21 Facts About Ellis Arnall

Ellis Gibbs Arnall was an American politician who served as the 69th Governor of Georgia from 1943 to 1947.

One of these servants was William Ellis Arnall, who arrived on a ship called the Seaflower in 1621.

Ellis Arnall was admitted to the practice of law in 1931.

Ellis Arnall was elected Speaker Pro Tempore, the second highest officer position in the Georgia House.

Ellis Arnall unseated Talmadge in the 1942 primary, 174,757 to 128,394.

Ellis Arnall obtained the repeal of the poll tax, ratification in 1945 of a new state constitution, and a state employee merit system.

When young men were drafted into the armed forces during World War II, Ellis Arnall argued that youths old enough to fight in war should be able to vote for their country's leadership.

Ellis Arnall succeeded in lowering the voting age to eighteen more than two decades before the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution implemented that change nationally.

Ellis Arnall removed the prison system from under the governor's direct control, establishing a board of corrections to oversee state prisons and a pardon and parole board to handle such requests.

Ellis Arnall removed the University of Georgia from political machinations, and he led efforts to prevent a governor from exercising dictatorial powers, as opponents of Eugene Talmadge stated had allegedly occurred during his administration.

Additionally, Ellis Arnall, who had become a proponent of civil rights, argued that African Americans should be able to vote in the state's primary election.

Ellis Arnall's career declined as he was unable to persuade the legislature to take steps to allow him to seek re-election.

Ellis Arnall refused to resign the office during the controversy, and the younger Talmadge ended up locking Ellis Arnall out of his office in the state capitol.

Ellis Arnall served in the Truman administration for a short time as Director of the Office of Price Stabilization.

Ellis Arnall won a plurality of the vote in the primary but was denied the required majority, because of support for Carter, then a state senator from Plains.

Ellis Arnall barely campaigned in the runoff, and the result was a surprising victory for Maddox.

Ellis Arnall received more than 69,000 write-in ballots, far exceeding the margin between Callaway and Maddox.

Ellis Arnall actually carried one county, Liberty County in the southeastern portion of the state.

Ellis Arnall was worth tens of millions of dollars at the time of his death.

In 1997, Ellis Arnall was honored with a statue on the grounds of the Georgia State Capitol.

Ellis Arnall is interred at the Oak Hill Cemetery in his native Newnan.