Hal Suit facts for kids

Harold Columbus "Hal" Suit (born April 1, 1922 – died November 20, 1994) was an American news reporter and politician. He was well-known on local television. In 1970, he won the Republican nomination to become the Governor of Georgia. However, he lost the main election to Jimmy Carter, who later became the U.S. President.

Who Was Hal Suit?

Hal Suit was born in Youngstown, Ohio. His parents were from North Carolina, so he had family roots in the South. He was a "Taft Republican," which means he followed the ideas of a famous Republican politician named Robert A. Taft.

Early Life and Military Service

In 1941, when Hal was 19, he was a college student. This was the year of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He studied history and political science at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Later, he also studied at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

During World War II, Hal Suit joined the United States Army. He was hurt twice while serving his country. He received awards for his bravery, including a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars. On October 11, 1944, he lost a leg in Germany during the war.

A Career in Broadcasting

After leaving the military in 1947, Hal Suit started a new career. He became a news announcer on the radio. In 1954, he moved to Albany, Georgia. There, he helped start the city's first TV station, WALB-TV. It began broadcasting on April 7, 1954.

Becoming a Well-Known Newsman

After five years, Suit moved to WSB-TV in Atlanta. This was Georgia's first TV station, starting in September 1948. In Atlanta, Hal Suit became a very famous local anchorman. He also shared his opinions on political topics and became a news executive. In 1967, he won the National Headliner Award for his work.

During this time, WSB-TV was connected with the NBC network. Hal Suit often reported from the South for NBC's national news shows. This made him known to people all over the country.

In 1970, Georgia's Toastmasters named Hal Suit the state's most outstanding citizen. That same year, a newspaper called The New York Times reported that 91 percent of registered voters who watched WSB-TV knew who he was. WSB-TV was known as a very powerful and important station in Georgia.

Running for Governor

In 1970, Hal Suit decided to run for governor. He was against the death penalty. He won the Republican primary election, which was a surprise to many. The Republican Party in Georgia was not very big at the time.

The 1970 Election Race

Hal Suit then ran against Jimmy Carter in the main election. Carter was a Democrat. Hal Suit lost the election to Carter. Carter received 620,419 votes (59.3 percent), while Suit received 424,983 votes (40.6 percent).

Life After Politics

After the election, Hal Suit became the president of a company in Atlanta called Production 70's. Through this company, he continued to share his thoughts and opinions on the radio and in newspapers. In 1972, he said he would run for governor again in 1974. However, he did not get the nomination that time.

Hal Suit and his wife lived for a long time in Kennesaw, a town near Atlanta. They raised four children there. Hal Suit passed away in Kennesaw when he was seventy-two years old.

See also

• 1970 Georgia gubernatorial election