“Hartsfield was a colorful con man, in his way, a great promoter, a man who could breathe life into any cause he believed in. He could make you angry, because he was stubborn and sure of his own convictions. Yet he brought a strength and vitality…

“But the most important thing about our city, with its natural ad­vantages, as the great southern regional capital and center of south­ eastern trade and commerce, is its good name and its image before the balance of the nation. In this electronic…

“In looking back over my life, I suppose I have the normal share of regrets. But if I had it all to do over again, I wouldn’t hesitate to enter politics. The rewards far outweigh the price one has to pay. When I speak to a civic club or just walk…

“Boys, I’m dying, but my doctors won’t tell me so. I need somebody to pick up after I’m gone, and it oughta be Herman. Herman’s a brilliant boy; he has a great future in politics. He could even be a senator. Lindley, you know a lot of politics, and…

Editor’s Note: Russell had left behind a legislative career that lasted for over half a century. He would be remembered as an agrarian and an early proponent of the New Deal. He would also head numerous committees including one to investigate the…

“For half a century, this great and good man graced the Congress of the United States. Through our birth pangs as a global power, through two terrible World Wars, through isolationism and a cold war, through the momentous first years of the atomic…