Hubbry Logo
Ivan Allen Jr.Ivan Allen Jr.Main
Open search
Ivan Allen Jr.
Community hub
Ivan Allen Jr.
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Ivan Allen Jr.
Ivan Allen Jr.
Ivan Allen Jr.
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Ivan Earnest Allen Jr. (March 15, 1911 – July 2, 2003) was an American businessman who served two terms as the 51st mayor of Atlanta, during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

Key Information

Allen took the helm of the Ivan Allen Company, his father's office supply business, in 1946 and within three years had the company bringing in annual revenues of several millions of dollars.[1] In 1961, he authored a white paper for revitalizing Atlanta. It was adopted by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and became the Six Point Forward Atlanta program. This plan would become his roadmap as mayor for creating an economic surge that established the infrastructure, business, education, arts, sports, and international presence that are the foundations for modern Atlanta.[2] Allen was a founding member of Atlanta's influential Commerce Club, which he chaired until his death in 2003.[3] He became president of the city Chamber of Commerce in 1961 and during this same year ran for mayor, defeating the staunch segregationist, Lester Maddox.[2]

Convinced that the South could never thrive economically under segregation, Allen supported the demands of African Americans for their accommodation at public facilities. On his first day in office, he ordered the removal of all "white" and "colored" signs from facilities in city hall. Racial alliances forged by Allen with Martin Luther King Jr. and others in the African American community, along with his advocacy for the public accommodation of African Americans in the white community, allowed Allen to guide Atlanta through the turbulence of racial integration without the violence that occurred in many southern cities. In a key address to the public, he asked Atlantans to eliminate racial segregation and in doing so, to set an example to inspire "all the world". At the behest of President John F. Kennedy, Allen testified before Congress on behalf of what became the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He was the only white southern politician of significance to do so. After his testimony, Allen and his family were under death threats and required police protection for a year.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Ivan Earnest Allen Jr. was born in Atlanta on March 15, 1911, the only son of Ivan Allen Sr. (1876–1968) and Irene Beaumont Allen (1889–1972). His father Allen Sr. was co-founder of the Ivan Allen Company (1900), an office supply and furniture store that, by 1925, had about fifty employees and was one of Atlanta's best-known businesses. Allen Sr. was also a founding member of the Atlanta Rotary Club, served as president of the new Atlanta Convention Bureau (1913–1917), president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (1917), two years as senator in the Georgia state legislature (1918–1919), and was the treasurer of the Georgia Democratic Party in 1936.[4] In an effort to attract northern capital to Atlanta, Allen Sr. headed the Atlanta chamber's "Forward Atlanta" booster campaign (1926–1929), a strategy that would lure almost 700 new businesses to Atlanta and serve to influence Allen Jr.'s future as a businessman and civic leader.[1][5]

From an early age, Allen understood that his family was one of privilege. He began attending Boys High School in 1927, and was one of the few students to own a car. That same year, his father's name was published for the first time in the Social Cities Register, an annual list of elites in Richmond, Atlanta, Charleston, Savannah, and Augusta. He regularly attended the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta with his parents, and would later serve as an elder for many years and an active member until his death.[1][3]

Education

[edit]

Initially an indifferent student, Allen asserted himself during his last year at Boys High, earning a spot on the honor roll.[1] In 1929, he enrolled in the School of Commerce at the Georgia Institute of Technology. During his first year at Georgia Tech, he was one of only five students in the student body of about two thousand to make straight A's. He graduated cum laude in 1933, with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce. While at Georgia Tech, he served as president of the student body, vice president of the Inter-Fraternity Council, cadet colonel of the ROTC, president of Omicron Delta Kappa, vice-president of ANAK, president of the Georgia Phi chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, was a member of the Honor Roll, and a member of the Dean's List.[1]

At one point, he led a student protest against Governor Eugene Talmadge when the board of regents abolished the School of Commerce at Tech and moved it to the University of Georgia. During one summer as a college student he served as postmaster, strung tennis rackets, and worked as a counselor for young campers at Camp Greenbriar in Alderson, West Virginia. He was paid $500 and invested this money in Coca-Cola stock, of which he wrote was "my first investment and probably the greatest I ever made".[2]

Business career

[edit]

After graduating from Georgia Tech in 1933 during the depths of the Great Depression, Allen refused offers from other companies and began his lifetime of work in the family business, which was at the time called the Ivan Allen–Marshall Company. That summer, he worked in the basement of the business, learning from a black employee named Arthur Wright and earning $100 per month. At the time, the business consisted of one Atlanta store and grossed $196,000.[1]

In 1936, he married Louise Richardson, granddaughter of Hugh T. Inman, and member of one of the most prominent families in Atlanta. He continued working at the company until he was called to the army to serve in World War II from 1942 to 1945.[1]

After the War, he worked in the Georgia State Capitol statehouse from the fall of 1945 until the spring of 1946. In March 1946, Allen Sr. asked his son to return to the family business, in light of the fact that his partner, Charles Marshall, was in poor health and had decided to retire. Allen resigned from his position as executive secretary to the governor and became president his father's company in 1946. In 1948, Marshall died and willed his half of the Ivan Allen–Marshall Company to Allen Jr., giving the Allen family ownership of the firm. By 1949, the firm had more than two hundred employees and annual revenues of several million dollars. Together with his father, he changed the name to the Ivan Allen Company in 1953.[1] The company would flourish over the next four decades under his leadership and that of his late son, Ivan Allen III, becoming the region's preeminent office supplies and furniture dealer, with 17 offices across the South.[3]

Ivan Allen Jr. was president of Ivan Allen Company from 1946 to 1970 and chairman from 1970 to 1995. In 1988, the Ivan Allen Company boasted $116 million in revenues.[1] In 1999, the supplies division of the Ivan Allen Company was sold to Staples, Inc. The furniture division, now known as Ivan Allen Workspace, is headed by his son, Iman Allen.[3]

Political and civic involvement

[edit]

In 1936, Allen actively campaigned for Georgia Governor Eurith D. Rivers, serving in a number of state-government positions during the Rivers administration between 1936 and 1940. As treasurer of the State Hospital Authority, he raised $2.5 million by passing the state's first revenue certificate bond issue to rebuild the white section of the old state mental hospital at Milledgeville.[2]

When Pearl Harbor was struck in late 1941, he was called into the army as a reserve officer.[2] During World War II, he served as a supply officer and directed the field division of the Selective Service System in Georgia for the United States Army.[1] He entered the service in 1942 as a second lieutenant and was discharged in 1945 as a major.[3][5]

When the War ended, an old college friend who was also the progressive young Governor of Georgia, Ellis Arnall, went to Washington and asked the Secretary of Defense to release Allen from his duties.[2] Allen was discharged and immediately became executive secretary to Governor Arnall until March 1946. He was later chief of staff for Governor M.E. Thompson (1947–1948).[1][3][5]

While working at Ivan Allen–Marshall Company, he began to participate in civic affairs, such as the Boy Scouts and the Community Chest. He served as a member of the state Board of Education and the state Department of Veteran Services. He was a director of the Bank of Georgia, a trustee at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, an executive board member of the state's Family Welfare Society and of the Atlanta YMCA, president of the Young Democrats Club of Georgia, and president of the Atlanta Improvement Association (1951).[1][2]

For almost ten years, he led the state Chamber of Commerce in industrial development projects.[2] With friends Mills B. Lane, Jack Glenn, Philip Alston, Richard Rich, Lawrence Gellerstedt Jr., and others, he founded The Commerce Club, which served as a venue for business networking and hospitality. He served as chairman until his death.[3]

Allen was an active member of the Atlanta Rotary Club from 1939 until his death. He served as president of the Community Chest and United Way, president of the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.[3] In 1947, he was selected to head the Community Chest fund drive, during which time he became the first white member of the Community Chest leadership to attend the opening fundraising dinner for the black division of the Community Chest.[5] In 1958, he served as a member on the Atlanta Citizens Advisory Committee on Urban Renewal.[1] He was elected president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in 1960 and, in 1961, proposed the Six Point Forward Atlanta program, which became the cornerstone of his platform in his successful campaign for mayor in 1961.[3][6]

Bids for governor

[edit]

In 1954, Ivan Allen Jr. made a brief bid for Georgia Governor on a segregationist platform. In a field of nine candidates, he lost to segregationist Marvin Griffin.[1]

In 1957, Allen resigned from his position as president of the Georgia State Chamber of Commerce, hired a press agent, and delivered speeches across Georgia as a potential candidate for the 1958 Gubernatorial Election. Again, he ran on a segregationist platform, but emphasized the "peace and tranquility necessary to continue our economic development program".[1] In the coming years he would drastically change his political philosophy on segregation.

In December 1957, he announced that he would not be a candidate for governor. He alluded to the fact that no Atlantan in forty years had won the race for governor, mostly as a result of rural Georgian apprehension towards the leaders from the "large, liberal cities". Allen wrote, "As a businessman I have analyzed the market and found that I am not a saleable product...No matter how clear and unequivocal I made my support of segregation, I was still from Atlanta".[1][2]

Mayoralty

[edit]

In 1961, he ran for Mayor of Atlanta against Lester Maddox, a 45-year-old restaurant owner and staunch segregationist. Allen was carried to victory by 63,522 votes, while Maddox received 35,922 votes.[7] Allen gained much of his support from the black community, which made up 40 percent of the city's population at the time. He took office in early 1962, replacing outgoing Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield, who was retiring after 23 years in office.[8][9]

In June 1962, during his first term as mayor, Allen took the solemn responsibility of flying to France to help identify and bring home the bodies of 106 of Atlanta's art and business leaders who, on an art appreciation tour, died in the Air France Flight 007 plane crash at Orly Airport in Paris.[8] Many of the deceased had been personal friends of Allen.[5]

In his book, Allen wrote about going to Paris immediately after the crash:

"I realized how insignificant I was, but I knew I had to assume the posture of representing these families and, indeed, the entire city of Atlanta, Georgia. I knew nothing about protocol, foreign relations, aviation, international agreements, or any of the other details I might become involved in. I was nothing but the Mayor of Atlanta and a friend and neighbor of 106 people who had been killed at this same airport only the day before...These were my lifelong friends. This was my generation. This was also the backbone of Atlanta's cultural society, the city's leading patrons of the arts. There was no precedent for this kind of agony".[2]

In 1965, Allen made a very private commitment to himself and to his wife Louise that he would not seek a third term in office. This was not revealed to the public until January 1969, when Allen formally announced his decision at a meeting of the Atlanta Rotary Club.[2] That year, he refused to publicly endorse any particular candidate in the mayoral race, until just days before the runoff between Sam Massell and Rodney Cook, when reports surfaced suggesting that Allen's vice-mayor and mayoral-elect, Massell, had abused his power as vice-mayor through misuse of the Atlanta Police Department. On the Sunday before the election, Allen called for a press conference and asked Massell to immediately withdraw from consideration "for an office which requires intuitive integrity and instinctive withdrawal from even the suspicion and appearance of evil." Despite the backlash he received, Allen wrote, "Had my candidate, Rodney Cook been involved in the same affair I am convinced I would have taken the same action – except... I would have gone into greater detail to make the public fully understand the seriousness of the situation".[2] Sam Massell went on to win the election and succeed Allen as the 53rd mayor of Atlanta.

Economic development of Atlanta

[edit]

Under Mayor Allen's Forward Atlanta program, the city's population grew more than 30 percent. Atlanta ranked 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. In 1969, Atlanta's unemployment rate at one point plummeted to an astonishing 1.9 percent. Eleven of the city's twelve tallest buildings were constructed during the sixties, and the Atlanta International Airport (now Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta 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.[2] In an attempt to manage the city's vast increase in traffic, Allen oversaw the early phases of construction of the Interstate 285 perimeter and the Downtown Connector, and presided over the creation of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), which would take over the old Atlanta Transit system and build the MARTA rail system.[3][5]

The $13 million Memorial Arts Center (now the Woodruff Arts Center) was established as a memorial to the victims of the 1962 Orly plane crash. The $10 Million Atlanta Civic Center and the $100 million Peachtree Center complex were all built during Allen's mayoralty. Between 1965 and 1969, convention business in Atlanta doubled, with 400,000 delegates spending $60 million.[2][5]

Mayor Allen also played a key role in bringing Major League Sports to Atlanta. In a politically risky move, he backed the construction of the $18 million Atlanta-Fulton Stadium, which attracted the Milwaukee Braves baseball team in 1965, the new NFL franchised Falcons football team in 1966, and the St. Louis Hawks basketball team arrived in 1968[3][8][10] Local Black leaders criticized him for demolishing a Black neighborhood to build it.[8][11]

His building program, with its emphasis on developing downtown, was opposed by some of Atlanta's black leaders as not adequately meeting the need for low-income housing. Despite the criticisms, however, there was more low-income housing built during Allen's eight years as mayor than the entire thirty years prior to that. Allen wrote, "It is wonderful to be idealistic and to speak about human values, but you are not going to be able to do one thing about them if you are not economically strong. If there is any one slogan I lived by as mayor of Atlanta, that would be it".[2]

Civil rights and desegregation

[edit]

As mentioned earlier, Allen had initially been a segregationist. However, his business pragmatism led him to become an advocate for African American rights. He believed that to flourish, Atlanta must address its racial issues. Eventually, however, Allen was deeply affected by daily, firsthand dealings he faced with racial issues, as well as the profound questions African American citizens posed to him about their humanity and the cultural system that refused to recognize them. His pragmatic support of racial integration transformed rapidly into a conviction about the moral rightness of racial equality – a belief would lead Allen to place himself at the center of a firestorm.[6]

Even before becoming mayor, Allen was involved in efforts to bring desegregation to Atlanta for the sake of Atlanta's businesses and city image. As president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, he worked closely with Judge A.T. Walden, longtime African-American leader; Opie Shelton, vice-president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; and 25 owners and managers of Atlanta's leading department, variety, and chain stores to come to an agreement of the full desegregation of downtown stores and lunch counters.[2]

On his first day in office, he ordered all "white" and "colored" signs removed from City Hall and desegregated the cafeteria. This was the first of many steps he took to advance integration. Allen authorized black Atlanta policemen to arrest whites, hired the city's first black firefighters, and quickly put Atlanta ahead of every other city in the South as far as hiring black workers for positions "other than the most menial jobs".[2] He painstakingly negotiated agreements for the accommodation of African Americans at 18 private and public facilities including hotels, swimming pools, and restaurants. Many Atlanta restaurants and other public facilities desegregated by mutual agreement between their owners and Mayor Allen before the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[5][8] By January 1964, 14 major Atlanta hotels and motels had publicly pledged to accept reservations regardless of race.[10]"I wasn't so all-fired liberal when I first moved into City Hall", Allen wrote. "But when I saw what the race-baiters were doing or could do to hold back the orderly growth of Atlanta, it infuriated me and eventually swung me to the extreme end opposite them".[2]

Despite his claims to have been committed to integration one of his first actions was to erect a fence to separate a black neighborhood from a white neighborhood. In the face of criticism Mayor Allen refused to take it down until a court order forced him to. The event was known as "Atlanta's Berlin Wall" or "the Peyton Road Affair."[8][12]

In 1966, a riot broke out in Summerhill, a neighborhood south of the Atlanta Stadium, when a white police officer shot a black resident.[5] Mayor Allen rushed to the scene of the riot, climbing a police car in an attempt to talk to and calm the crowd. He toppled from the car, uninjured, when the crowd repeatedly rocked the vehicle. Afterwards, he walked the streets – refusing to wear a riot helmet as the police did – urging the black residents to "please go home." "This is a good city", he shouted. "Help keep it that way, and go home".[13] In his 1973 autobiography, The River of No Return, Cleveland Sellers a leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee claimed that Allen then instructed police to, "get them out of here, if you have to tear it down brick by brick," referring to their homes.[14]

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

[edit]

Mayor Allen challenged members of Atlanta's prestigious Commerce Club to accept African American businessmen. When Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, Allen helped organize a 1,500-person bi-racial banquet to honor him (Atlanta was King's hometown). Furthermore, he shamed many of the white leaders in the city into supporting the event beyond pragmatic grounds. Many attended the dinner, making it a turning point in Atlanta's race relations.[2][8]

Upon hearing that Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot in Memphis, Mayor Allen immediately rushed to the support of Dr. King's wife. Allen and his wife were with Mrs. King when it was confirmed that Dr. King was dead. Two days after Dr. King's assassination on April 4, 1968, he participated in a march across the west side of Atlanta, leading the way in a police car for the nearly four thousand black students walking in memory of Dr. King. Along with Atlanta's police chief, Herbert Jenkins, he visited every black neighborhood in Atlanta during the traumatic days between Dr. King's death and his funeral, walking up and down the streets and reassuring the black community. Mayor Allen went to great lengths to ensure the city remained peaceful when nearly two hundred thousand people gathered to mourn Dr. King's death.[2] King's widow, Coretta Scott King, honored Allen with the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize in 1981.[3]

Testimony before Congress

[edit]

"I was convinced now that voluntary desegregation of public facilities, worked out on a local level, had gone as far as it was going to go in the South and much of the rest of the United States....", Allen wrote. "It was obvious that the President was going to have to push through a very plain and airtight law that would, once and for all, abolish the practice of segregation. And segregation, as I intended to say in my testimony, was 'the stepchild of slavery'".[2]

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy made a direct request asking Ivan Allen Jr. to testify before the U.S. Congress in support of a federal law mandating public accommodations for African Americans. This law, particularly directed at those [restaurants and hotels] in the South that continued to close their doors to blacks by arguing private property rights, would force any private business, however remotely involved in interstate commerce, to open its doors to every person regardless of race. Against the counsel of even Atlanta's most prominent black leaders, Allen chose to go to Washington and deliver his testimony, knowing it would most likely ruin his political career and deeply affect his personal and business relationships. Nevertheless, with the support of his wife and very few others, Allen risked his place in society, his political future, the safety of his family, and ultimately his life to advocate the public accommodation of African Americans.

On July 26, 1963, Allen spoke before the U.S. Congress and the nation in support of what became the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He was the only prominent white southern elected official to do so. As a result, there were death threats made towards the Allen family, and many white friends and constituents never spoke to him again. Just one month after Allen's testimony, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, also calling for racial equality and an end to discrimination, later proving to be a very defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement.[2]

Excerpts from Allen's testimony were published in newspapers the day after he spoke in front of Congress: "I am firmly convinced that the Supreme Court insists the same fundamental rights must be held by every American citizen. Therefore, any failure by Congress to pass the [Civil Rights] bill would amount to an endorsement of private business setting up an entirely new status of discrimination throughout the nation... I submit that it is not right to allow an American's citizenship to be changed merely as a matter of convenience.... I want to emphasize again that now is the time for legislative action. We cannot dodge this issue. We cannot look back over our shoulders or turn the clock back to the eighteen-sixties. We must take action now to assure a greater future for our citizens and our country.... Now the elimination of segregation, which is slavery's stepchild, is a challenge to all of us to make every American free in fact as well as in theory..."[15][16]

Allen described that to be the moment which made civil rights a very personal matter to him: "I have to be honest with myself and admit that up until the time I had to make the decision to go to Washington or not go, my liberalism on the race issue had been based to a large degree on the pragmatism: it was simply good business for Atlanta to be an open city, a fair city, a "City Too Busy to Hate", a city trying to raise the level of its poorest citizens and get them off the relief roles...I am certain that at this point I had finally crossed over and made my commitment on a very personal basis. And I think I took some of my friends with me".[2]

Allen continued to engage racial issues throughout his eight years in office. He worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. By the time he stepped down, Atlanta was at the forefront of progress in public accommodations, school desegregation, voting rights, housing, and employment. Black citizens occupied positions on the city board of aldermen and the board of education.

Family

[edit]

Ivan Allen Jr. married Louise Richardson Allen (1917–2008), granddaughter of the influential Atlanta businessman, Hugh T. Inman, on New Year's Day in 1936. They were married for sixty-six years before Allen's death. They had three sons, Ivan Allen III (1938–1992), Hugh Inman, and Beaumont (1951–2014). At the time of Allen Jr.'s death, he was survived by his wife, sons Hugh Inman and Beaumont, daughters-in-law Margaret (Mrs. Ivan Allen III), Tricia (Mrs. Hugh Inman Allen) and Sally (Mrs. Beaumont Allen), seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.[3]

Georgia Institute of Technology

[edit]

Ivan Allen Jr. graduated in the top five students of his class at Georgia Tech (Commerce, 1933). He was president of the Student Body and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, to which he offered lifelong support. For many years, he hosted the annual Ivan Allen Rush Party for his fraternity in the meadow behind his home. In 1990, the liberal arts college at Georgia Tech was renamed the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.[17]

The Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage

[edit]

Entrusted by the Allen family to carry forward Mayor Allen's legacy, Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts awarded the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Progress and Service from 2001 to 2010. In 2010, Georgia Tech established the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage. Awarded for the first time in 2011, it recognizes those around the world whose life and work embody Mayor Allen's moral imperative and compassion in shaping a better future for humankind.[6]

Legacy

[edit]
Allen family statue at Centennial Olympic Park

After Allen's death on July 2, 2003, at the age of 92, he was buried at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta.[18] His remains were reinterred at Oakland Cemetery alongside other family members in 2009.[19]

Ivan Allen Jr. was awarded a Doctor of Public Service degree from Georgia Tech and honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Morris Brown College, Juniata College, Clark College, Morehouse College, LaGrange College, Emory University, and Davidson College.[3]

He was also awarded the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation Award for achievement in urban affairs in 1974, the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize in 1981, the Shining Light Award in 1995, and was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia in 2004 (cite). In 1999, The Commerce Club created the Ivan Allen Jr. Leadership Award, which is presented annually.

A memorial statue of Ivan Allen Sr., Ivan Allen Jr., and Ivan Allen III was commissioned for the Olympic Games and stands in Centennial Olympic Park, adjacent to the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce headquarters. The Atlanta Braves' museum and hall of fame at the now-demolished Turner Field was named in his honor.

His commitment to urban transformation founded in social justice became a cornerstone of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech. G. P. "Bud" Peterson, president of Georgia Tech, stated, "He was a leader while he was a student here at Georgia Tech, and went on to be a leader in everything he did throughout his career. Now, half a century later, his life is a beacon of light for those of us following in his footsteps. It is our goal here at Georgia Tech to take the legacy of Ivan Allen Jr. and pass it on to the next generation." Research, teaching, and public service in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts are grounded in Mayor Allen's values and principles.[6]

Books

[edit]

In 1971, Ivan Allen Jr. published his first and only book, "Mayor: Notes on the Sixties", with Paul Hemphill. The inside cover of the book reads, "To my father, who saw it coming; and to my wife, whose advice and courage saw me through it."

The members of the Ivan Allen family, along with former mayor Maynard Jackson (Dobbs Family), are the subjects of the book, "Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn", published in 1996 by Gary M. Pomerantz.

In 1928, Ivan Allen Sr. published his first and only book, "Atlanta From the Ashes". In the Foreword, Allen Sr. writes, "It is the author's intention in this volume to present his city to the executives of American business." A 1929 New York Times article referred to the book: "Picture of Rise After Sherman's March Is Told In a New Descriptive Book."

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ivan Allen Jr.

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Ivan Allen Jr. (March 15, 1911 – July 2, 2003) was an American businessman and politician who served as mayor of Atlanta from 1962 to 1970. A Georgia Tech alumnus who took over his family's office supply business, Allen expanded it into a major enterprise before entering politics, where he initially supported segregationist policies as a state senator in the 1950s. As mayor, he led Atlanta's economic transformation through the Forward Atlanta initiative, which attracted corporate headquarters and spurred infrastructure development including a new civic center, stadium, and airport expansions, contributing to over 30% population growth and positioning the city as a business hub. During the civil rights era, Allen shifted toward integration to avert unrest and sustain growth, desegregating city facilities, hiring black firefighters and police, and becoming the only Southern white elected official to testify before Congress in 1963 supporting public accommodations in President Kennedy's proposed civil rights bill, which influenced the 1964 Civil Rights Act. His pragmatic approach maintained relative calm in Atlanta amid national turmoil, though early actions like endorsing the 1962 Peyton Road barricade to limit black entry into a white neighborhood highlighted inconsistencies in his racial policies before fuller commitment to desegregation.

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Family Background

Ivan Allen Jr. was born on March 15, 1911, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Ivan Allen Sr. and Irene Susannah Beaumont Allen. His father, born in Dalton, Georgia, in 1876 or 1877, had relocated to Atlanta in 1895 and established the Fielder and Allen Company, which evolved into the prominent Ivan Allen Company specializing in office products. Ivan Allen Sr. also held influential civic roles, including presidency of the Atlanta Convention Bureau in 1913 and the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in 1917, and served as a state senator while spearheading the "Forward Atlanta" development campaign in the 1920s. As the only child of his parents, who married in 1907, Allen Jr. grew up in a household emblematic of Atlanta's emerging business and booster elite, where his father's entrepreneurial and political activities fostered an environment centered on civic promotion and economic growth. The family's status provided Allen Jr. with exposure to Atlanta's key institutions and networks from an early age, though specific personal anecdotes from his youth remain sparse in historical records. During his childhood, Allen Jr. resided in Atlanta and attended the local Boys High School, immersing him in the city's social and educational fabric amid its post-Reconstruction expansion. This upbringing in a single-child family of means likely reinforced values of self-reliance and community involvement, influenced by his father's model of blending commerce with public service, though Allen Jr. later reflected on initial academic disinterest before finding direction in higher education.

Formal Education and Early Influences

Ivan Allen Jr. pursued his higher education at the Georgia Institute of Technology, majoring in commerce and earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1933. During his studies, he transitioned from initial academic indifference to active leadership, serving as president of the student body, which honed his organizational and persuasive abilities. These university experiences were complemented by early immersion in Atlanta's commercial environment through his family's enterprise. Ivan Allen Sr., his father, had established the Ivan Allen Company in 1917 as a supplier of office equipment and furniture, building it into a key player in the region's business landscape after relocating from Dalton, Georgia, in 1895. Upon graduation, Allen Jr. immediately entered the firm, absorbing practical lessons in sales, management, and customer relations that informed his lifelong emphasis on economic pragmatism and community-oriented enterprise. This foundational exposure to family-driven commerce, amid Atlanta's burgeoning industrial growth, cultivated his views on private-sector initiative as a driver of urban progress.

Business Career

Entry and Growth in Family Enterprise

Ivan Allen Jr. graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1933 with a degree in business administration and promptly joined the family-owned Ivan Allen Company, an office products firm founded by his father, Ivan Allen Sr., in 1900. Initially entering during the Great Depression, Allen contributed to the company's operations in selling office equipment, supplies, and furniture, building on its established presence in Atlanta's business community. Following service in and a brief stint as executive secretary to from 1945 to 1946, Allen assumed the presidency of the Ivan Allen Company upon his father's retirement in 1946. Under his leadership, the firm expanded its offerings to become the first in the Southeast to provide integrated services including office furniture, supplies, space planning, and printing, enhancing its competitive edge in a economic recovery. The company's growth accelerated significantly during Allen's tenure; sales more than quadrupled within five years of his presidency, reflecting strategic investments and adaptation to rising demand for office infrastructure amid Atlanta's burgeoning commercial sector. By the late 1940s, the Ivan Allen Company employed over 200 people and generated annual revenues in the millions, solidifying its status as a key player in regional business services before Allen shifted focus to public office. This expansion not only bolstered the family's wealth but also positioned Allen as a prominent figure in Atlanta's civic-business elite.

Civic Leadership in Business Organizations

Ivan Allen Jr. assumed the presidency of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in 1960, leveraging his position to advance the city's economic interests through proactive civic initiatives. In this role, he spearheaded the "Forward Atlanta" campaign, originally initiated by his father in 1925, which aimed to enhance Atlanta's national image and lure corporate investment; the effort successfully attracted over 750 companies, generated $30 million in investments, and created tens of thousands of jobs by promoting infrastructure development and business-friendly policies. Under Allen's leadership, the Chamber issued a resolution to the advocating for legislation to end school segregation, framing it as essential for economic progress rather than purely social reform. He also urged Atlanta businesses to comply peacefully with emerging civil rights legislation, emphasizing that racial division hindered commercial viability and regional competitiveness; this stance reflected his recognition that segregation imposed tangible costs on Georgia's , including restricted and investor reluctance. Allen extended his influence as president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, where he prioritized policies to mitigate segregation's adverse effects on business expansion and labor markets. These organizational roles positioned him as a bridge between private enterprise and public policy, fostering Atlanta's transition toward inclusive growth while prioritizing empirical economic incentives over ideological commitments.

Pre-Mayoral Political Involvement

Initial Political and Civic Engagements

Prior to entering elective office, Ivan Allen Jr. held an appointed position in state government, serving as executive secretary to Georgia Governor Ellis Arnall from 1945 to 1946, where he assisted in administrative duties during the postwar transition period. This role marked his initial foray into political administration, building on his family's civic tradition and providing exposure to statewide policy challenges, including fiscal reforms under Arnall's progressive administration. In 1957, Allen launched a campaign for the Georgia governorship, aligning himself with the prevailing segregationist stance of the Democratic Party in the South to appeal to voters, but he withdrew early due to insufficient support amid competition from more established candidates. This unsuccessful bid highlighted the political risks of challenging entrenched segregationist orthodoxy, though Allen later reflected on it as a pragmatic assessment of electoral realities rather than a deep ideological commitment. Concurrently, he deepened civic involvement through philanthropy, heading Atlanta's Community Chest drive in 1947 and becoming the first white individual invited to the Black division's kickoff dinner, signaling early cross-racial outreach in charitable organizing. Allen's most prominent pre-mayoral civic engagement came in 1960 when he was elected president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, a position that positioned him as a key business advocate for urban progress. In this capacity, he initiated the "Forward Atlanta" campaign to enhance the city's economic image and attract investment, emphasizing infrastructure and growth over ideological divides. Shortly after assuming the role, Allen mediated negotiations between white merchants and Black civil rights activists protesting segregated facilities, facilitating voluntary desegregation agreements to avert boycotts and preserve commercial stability—a pragmatic response driven by economic imperatives rather than moral advocacy at the time. These efforts demonstrated his evolving approach to racial tensions, prioritizing Atlanta's business interests amid mounting sit-in demonstrations.

Gubernatorial Campaigns and Setbacks

In 1954, Allen entered the Democratic primary for governor of Georgia, campaigning on a platform that endorsed racial segregation in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision earlier that year, which mandated school desegregation. Competing in a crowded field of nine candidates, he emphasized his business acumen and economic development ideas but was outpaced by Marvin Griffin, a more outspoken segregationist and former lieutenant governor with strong rural support; Griffin secured the nomination with approximately 36% of the vote in the first primary on July 12, advancing to win the runoff and general election. Allen's defeat highlighted the challenges faced by Atlanta-based moderates in statewide races dominated by rural voters and segregationist fervor; Georgia's political landscape at the time favored candidates appealing to agrarian constituencies with inflammatory racial rhetoric over urban business leaders like Allen, whose pragmatic style was perceived as insufficiently combative on integration issues. Following the loss, Allen returned to his role as president of the Georgia , where he advocated for industrial growth while navigating the era's racial tensions. Allen revisited a gubernatorial bid ahead of the 1958 Democratic primary, announcing his candidacy in late 1957 and touring the state to build support. He pledged to uphold segregation but stressed "peace and tranquility" alongside economic progress, drawing on his chamber experience to position himself as a steady administrator. However, after several months of campaigning and polling voter sentiment, he withdrew in early 1958, citing dim prospects for an Atlantan candidate in rural-heavy primaries; he endorsed Lieutenant Governor S. Ernest Vandiver, who won the nomination on a "no mix" segregation platform. These setbacks underscored systemic barriers for Atlanta elites in Georgia politics, where county unit voting—disproportionately empowering rural areas until its 1962 invalidation—amplified anti-urban biases and rewarded extremism over moderation. Allen's withdrawal prompted his resignation from the chamber presidency in 1957 and a shift toward local civic roles, setting the stage for his successful 1961 mayoral campaign in Atlanta.

Mayoral Tenure (1962-1970)

Election and Administrative Overview

Ivan Allen Jr. was elected as the 52nd mayor of Atlanta in a nonpartisan election held in 1961, defeating segregationist candidate Lester Maddox in a runoff on September 13. His victory relied heavily on support from African American voters, marking a shift toward moderation in city leadership amid rising civil rights tensions. Allen assumed office on January 2, 1962, immediately ordering the removal of all "colored" and "white" signs from City Hall to signal desegregation efforts. Allen secured re-election in 1965 with substantial backing from both black and white constituencies, reflecting approval of his initial tenure despite national racial strife. He served two full terms until 1970, opting not to seek a third amid ongoing urban challenges. During this period, Atlanta's mayoral system operated under a strong-mayor form of , granting Allen executive authority over city departments, budget, and policy implementation. Allen's administration emphasized pragmatic governance rooted in his business background, prioritizing economic expansion, infrastructure upgrades, and orderly racial integration to position Atlanta as a modern southern hub. He cultivated a reputation for decisive action, such as attracting professional sports franchises and fostering public-private partnerships, while navigating federal civil rights mandates without the widespread violence seen in other southern cities. This approach earned the city the informal moniker "too busy to hate," underscoring a focus on progress over polarization.

Economic Development and Infrastructure Projects

Ivan Allen Jr. prioritized economic expansion through the Forward Atlanta committee, which he established shortly after taking office in 1962 to attract businesses and investment. This initiative resulted in the relocation of 23 corporate headquarters to Atlanta, the creation of more than 20,000 new jobs, and over $1 billion in private investment secured for the city. Atlanta's population grew by more than 30 percent during his tenure, reflecting the program's success in positioning the city as a hub for commerce and industry. A cornerstone of infrastructure development was the construction of Atlanta Stadium (later renamed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium), approved in 1964 and completed in April 1965 at a cost of approximately $18 million, with the city and Fulton County sharing expenses. This facility enabled Atlanta to secure major league sports franchises, including the Milwaukee Braves, which relocated to become the Atlanta Braves for the 1966 season, and the expansion Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, which began play that year. These teams boosted local economic activity through tourism, employment, and enhanced civic pride, contributing to Atlanta's emergence as a modern metropolitan center. Allen also oversaw significant transportation enhancements, including the expansion of Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport to accommodate growing air traffic and support industries like Delta Air Lines. Over 27 miles of new interstate highways were constructed, improving connectivity and facilitating commerce. Urban renewal projects under his administration focused on downtown revitalization, incorporating highway construction, a proposed coliseum, and mass transit planning, though these efforts often prioritized economic gains over minimizing resident displacement. Preparatory work for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) advanced, laying groundwork for the system's eventual implementation. These developments collectively transformed Atlanta's physical landscape and economic profile, drawing comparisons to a "city too busy to hate" amid rapid modernization.

Civil Rights Policies: Pragmatism and Implementation

Upon assuming office on January 2, 1962, Ivan Allen Jr. ordered the immediate removal of "white" and "colored" signs throughout City Hall and desegregated its cafeteria, personally demonstrating compliance by dining there with a Black attorney. This action marked the start of systematic desegregation of municipal facilities, extending to libraries, parks, and other public amenities through administrative directives rather than court orders. Allen pursued desegregation of broader public accommodations via private negotiations with business owners, securing agreements to integrate 18 hotels, restaurants, and similar venues before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 took effect. On May 30, 1963, he announced the desegregated opening of Atlanta's public swimming pools for the summer season, effective June 12, building on prior integrations like golf courses to minimize disruptions. These steps avoided the violent confrontations seen in other Southern cities, prioritizing orderly implementation to sustain economic momentum. In employment policy, Allen authorized Black police officers to make arrests of white individuals in 1962, expanding their authority beyond prior limitations, and approved the hiring of Atlanta's first Black firefighters that year, with 16 recruits completing training and entering service on April 1, 1963. These reforms integrated city workforce roles previously reserved by custom, reflecting a pragmatic calculation that inclusive hiring would enhance public safety and administrative efficiency without provoking backlash. Allen's policies stemmed from a business-oriented realism, viewing as an obstacle to Atlanta's growth and attractiveness to investment; he argued that unresolved tensions would deter prosperity, as evidenced by his pre-mayoral advocacy through the . By his tenure's end in 1970, Atlanta surpassed many peers in desegregated public accommodations, school enrollment, voting access, housing, and municipal employment, achieved through low-profile collaborations with civic leaders rather than public mandates. This approach reinforced the city's "too busy to hate" ethos, enabling relative calm amid national unrest.

Interactions with Civil Rights Leaders

As president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in 1960, Allen facilitated negotiations between white business owners and black civil rights activists protesting segregated facilities, resulting in voluntary desegregation of downtown stores and restaurants to avert boycotts and maintain economic stability. These talks emphasized pragmatic compromise over confrontation, with Allen leveraging his business influence to persuade merchants that integration preserved Atlanta's progressive image amid national scrutiny. During his mayoralty, Allen collaborated closely with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), including organizing a biracial banquet on December 16, 1964, to honor King's Nobel Peace Prize; despite resistance from some white elites, Allen secured commitments from business leaders like Robert Woodruff to fund and attend, fostering visible unity between black activists and white establishment figures. This event symbolized Atlanta's moderated approach to civil rights, contrasting with more volatile Southern cities, though attendance remained limited among skeptics. Following King's assassination on April 4, 1968, Allen immediately drove to the King family home to support Coretta Scott King, offering to escort her to Memphis and later accompanying her and aide Dora McDonald through Hartsfield Airport upon her return, actions that helped coordinate Atlanta's restrained response amid widespread riots elsewhere. He also mediated compromises during student-led sit-ins, such as negotiating between black university activists and white proprietors after protests at segregated eateries, averting escalation through direct dialogue. These engagements underscored Allen's role in channeling activist demands into negotiated outcomes, prioritizing civic order over ideological alignment.

Testimony on Federal Civil Rights Legislation

In July 1963, President John F. Kennedy personally requested that Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. testify before Congress in support of pending federal civil rights legislation, specifically the public accommodations provisions aimed at desegregating businesses serving the public. Allen, who had implemented voluntary desegregation in Atlanta's municipal facilities such as theaters, city swimming pools, and the hiring of the first Black firefighters, agreed despite warnings from local Black leaders like Martin Luther King Sr. against risking his political standing. On July 26, 1963, Allen appeared before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee as the only Southern elected official to endorse the bill publicly. In his testimony, he drew on Atlanta's experiences to argue that local voluntary efforts were insufficient without federal enforcement, describing segregation as "slavery’s stepchild" and warning that failure to pass the legislation would endorse ongoing discrimination nationwide. He emphasized both moral imperatives and economic pragmatism, stating that Atlanta's progress depended on addressing racial issues to avoid the "totally irrational and irresponsible acts of the white racists" seen elsewhere in the South, such as in Birmingham. Allen urged Congress to "make every American free" through mandatory desegregation, highlighting how Atlanta's business community had adapted without economic disruption after initial desegregation steps. The testimony elicited immediate backlash in Georgia, with newspapers and constituents labeling Allen a "Benedict Arnold" and traitor to Southern interests, straining his relations with parts of Atlanta's white business elite. Despite this, it contributed to the momentum for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which passed the following year and included the public accommodations title Allen championed. His appearance elevated Atlanta's profile as a model of pragmatic racial progress amid national tensions, including the Birmingham violence and upcoming March on Washington, and positioned Allen as a rare Southern voice for federal intervention. Public sentiment in Atlanta shifted post-passage, with growing support for Allen's forward-looking stance by 1964.

Management of Social Unrest and Urban Tensions

During his mayoral tenure, Ivan Allen Jr. managed social unrest in Atlanta through a combination of proactive desegregation policies, direct personal intervention in flashpoints, and coordination with black civic leaders and police, which contributed to the city's relative avoidance of the large-scale riots that plagued other major U.S. cities in the mid-1960s. Atlanta experienced localized disturbances amid national civil rights tensions and urban poverty, but Allen's administration emphasized restraint, dialogue, and rapid response to contain violence without widespread destruction or fatalities beyond initial triggers. This approach aligned with the informal "Atlanta Way" of biracial elite cooperation, prioritizing economic stability and order over confrontation. A key episode occurred in the Summerhill neighborhood on September 6, 1966, when unrest erupted after white Atlanta police officer J. O. Rhudy shot and killed unarmed black resident Harold Prather during a foot chase near Capitol View, sparking protests over discriminatory policing, housing evictions from urban renewal projects, and neglected infrastructure. Over 1,000 residents gathered, joined by Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) members including Stokely Carmichael, who amplified grievances about systemic inequities; the crowd rocked police vehicles and threw objects, prompting Allen to rush to the scene. Climbing atop a police car to address the protesters directly, Allen urged calm but faced hostility, including rocks and jeers, before police deployed tear gas to disperse the group, leading to arrests of SNCC activists. Allen publicly attributed the escalation to SNCC "agitators" rather than underlying conditions, stating in a September 7, 1966, press conference that the organization exploited local frustrations, and the incident was contained within hours without broader rioting or property destruction on the scale of events in cities like Watts or Detroit. Following the April 4, 1968, assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Atlanta braced for potential explosion amid national rioting in over 100 cities; Allen immediately issued a proclamation deploring the killing and calling for restraint, placed all police on 12-hour shifts under black Chief Herbert T. Jenkins, and visited black neighborhoods to demonstrate solidarity. Collaborating closely with King family members, civil rights figures like Ralph David Abernathy, and community churches, Allen coordinated logistics for King's April 9 funeral procession, which drew an estimated 200,000 peaceful attendees, including national dignitaries, while respecting student marches' requests for minimal police interference. These efforts, including preemptive meetings with black leaders, limited unrest to minor incidents quickly quelled, restoring order within days and averting the prolonged violence seen elsewhere, such as in Washington, D.C., or Chicago. Allen's strategies drew praise for preserving Atlanta's image as "a city too busy to hate," with national media noting the city's containment of tensions through moderation rather than force, though critics including SNCC argued that such management masked persistent racial and economic divides without addressing root causes like poverty and police brutality. By 1970, as Allen left office, Atlanta had navigated the decade's upheavals with fewer casualties and less property damage than comparable Southern cities, crediting his pragmatic integration of public facilities post-1964 Civil Rights Act and biracial partnerships for fostering stability amid broader urban decay.

Later Life and Influence

Post-Mayoral Contributions to Education

After leaving office in 1970, Ivan Allen Jr. continued to engage in civic leadership by serving on the Board of Trustees of , a historically women's liberal arts institution in . His involvement reflected a sustained commitment to educational opportunities for , building on his mayoral-era support for desegregation and economic inclusion; as a white Southern businessman and former mayor, Allen's trusteeship helped bridge racial divides in higher education governance during a period of ongoing integration efforts. Spelman, founded in 1881, benefited from such cross-racial leadership amid post-civil rights transitions, though specific initiatives tied to Allen's tenure on the board remain undocumented in available records. In 1990, during Allen's lifetime, the Georgia Institute of Technology—his alma mater, from which he graduated in 1933—established the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, entrusting the institution with stewardship of his legacy. This college, formed via an anonymous donation and focused on interdisciplinary liberal arts education integrating technology, policy, and humanities, embodied Allen's principles of pragmatic progress, civic service, and racial reconciliation. While not directly founded by Allen, the initiative preserved his influence on educational curricula emphasizing real-world application over ideological abstraction, with programs in public policy and history drawing from his urban leadership experiences. Allen's post-mayoral educational efforts aligned with his broader advocacy for achievement through ballot access, economic empowerment, and schooling as pathways to social stability, as articulated in reflections on Atlanta's growth. These contributions, though less publicized than his mayoral achievements, underscored a consistent emphasis on empirical advancement in education to foster long-term civic health.

Family Life and Personal Affairs

Ivan Allen Jr. married Louise Richardson, the granddaughter of prominent Atlanta businessman Hugh T. Inman, on January 1, 1936, at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. The couple remained married for 67 years until Allen's death in 2003, during which time Louise Allen played an active role in civic volunteering and community projects in Atlanta. They had three sons: Ivan Allen III (born 1938, died 1992), Hugh Inman Allen, and Beaumont Allen (born 1951, died 2014). The marriage connected Allen to Atlanta's elite social and business circles, reinforcing his position within the city's establishment. No public records indicate extramarital affairs or significant personal controversies; Allen was known privately as a devoted family man amid his public career demands.

Legacy and Recognition

Long-Term Economic and Social Impacts

Allen’s Forward Atlanta campaign and infrastructure investments laid the groundwork for sustained economic vitality in Atlanta after 1967. The initiative spurred a construction boom during his mayoralty, positioning the city in the national top ten for downtown development with over 55 new buildings and roughly 22,000 annual jobs added, trends that extended into subsequent decades as corporate headquarters and regional operations proliferated. Key projects, such as the 1966 Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium—which drew the Braves baseball team that year and the Falcons football team—and enhancements to Interstate 285 and the Downtown Connector, bolstered transportation efficiency and tourism, cementing Atlanta’s role as a Sun Belt economic powerhouse. Socially, Allen’s desegregation measures, including the removal of segregation barriers in City Hall on his first day in office in 1962 and preemptive integration of public accommodations ahead of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, promoted relative tranquility amid national upheaval. By authorizing Black officers to enforce laws against whites and hiring the city’s first Black firefighters, he facilitated incremental racial inclusion that averted widespread violence, unlike in Birmingham or other Southern locales, thereby preserving investor confidence and enabling demographic diversification over time. This approach enhanced Atlanta’s reputation for pragmatic progress, contributing to its long-term appeal as a multicultural urban center. Yet these advancements came at a cost to vulnerable communities. Urban renewal initiatives displaced thousands of low-income residents, many Black, through eminent domain for projects like the stadium, which ignited riots in the Summerhill area in 1966 and exacerbated housing shortages. Incidents such as the 1962 Peyton Road barrier—erected to block Black homebuyers before its court-mandated removal—highlighted tensions between growth imperatives and equity, fostering enduring socioeconomic divides that critiqued Allen’s priorities as favoring elite development over broad-based uplift.

Criticisms and Alternative Perspectives

One notable controversy during Allen's mayoral tenure occurred in December 1962, when he authorized the construction of a wooden barricade—later reinforced with concrete—along Peyton Road in southwest Atlanta's Cascade Heights neighborhood to prevent black residents from accessing a white enclave, responding to petitions from white homeowners fearing integration. This action, dubbed "Atlanta's Berlin Wall" by national media, contradicted Allen's emerging support for desegregation and drew sharp rebukes from African American leaders and civil rights advocates, who viewed it as a betrayal of Atlanta's progressive image as "a city too busy to hate." A federal court ruled the barrier unconstitutional on March 1, 1963, prompting its removal, after which Allen acknowledged it as a "grievous mistake" and shifted toward stronger anti-segregation measures, including his testimony for the Civil Rights Act later that year. Critics, including some historians, have portrayed Allen's civil rights stance as primarily pragmatic and economically motivated rather than rooted in unequivocal moral opposition to segregation, noting his earlier campaigns for Georgia governor in 1954 and 1958 on platforms defending segregation before his pivot amid Atlanta's business needs. He argued that racial barriers hindered economic growth, as evidenced by his pre-mayoral efforts to desegregate facilities like the Capital City Club to attract corporate investment, suggesting a calculus prioritizing urban development over ideological purity. This perspective posits that Allen's policies facilitated short-term stability and growth but deferred deeper structural reforms, such as equitable housing distribution, where urban renewal projects under his administration displaced black communities without commensurate relocation support. During the 1966 Summerhill disturbances—sparked by police shootings and economic grievances in a low-income black neighborhood—Allen's administration blamed Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) leaders like Stokely Carmichael for incitement, leading to Carmichael's arrest and criticism from militants who argued the unrest reflected longstanding neglect in services, housing, and policing rather than external agitation. While Allen's deployment of National Guard troops quelled the violence without the widespread destruction seen elsewhere, some black activists contended his response emphasized containment over addressing root causes like poverty and displacement from projects such as the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium construction, which razed parts of Summerhill. These events highlighted tensions between Allen's model of interracial elite cooperation—later termed "the Atlanta Way"—and demands for more radical change from grassroots organizers.

Awards, Prizes, and Honors

Allen received the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation Award for Leadership in Urban Affairs on September 28, 1974, sharing the honor with Mitchell Ginsberg for contributions to improving urban life; the award included a $25,000 stipend. In 1981, Coretta Scott King presented him with the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, recognizing his dedication to nonviolence as a means to advance social justice, human rights, and civil liberties. Allen was conferred multiple honorary degrees for his public service and leadership, including a Doctor of Laws from Emory University, a Doctor of Public Service from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Doctor of Laws degrees from Morris Brown College and Juniata College. In 1999, he received the Carter/Mathis Award, acknowledging his role in shaping Atlanta's development and civic landscape.

References

  1. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/ivan-allen-jr-1911-2003/
  2. https://www.oaklandcemetery.com/blog/ivan-allen-making-a-modern-metropolis
  3. https://iac.gatech.edu/about/overview/legacy
  4. https://www.todayingeorgiahistory.org/tih-georgia-day/ivan-allen-jr/
  5. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LHH6-F33/ivan-ernest-allen-jr.-1911-2003
  6. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/biography/early-years/
  7. https://ivanallenprize.gatech.edu/ivanallenjr_bio
  8. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/legacy/guide/gt/intro
  9. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/legacy/exhibit/3-business/
  10. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/ivan-allen-sr-1876-1968/
  11. https://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2004-A-Di/Allen-Ivan-Jr.html
  12. https://blog.dlg.galileo.usg.edu/?p=1885
  13. https://metroatlantachamber.com/history/
  14. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/03/us/ivan-allen-jr-92-dies-led-atlanta-as-beacon-of-change.html
  15. https://www.nps.gov/features/malu/feat0002/wof/Ivan_Allen.htm
  16. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/allen-ivan-earnest-jr
  17. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Marvin_Griffin
  18. https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn59049440/1958-01-01/ed-1/seq-5/ocr/
  19. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/biography/reelection-second-term/
  20. https://crdl.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn44605
  21. https://atlantastudies.org/2019/10/22/todd-michney-introducing-the-mayor-ivan-allen-jr-digital-archive/
  22. https://thesoutherneronline.com/94008/news/alum-ivan-allen-jr-leaves-lasting-impact-as-atlanta-mayor/
  23. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/sports-outdoor-recreation/atlanta-fulton-county-stadium/
  24. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/biography/atlanta-growth/
  25. https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82015425/1963-05-30/ed-1/seq-1/ocr/
  26. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/exhibits/show/ivanallen/martin-luther-king--jr-and-the/martin-luther-king--jr-and-the
  27. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jul-03-me-allen3-story.html
  28. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/education/profile-in-courage-essay-contest/past-winning-essays/2005-winning-essay-by-allie-comet
  29. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/1963-civil-rights-testimony
  30. https://showcase.atlantahistorycenter.com/atlanta-in-50-objects/artifacts/ivan-allen-jr-transcript-july-1963-testimony-to-the-u-s-senate-commerce-committee-on-the-subject-of-civil-rights-and-public-accommodations
  31. https://atlantastudies.org/2021/10/04/the-atlanta-way-repression-mediation-and-division-of-black-resistance-from-1906-to-the-2020-george-floyd-uprising/
  32. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/mayoral-records/traditional/exhibits/show/summerhill-riots
  33. https://atlanta.capitalbnews.org/atlanta-summer-riots-1960s-police-killings/
  34. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/april-9-1968-when-atlanta-was-the-center-of-the-universe/85-536422062
  35. https://www.atlantamagazine.com/civilrights/mlk-death-ivan-allen/
  36. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/legacy/guide/public-service-honors
  37. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/atlanta/name/ivan-allen-obituary?id=32442628
  38. https://iac.gatech.edu/news-events/features/30-years-ivan-allen-college
  39. https://saportareport.com/documenting-history-of-three-atlanta-mayors-beginning-with-ivan-allen-jr-s-legacy/columnists/mariasmetro/maria_saporta/
  40. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/atlanta/name/louise-allen-obituary?id=28959944
  41. https://www.ajc.com/news/local-obituaries/louise-allen-left-her-mark-atlanta/Gka7OfF2DYp5ldKegm3xZK/
  42. https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/blog/atlantas-berlin-wall/
  43. https://www.atlantamagazine.com/civilrights/ivan-allen-jr/
  44. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-policy-history/article/urban-renewal-public-housing-and-the-racial-shaping-of-atlanta/1454F6736DC3F0A701E179CE4A4166A3
  45. https://www.nytimes.com/1966/09/08/archives/sncc-assailed-on-atlanta-riot-city-officials-show-anger-but.html
  46. https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/29/archives/lbj-foundation-gives-2-awards-exatlanta-mayor-and-head-of-poverty.html
  47. https://digitalcollections.library.gsu.edu/digital/api/collection/AFLCIO/id/131008/download
  48. https://secretary.emory.edu/meet_the_secretary/honorary_degrees/_includes/documents/sections/recipients/honorary-degrees-recipients.pdf
  49. https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/legacy/guide/timeline
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.