”. (6) Maude was the manager of the Winecoff Hotel cigar stand for the previous four years. People coming into the hotel were greeted by her smiling face just inside the door.

Maude Whiteman was born May 20, 1885. She was married to Banks Whiteman, who had passed away years before the fire, and they had two children. (6)

Maude was spending the night in the hotel because the Geele men were on a hunting trip and she was looking after Mrs. Geele Sr. She had probably been staying with Mrs. Geele for about a week. (6)

Mrs. Whiteman was awoken probably by the sirens and immediately went to the telephone and learned that the hotel was on fire. She opened the door and walked the twenty-five feet to the base of the stairs leading to the roof and could have easily made it there because the smoke hadn’t reached the top floor at that point. Mrs. Geele, bound to a wheelchair, was still in the suite and Maude realized that there was no way she could get her up the stairs. Returning to the suite Maude stuffed wet towels under the doors of each room, got Mrs. Geele into 1612 and placed her between the two open windows facing Ellis Street covering her with blankets.

Around 4:30am Maude heard Mrs. A. F. Geele Jr. calling from the room below saying the smoke was getting bad and they couldn’t stay in the room much longer and couldn’t go out into the hall. Maude decided to make a sheet rope out of six sheets tied together and attach it to the mullion between the two windows of 1612 and let it down to the window of 1512. She helped with getting Mrs. Geele Jr., her son John and her daughter Esther Geele into 1612 as well as helping Mr. J. W. Henry, Robert O’Connell and the Horne couple into the room.

In the process of rescuing this people she tore back muscles, pulled two ribs loose and twisted a vertebrae and permanent damage was caused. (1) She had back problems for the rest of her life as a result. (6)

Mrs. Banks Whiteman was led out of the hotel by a doctor and a fireman at 7:45am. At one point a fireman helping her down the stairs slipped. She said to him smiling “You’d better be careful there, young man, or I’ll have to help you down.” (3) She said of the whole incident “We prayed – all of us prayed.” (4)

Soon after the fire Maude Whiteman would be prompted to start writing her account “by request from people far and near who have called, written, and been to see me for information and advice as to what to do in case of fire.” (2) She intended for this account to be a book about her experience but ended up never finishing it. (6) In her account she offered ways of getting out of a burning building as well as her thoughts on laws that should be passed to prevent another catastrophe like the Winecoff fire. She wrote “No hotel is absolutely fireproof but all modern up to date hotels have facilities with which guests could prevent fire spreading if they would only remain calm, stop and think now “Just what can I do”. There are fire extinguishers and hose long enough to reach up and down the halls on each and every floor. Get out there and use them.”

“The horrible memory of the Winecoff fire brings back recollections of how very much I would have appreciated a pair of wings. As the fire was coming toward us it looked as if I would soon have them. Death seemed inevitable to those above the 9^th floor as that is as high as the firemen’s ladders could reach. All escapes had to be made from the outside as the halls were filled with smoke, no one could have penetrated it and lived more than a minute or two. Only those on the front of the building who climbed down sheet ropes and met the firemen on the ninth floor made their escape. Those who remained in their rooms on the higher floors and lived did it by dogged determination.” She said of the “many of those who jumped could have been saved if they had only waited for the firemen to rescue them. I, again, repeat don’t jump unless told to do so by those trying to rescue you. It only means sudden death.”

“One more thing that would prevent fire from giving headway in hotels is sufficient night watchmen service. If there were plenty of watchmen on the job they would detect the fire before it had time to spread”.

“It is up to the hotel men to make their place safe for their guest. There should be a card on the wall in each and every room with advice to the occupant as to what to do in case of fire. If your room has this information study it carefully before you retire. If it does not have it, demand information as to fire escapes”.

“Our city fathers should make it their business to see that the fire dept. is furnished adequate equipment with which to fight fires in tall buildings.”

“One last and most important thing is have faith in God call on Him. He will guide you through.” (2)

Atlanta Fire Chief C. C. Styron sent Mrs. Whiteman a letter of recognition in August of 1947. In part it described her heroic efforts. “Mrs. Whiteman closed the transom and kept all openings packed with wet towels and poured water on the door to keep it from igniting. She also made a rope from sheets for several tenants on the 15^th floor and helped them reach the 16^th floor.

It is my opinion that Mrs. Whiteman’s forethought and heroic action saved several lives in this fire.” (5)

After the fire Mrs. Whiteman retired, because of her back problems. Her son-in-law was a doctor and he took her to his home in Thomasville, Georgia to recuperate. She did stay active socially and became a member of the Joel Chandler Harris association. (6) Mrs. Whiteman passed away on August 31, 1971 and is interred in Greenwood Cemetery in Atlanta.

Sources:

1. Winecoff Hotel stationary account
2. Whiteman account of Winecoff fire experience.
3. New York Times Dec. 8, 1946 pg. 29.
4. Unknown Atlanta newspaper
5. Letter of recognition from Atlanta Fire Chief C. C. Styron
6. McCrae/Wallace phone interview 2013.
7. Greenwood Cemetery records

Eloise Buck

Her Story:
Born in Monroe, Washington in 1906, Eloise Buck was an award winning student in high school and at the University of Oregon.

The Gerlinger Cup is Still Awarded Annually by The University of Oregon

Achievements:
Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority member.

Phi Beta Kappa scholastic honorary.

Women's League leader.

Elected to the Mortar Board, senior women's national honorary society.

Active in YWCA.

Won the Gerlinger Cup, awarded to the most outstanding Junior woman student in 1925.

In 1929 she earned her Masters Degree at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Eloise Buck in 1940. Assistant English Professor at The Oregon College of Education.

She served as the Maid of Honor at her brother Pete's wedding in Salem, Oregon 1940. She was living and teaching in Salem when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred - exactly five years before the Winecoff fire. She wrote this (mis-dated) letter to her sister Florence in St. Louis the day after the Sunday morning attack.

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Later Buck Joined The Faculty At Washington University in St. Louis.

Her final years were spent as an admissions counselor for the Katherine Gibbs School in New York, a top notch secretarial college with a fervent emphasis on grammar and writing skills. The Gibbs School turned out highly polished and capable executive secretaries - white gloves to the elbows. While in New York she lived in the Barbizon Hotel for Women.

On November 15, 1946 she began a recruiting trip through the South. Her visit to Atlanta was likely timed to coincide with the Youth Assembly convention at the state capitol. She declined an offer to stay at Agnes Scott College for fear of imposing. She checked into the Winecoff Hotel on December 6th. She died in room 1124 of multiple burns at age 40. Her brother, Pete, was mightily affected by the passing of his sister whom he so admired. Their mother was never told the actual cause or circumstances of her daughter's death, only that she had suffered a heart attack.

Eloise Buck and her brother Robert

She rests at the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery - Snohomish County, Washington - near where she was born.

Full biography is here.

Mary Minor Photos

Rick Roberts Remembered

Winecoff firefighter Rick Roberts was buried with full Atlanta Fire Rescue Department honors at Westminster Gardens in Peachtree City, Georgia December 22, 2011.

Ladders extended over the entrance to Westminster Gradens created an arch through which mourners passed.

In a letter of sympathy to Chief Roberts' family Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran wrote in part, "His heroic effort at the historic Winecoff hotel fire will always be remembered by the citizens of this great city, and also by the men and women of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.

This brief tribute to Roberts was broadcast across the Atlanta fire communications radio network to all fire stations and vehicles. (Joined in Progress)

Frozen in Youth Forever

A Winecoff Fire Remembrance by Mary Marsh

“Let not your heart be troubled...In my Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you” John 14:1-2.

The Class of ’47: Post World War II

The Class of 1947, no matter the high school, no matter the state, had survived the Second World War. In the central Georgia town of Thomaston, the seniors at the Robert E. Lee Institute were looking towards the future as a time of peace amongst the nations. They wanted their world to be safe. Thus, the editors of The Rebel, the annual of R.E. Lee Institute, chose the United Nations Organization as the theme. Wrote the editor, "As evidence of our belief in world peace, we are using for the 1947 Rebel theme the United Nations Organization with its purpose of binding nations into an international organization through which members may cooperate to promote peace and security."

The Class of 1947 met for the final time on June 5, 1947. Graduation caps and gowns were donned, diplomas awarded, and many good-byes were said as the teenagers of Thomaston embarked on the next chapters of their lives. The "Lee'ers" of 1947 are no longer young kids looking towards the future with the hope of security and peace, and the absence of wars. They passed into adulthood, many into their early 80's now, and they've seen the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam, terrorist attacks, the fall of the Iron Curtain, the rise of new regimes and September 11th. As the world changed, so did the Lee'ers of '47.

But there are exceptions. Four senior Lee'ers are forever teenagers: Earlyne "Birdie" Adams, Sarah Virginia "Genny" Torbert, Patricia Anne "Patsy" Uphold will always be sixteen. Christine Adams "Christy" Hinson is eternally seventeen. Their lives ended in the early hours of December 7, 1946, in room 1430 of the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta.

Virginia Torbert

Patsy Uphold

Christy Hinson

Four Talented Lee’ers

Thomaston was stunned by the passing of Earlyne, Virginia, Patsy, and Christy. These girls were academically talented - memberships in the National Honor Society; they had academic interests ranging from science to Latin to journalism. They participated in the Dramatic and Glee clubs. They liked athletics- Earlyne and Christy managed the basketball team, Virginia played basketball, and Patsy was a cheerleader.

Patsy Uphold

The girls were natural leaders. Perhaps they, like their classmates, had a confident post-war mentality and a feeling of security in the world. It is evident that these young leaders wanted to make their world a better place.  Earlyne, Christy, and Patsy were members of the Lee chapter of the Beta Club; their motto was "Ducamus aliis seerviendo (Let us lead by serving others)." Earlyne participated in the civics club, while Christy and Patsy joined the Citizenship club.

As an Eta Epsilon Chi (1945), Virginia Torbert was living up to her sorority's motto, "every member an active member".

In addition to being the Rebel's circulation manager, Virginia was enrolled in the Diversified Cooperative Training Class. The purpose of this class was to, "work and study an occupation of his or her choice and receive units of credit for the work on the job as well as for classroom study." D.C.T. students also planned and participated in recreational events and "many worthy projects".

The Fall Semester

School started on Monday September 9, 1946. The first football game was the high point of this first month, with a 72-0 victory over Joneboro. On September 27th Patsy, Christy, and their fellow "L" club members held the first dance of the year.

R.E. Lee’s year-old Tri-Hi-Y chapter was in full swing with thirty-one year old Mary Minor as the sponsor.

A big upcoming event was the Youth Assembly scheduled in Atlanta the first weekend in December. Youth Assembly preparation started on October 5th when, "a group of Tri-Hi-Y's went to Macon to attend a training session for the Youth Assembly which is to be held in Atlanta in December. Purpose: better government for our state." Initially, many girls signed up, but as fate would have it, only five ended up going.

Then came mid-terms and the football team’s first loss, 13-12 to LaGrange. Then Armistice Day, Thanksgiving, the Formal Battalion Dance, and the first meeting of the senior class.

Battalion Sponsor Christine Hinson

Four days after that meeting, Mrs. Minor and the five senior girls left for what promised to be a fun-filled educational experience in Atlanta.

Reservations were made at another hotel, but they switched to the Winecoff, as it was thought to be safer. It was advertised as "Absolutely Fireproof". Who wouldn’t want five young girls and a young teacher to stay in the safest hotel? Plus R.E. Lee was getting a good deal on a room on the south side of the hotel – all of these rooms were large and could nicely accommodate teenagers and their chaperones.

Friday In Atlanta

On December 6, Mrs. Minor, Earlyne, Christy, Virginia, Patsy and Zanier Downs headed to Atlanta.

Zanier Downs

Unlike other Youth Assembly delegates, this was not the first time the Lee’ers had been to Atlanta. The Beta Club conference was held in Atlanta, and Mrs. Minor had chaperoned that trip, too. The Tri-Hi-Y girls wanted her to come along on this trip. “She wasn’t always so serious and always let us have a lot of fun,” said Zanier Downs

After initial meetings, the girls headed back to the Winecoff to listen to the radio and chat. They complained about having to go to more meetings that evening, but Mrs. Minor assured them that she would bring them back to Atlanta for a graduation trip. The girls ate dinner at the Frances Tea Room, a place with significance from the Beta Club convention. They made another stop at the hotel before heading off to committee meetings. The same meetings they complained about only a few hours prior turned out to be very interesting. Zanier recalled, “We thought we would be through early and my aunt was going to call for me at the hotel. But we got so interested in the good bills that we were studying and discussing that we could have just stayed on and on.”

It was fifteen minutes before ten o’clock when the girls made their way back to the Winecoff. But they weren’t ready to let Zanier be picked up by her aunt and uncle, which was fine with Zanier – she had reluctantly accepted her aunt and uncle’s invitation to spend Friday night at their house – she figured she’d have Saturday night and Sunday to be with her friends.

The girls had dessert at the Henry Grady Coffee shop. It was apple pie and ice cream for all except Earlyne, who had chocolate ice cream. At 10:45, the girls met with Zanier’s aunt and uncle. Zanier had one final moment with her friend Earlyne, who went to room 1430 to help Zanier with her bags. According to Zanier, the girls were worried Earlyne would spill the beans about dessert to Zanier’s relatives, who had been waiting quite a long time for their niece. So Mrs. Minor delegated Earlyne to help with the bags.

Zanier departed and the rest headed into the Winecoff for a good night’s rest.

The Fire

At approximately 3:30 am fire broke out on the third floor and spread upwardly with suspicious speed. Smoke ascended quickly through the central stairway, blocking any downward escape. Mrs. Minor consulted briefly with Pauline Bault, another fourteenth floor guest, and ultimately decided, with the girls, to wait for rescue. The five hunkered down on one bed and read from Patsy Uphold’s Bible John 14:1- 3, “Let not your heart be troubled…” The Bible was left open on the bureau, the young women died together, in one bed, only to be separated when rescue workers took their bodies to different morgues and funeral homes.

Back in Thomaston, it was six in the morning and the residents were aware of the inferno at the Winecoff. Dickson Adams, Christy’s uncle, drove to Atlanta to identify the bodies. He was able to identify Patsy and Christy by the afternoon. Earlyne was been identified by a “stranger”. Virginia was the last to be identified, by her father, after 4:30 pm.

Dickson searched several morgues, viewing bodies in various stages of fire damage. He said of the Lee’ers:

"I feel sure that all of the girls died in their sleep from suffocation – Patsy’s hair was still done up in little tight knots and not a hair was out of place and her face bore a look of complete relaxation and ease of mind. The appearance of the others was just as composed and immaculate."

Dickson told the newspaper that he asked the doctors if it was possible the girls simply died in their sleep, without any knowledge of the fire. The doctors said yes, it was possible, but of course, we now know that they were all aware of the fire. It is believed that their last conscious act was to read from Patsy’s Bible.

Saying Good-bye

The bodies of the occupants of 1430 were returned to Thomaston for their funerals on Monday, December 9th. Residents first said good-bye to Mrs. Minor, with her funeral at 9:30 am at First Baptist Church.

Mary Minor was the mother of a four year old daughter

The Presbyterian Church held funeral rites for Christy at 11:00 am. At 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm, respectively, Earlyne and Patsy were bid farewell at First Methodist Church. In between their rites, at First Baptist, Virginia’s funeral was held.

Thomaston mourned. City schools were closed for the funerals. Flags flew at half-mast. The one occupant of room 1430 not present during the fire was Zanier Downs.

She wrote for the “diary” of the 1947 yearbook: "Tragedy struck our lives as Mrs. Minor, Christy, Patsy, Earlyne, and Virginia were lost in the Winecoff fire while attending the Georgia Youth Assembly- in the service of humanity- The days following were long and the ache in our hearts was severe as we tried to 'carry on'."

The Y.M.C.A sent speakers on Dec. 11th, bringing to grieving students and staff the inspirational theme, "Let not your hearts be troubled."

On December 13th, the families of the deceased extended their gratitude in The Thomaston Times. The Upholds wrote:

"May God in His heaven bless our town and county and state and we would like to leave Patsy’s last message to all that knew her everywhere: ‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions…’"

Going Forward

The class of 1947 carried on, and a sense of normalcy returned to the halls of R.E. Lee, or at least it was written that way in the yearbook’s “diary”. On December 16th, the senior class voted on mascots and the Who's Who. Two days later, girls began to daydream about the holidays with "certain someones" coming home from school. On February 14th the girls basketball team defeated Fort Valley and the boys completed their regular season undefeated. Amid their grief, the Class of 1947 somehow reached the last day of school with all the expected romances, hi-jinx, and adventures of typical teenagers.

At graduation on June 5th, each student received his or her diploma and a brand new Bible; the Hinsons used their late daughter’s savings to purchase a copy for each member of her graduating class. Even in death, Christy was still helping others.

The 1947 Rebel yearbook is dedicated to those who preished. Five beautiful portraits are on the opposite page – each woman frozen in youth forever.

In the senior class individual portraits, the girls are placed with their classmates. Mrs. Minor’s photo is listed with the faculty and her homeroom remained hers for the ’46 –’47 school year. The girls were given their place in their activities- Virginia is the circulation manager of the Rebel, Earlyne is secretary of Tri-Hi-Y and Patsy is a cheerleader.

In the winter of 1947, R.E. Lee’s new building was named Memorial Hall and a commemorative plaque – “Not Ours To Give Or Lose Is Life” – marked the short lives of Mrs. Minor and her four students. At almost the same time, the Tri-Hi-Y chapter sponsored a project to donate memorial books to the library.

The fire's impact on Thomaston has been a lasting one. Fifty years after the fire, many in the Class of 1947 and others reunited in Thomaston - simply to remember their friends who perished in the Winecoff fire.

Their eternal resting places:
Mrs. Mary Minor at Rose Hill Cemetery - Winder, Ga.
Earlyne Adams and Virginia Torbert at Southview Cemetery
Christy Hinson and Patsy Uphold at Glenwood Cemetery

May they rest in peace and rise in glory.


References:
 Proud To Be From R.E. Lee: A History of R.E. Lee Institute Thomaston, Georgia 1875-1992  by Edwin Cliburn, pages 522–525, 528
The Winecoff Fire: The Untold Story of America’s Deadliest Hotel Fire.  by Sam Heys & Allen B. Goodwin, pages. 86-89, 140-142, 169, 174.
The Free Press, December 10, 1946. Five Thomastonians Suffocate in Hotel Fire; Happiness Reigned in Last Waking Hour, Friend Says In Own Story of Last Day
R.E. Lee Institute. Rebel Yearbooks, 1944- 1947
Thomaston Times, December 13, 1946. Bereaved Families Express Gratitude to Community; Two Memorials Planned for Fire Victims; Final Rites for Fire Victims Held as Thomaston Mourns
All photos from the 1946, and 1947 Rebel yearbooks of R.E. Lee Institute.
Many thanks to Claude Burgess of Thomaston Upson Archives, who provided scans of these references.

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