Eugene Talmadge
Eugene Talmadge was a prominent political figure in Georgia, serving as the governor during the 1930s and early 1940s. He was known for his staunch defense of traditional Southern values, particularly advocating for white supremacy and opposing racial equality. In 1941, Talmadge initiated actions to remove books that promoted racial cooperation from public educational institutions. This included the banning of twenty-three textbooks identified by a citizens' committee he authorized, which targeted literature that supported racial equality, the theory of evolution, and works critical of Southern culture. Talmadge’s push for censorship escalated to a proposal in 1941 for the burning of library books advocating equality. However, his controversial stance ultimately contributed to his defeat in the 1942 gubernatorial primary, leading to a decline in censorship efforts in Georgia's schools and universities. Talmadge's political legacy is marked by his aggressive promotion of segregationist policies and responses to changing societal attitudes toward race relations in the South.
Subject Terms
Eugene Talmadge
Politician
- Born: September 23, 1884
- Birthplace: Forsyth, Georgia
- Died: December 21, 1946
- Place of death: Atlanta, Georgia
Identification: Governor of Georgia, 1933-1937, 1941-1943
Significance: Talmadge advocated the removal of books advocating racial equality from Georgia’s public schools and universities
Talmadge was a vocal and aggressive defender of traditional Southern values and institutions, especially white supremacy in race relations. In 1941 as governor of Georgia, he proposed the removal of books advocating racial cooperation from public schools and state-supported colleges and universities. During a controversy over the dismissal of two college administrators accused of favoring racial equality in education, Talmadge authorized a citizens’ committee to provide a list of books and publications deemed subversive of race relations. The committee identified twenty-three textbooks, which the state’s board of education banned from the public schools. Also proscribed were books in college libraries as well as some texts assigned in college courses. Banned books included works advancing the theory of evolution, which was believed to contradict the Bible, and books judged to be critical of the South.
In August, 1941, Talmadge announced that he would ask the 1943 session of the Georgia legislature to require the burning of library books that advocated equality in race relations. However, the controversy over Talmadge’s interference in the state’s schools led to his defeat in the 1942 gubernatorial primary. After Talmadge lost the election, the pressures for censorship of books in Georgia’s schools and universities diminished considerably.