IN The Spirit With...Former Gov. Carl Sanders
By Van Waddy
Carl Sanders, 82, was the Democratic governor of Georgia from 1963 to 1967 during turbulent times. When integration was required at our universities his insistence that Georgia be in compliance with the new civil rights laws initiated by Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson spared Georgia the racial conflict that erupted in Alabama and Mississippi. Sanders now lives in Buckhead with Betty, his wife of 60 years. Sanders was at his Downtown office of Troutman Sanders when we recently spoke.
Looking back, is there a thread or story that put you on the path to becoming the nation’s youngest governor in 1963 and a champion of New South politics?
My mother took me to the YMCA at seven years old to learn to swim. I learned to play football and baseball. At 16, I went to the University of Georgia on a football scholarship; otherwise I might not have been able to attend college. At 19, I piloted a B-17 bomber in the Air Force. I returned to the university as a veteran, completed law school in two years and got involved in politics. I decided to clean up the corruption I saw around me in our local politics, in the old Cracker Party, which eventually dismantled the county unit system that kept the vote in the hands of only a few. By keeping Georgia on the high road at every opportunity, we brought Georgia into the modern arena. You might say I was led into the area where I could do the most good.
What do you know now you did not know in your 20s?
I’ve learned that you cannot depend on things happening the way you hope they will happen. Take life as it comes to you, the way it comes to you, and make the best out of it. Make what you can out of the breaks that come your way, and don’t give up. Do the right thing, and build everything on your reputation.
Enjoy life the best you can: Live actively and as fully as possible.
Put family first; love your family. I could have gone to Washington at some point, but I didn’t want to leave my children here… so I didn’t go.
How do you make sure you have an ongoing, rich inner life at 82?
I read a lot. I’m very involved in the life of my family and want to know what is going on in their lives. I love being involved in the development of aspiring young lawyers. I have kept up my relationship with the YMCA [The Carl E. Sanders YMCA on Moores Mill Road is named for him] and worked to keep many of their branches alive. I’m involved in the University of Georgia Law School and work to provide scholarships. My wife Betty is a talented artist, and we both work to help young talented artists have programs in their hometowns.
What have you learned from the losses in your life?
Family is the most important thing in your life. I have six grandchildren. I lost one grandchild at age 26 years old to liver cancer. Stay close to your family. Hold on to what you have. It is precious.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing us today?
We have to work to restore the credibility of our great country in the eyes of the rest of the world. The world population is growing so rapidly, there will soon not be enough room for all the people to live on our planet. I tell young lawyers they need to begin looking into "interplanetary law" because we will soon have people venturing out into space to develop new areas to live.
What would you like others to know about the integrity with which you tried to live your life?
That I left deep footprints in the sand. I want them to remember I carried Georgia forward past hard times when those around us were standing in the way of change and moral progress.
Van Waddy is a psycbotherapist in Atlanta. www.vanwaddy.com.
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