Chet Wallace Plays Winecoff Piano

Chet Wallace plays a refurbished piano recovered from The Winecoff Hotel.

TBS StoryLine Video 2007

Posted with permission. Back to Winecoff.Org.

Final Honor

Westview Cemetery Atlanta

Winecoff firefighter Raymond McGill was laid to rest February 8th in Atlanta's Westview Cemetery.

Forsyth County Fire Chief Danny Bowman officiated the service

Raymond McGill began his Atlanta firefighting career in 1940 but was quickly called to service in World War II. It was upon his return to Atlanta that he faced his biggest challenge: the 1946 Winecoff Hotel fire. His distinguished action there attracted the attention of Chief C.C. Styron, who in May of 1947, promoted McGill to become Chief of Training. In 1962 he authored a training manual for young firefighters. He served the Atlanta Fire Department for thirty-four years. Raymond McGill - a hero of the Winecoff fire - was one hundred years old.

Allen Goodwin and Sam Heys Address YMCA Youth Assembly

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 Remembered

 

Allen, Clark & George Goodwin  

Photo by Bard Wrisley 2009

George Goodwin Eulogy

by his son, Allen

Trinity Presbyterian Church Atlanta

January 26, 2015

My son David, reminded me, we're not here to mourn the passing of his grandfather, but to celebrate his life.

Throughout my adult life, I've come to expect being approached by strangers, who ask, "are you George Goodwin's son?" I know what I'll hear next. He or she will tell me a story, about some kindness, or precious ounce of advice, Dad gave them years ago, and how it changed their life, for the better. These frequent encounters affirm for me - our Dad earned lasting affections.

Dad could spot a good heart a mile away. And he'd await an opportunity, to put that good heart in a position to shine, to thrive, to impact other hearts and to multiply itself.

He could also spot a fool. He reserved a special code name, for men who obstruct worthy initiatives, Mafoofnick. I think it means goof-ball. Whenever MaFoofnick, stepped into in Dad's arena, he would find a way, to finesse MaFoofnick, into a corner, but always one near a doorway, through which he could make a graceful exit. “Always leave your opponent an out,” he would tell me.

A lot of what he taught us was philosophical. But much of it was practical. Dad taught me to drive a car. And one little item of wisdom he shared with me has saved me much treasure and heartache. He said, “never back up an inch farther than you need to.” I always looked forward to those weekend driving lessons, on the roadways of the Westminster School campus. Funny thing though, they were among the only times I ever saw him nervous.

Let me tell you about my first traffic accident. Mother was driving our '62 Thunderbird and we were violently rear ended on West Paces Ferry Road. We were belted in and that alone saved us from injury. When we got home I was so excited to tell Dad about this jarring new experience. He asked me about the man who had hit us, first, concerned for that man's safety, but also knowing he would soon be dealing with the fellow under unfortunate circumstances. He asked, “was he wearing a coat and tie?”

That struck me as an unusual question and I've thought about it often ever since. Years later it finally struck me. A necktie is not a modern garment. They've been around for centuries. It's designed to put others at ease. It says subconsciously and in an instant, I am a gentle man and I have faith that you are gentle too. And as proof, I put within your immediate reach a critical combat advantage, a garrote around my own neck! Now, my takeaway from all this thought was only this: Whether it's meeting new friends or accidentally damaging someone else's property, Id better be dressed for the occasion.

Our father cared about people. He kept in touch with his World War II Navy buddies until they were all gone. Unshakably bound by sacrifice, in them he stored a special faith.

Faith in his fellow man. That was our father. He granted to everyone, the benefit of the doubt, that they could arise, when faced with a tough moral decision, that they could excel, when offered an important assignment. It was that heartfelt - benefit of the doubt - that motivated everyone around him, and inspired loyalty, in his home, in his workplaces, and on the high seas.

Dad had an air of command, not over the people around him, but over the difficult situations, in which those people found themselves. Our father took the long view on everything, knowing a gentle touch on a ship's helm, would result in ever increasing miles of strategic advantage.

He derived his authority from the well placed word. Command of the language, its nuances, its powers and its frailties. He didn't clutter his speech with swirling thoughts. He didn't think out loud. Hence, the pregnant pauses. He listened with patience, and spoke with purpose – like the final smoothing brushstroke on an uneven glob of paint.

He didn't clutter his writings by restating problems. His sentences addressed them. Concise refined writings, remarkable in their clarity and for their brevity.

Dad was not a vocal Christian. But he was a model of Christian behavior. He consulted the Bible often but I’m not sure he believed every word of it. I think the newspaperman in him looked for two sides to every story. Dad once interviewed Edgar Cayce and for years learned everything he could about that man, drawn by the notion that the power of the mind is largely undiscovered. He was open, to thought...but he lived by the scriptures just in case they were true.

 
Dad often said you can learn a lot about someone by whom they admire.

 
Dad admired Henry Grady and Ralph McGill. From them he learned that a newspaper, could mold a city’s conscience, and enhance its prosperity.

He admired Franklin Roosevelt, who proved to Dad, when people have faith in each other, and cooperate, great things can be accomplished.

Our Father admired Dick Rich, the namesake of his family's department store. He once said to me, “everything about him exuded class.” It's the only time I can remember him using that word, “class” in that way. I suspect he avoided the word for two reasons. It's vague and imprecise, but also because it's divisive. To say one person has class suggests - someone else doesn't.

Clark and I heard a story this weekend from our Dad's days at the First National Bank. During a volatile time of racial mistrust, one morning a phone call came in from Dick Rich saying this was the day that he would desegregate the eating areas within his store. He left it to Dad to get out the word.

Dad immediately telephoned key black religious leaders, white business leaders, and also the Mayor’s Office. We were told, Dad was the only one in town, a that critical moment, who had sufficiently earned the trust of all three camps, and could broker an understanding. An arrangement was revealed, a complete reversal of policy, the police would make no more arrests, but would instead protect the new diners.

Dad admired Dr. Francis Gaines, the longtime head of Washington & Lee University, who considered six things important, in his prospective leaders. First, character, for there is no substitute for character. Here's a quick example. On our only trip to Brussels, Elizabeth, me, Mom and Dad were swept along with a crowd, into a large exhibit hall.

Once inside, Dad oversaw the situation, and realized the ticket taker was neglecting his duties. Against my urging that he let the moment pass, he circled back and paid our entry fee. I wasn't surprised.

Second, personality, fifty percent persuasiveness and fifty percent responsiveness.

Third, luck, for luck so often follows good judgement. Luck put Dad on the sidelines of dozens of major events. The Gone With The Wind premier, the Moore's Ford lynchings, the Winecoff fire, and the Telfare County vote fraud among them.

Luck put him at pivotal points. The election of John Kennedy. It was Dad who recommended candidate Kennedy visit Warm Springs, Clark and I shook his hand there, he hoped to tie his name, to the man who had raised Georgia, from dirt farm poor, into the the age of electricity. Kennedy carried Georgia. That was in a time when presidents were revered, and not publicly scorned for profit!

Fourth, Dr. Gaines defined courage as, the nerve to do what's right over what's popular. Dad wasn't much for confrontation. His skill was making what's right, popular. Sell it.

Next, Gaines valued people with the widest range of interests. The sun would set toady before I got through a list of Dad's interests.

And lastly, Dr. Gaines valued those who were eternal students, always seeking the truth. Dad said, there is no better authority than a simple man seeking the truth.

Eternal student? Our family was there in Dad's final years and moments. We saw him earn what Dr. Gaines considered the finest possible eulogy: He died learning. He died learning!

Dr. Gaines' values became the yardsticks, by which our father measured, himself, his employees, his associates, Naval officers, political candidates - and his sons.

It's night time on the other side of the world. And on the seas are Navy ships. I hope the next George Goodwin is on one. But what are the odds? Are they good or are they long? Clark and I cannot calculate them, for we have never met another man like him.

Dad took to heart fully, the words of Robert Woodruff, “There is no limit to what a man can do, if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”

One friend told us, for fifty years our dad had his hands on nearly every major achievement Atlanta made, but his fingerprints appear on nearly none of them.

The exception is this lovely church, a mighty and enduring force for good. It was here he was widely known, and would appreciate being remembered. And it is here, in the memorial garden, right beside our mother, their souls arisen, he will stay.

________________________________________________

George Goodwin Eulogy Given By His Son, Clark
January 26, 2015

In a moment, I'll share with you the 5-word sentence that had a tremendous impact on our family and others for decades to come.

A career-enhancing …

life-changing …

door-opening ...

horizon-stretching kind of impact.

What happened and why it happened is detailed in a 1-page, typed letter our Dad wrote in 1948, some weeks after he was awarded the first Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Local Reporting.

He was writing to President Gaines of Washington and Lee whom, as Allen mentioned, Dad – class of '39 – revered.

The letter was in response to a letter Dr. Gaines had sent him.

Dad's letter is on Atlanta Journal letterhead complete with the paper's famous masthead phrase … “Covers Dixie Like the Dew.”  

Dear Dr. Gaines,

I deeply appreciate your letter congratulating me on my recent good fortune. It was very thoughtful of you.

You may be interested to know that the Telfair story would not have been possible had it not been for one of the traditions which makes Washington and Lee a great institution.  That's the tradition of speaking to people one meets on the street.  

My first trip to Telfair County was thoroughly unsuccessful.  I found no evidence of the frauds I suspected. 

As I was about to return to Atlanta, I spoke to an old farmer standing near my car.  It was just a casual “Good afternoon, Sir,” … but I am certain I would not have spoken had it not been for the old W&L tradition.

As I started the engine, he turned and approached me. 

and then … the five life-changing words.

The farmer told my Dad, :

“I know why you're here.”

In the letter, Dad writes:

Then the old farmer volunteered the information I had been seeking in vain for two days. 

The letter continues …

“On a later trip to the county, this farmer – who had lived there for more than 70 years – was INVALUABLE in locating some of the 25 people whose testimony provided the irrefutable evidence of fraud that made the difference between

a GREAT story … and NO STORY AT ALL.”

Turning from the letter for just a moment …

The fraud was the Telfair County vote frauds, and Dad exposed highly irregular practices in the 1946 gubernatorial election – a drawn out process that at one point involved three politicians claiming to be governor – a situation requiring the state supreme court to finally resolve.   

Then Dad's letter takes a new direction: 

“Somehow it seems only fitting that part of the Pulitzer prize money should be forwarded to the University and reinvested to carry on all the splendid Washington and Lee traditions. 

So... I am enclosing my check.  

I want this to go for the Memorial Scholarship in the name of my former roommate, fraternity brother, and dear friend, Walter Guthrie of Washington D.C.  Walter exemplified the best in Washington and Lee traditions.  Like many other W&L men, he gave his life in World War 2 for the high ideals of democracy ... and for the dignity of man that our University stands for.  Perhaps this small contribution can help someone like Walter to carry on where he left off.”

Dad's pay-it-forward example from 66 years ago was so typical of his always hopeful anticipation of the future, his generous spirit, and his desire to make a difference in the life of someone

• in this case -- someone yet to be known.

A city-bred visitor greeting an old farmer on a road in rural south Georgia, engaging in a college tradition that had become a habit for life.

A farmer feeling comfortable enough to open up and say “I know why you're here” and offering to help.

The visitor -- already in his car, with engine running, and resigned to departing empty-handed – stops in surprise by the old farmer's response … the response that sets in motion a life-changing and – without exaggeration – a region changing sequence of events.

Our family thanks each of you here today and thanks also the entire Trinity Community that has been an important part of Dad's life since 1949.

Thank you for joining us in celebrating his life.

Your time, stories, assurances, and love mean more to us than we are able to express in words.

Dad lived a lucky and exceptionally happy life with Skippy responsible for much of that happiness.

They had the best next door neighbors anyone could ask for: Peter and Julia White – and the best neighborhood and nearby neighbors: the Warrens and the Peytons.

They had a faithful gardener and family friend of 45 years: Relus Lucear.

After the loss of Skippy, loyal friends continued to add joy to Dad's life:

John Shepherd, Mike York, Stacey Epstein Hader, Lynn Sokler, Al and Peggy Brann, Susan Prutzman, Ann Howell, Kay Powell, and Virgie Heffernan among others.

Matt Porter, wrote a beautiful tribute to him, and copies are available at the reception.

We also thank Dad's niece Sally Van Valzah and grandson David Goodwin who provided critical support during George's recent weeks in rehab and in-house hospice care.

Most especially, we thank his long-time caregiver – and honorary MAN in the

Men of Trinity Breakfast Group – Ms. Jackee Hooten.

Jackee and our son Warren -- with his steadfast devotion to his grandfather -- helped Dad enjoy his life as richly and for as long as possible.

Again, thank you all for coming.

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.