Statue of Eugene Talmadge facts for kids
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Eugene Talmadge statue (2020)
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| Location | Georgia State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Designer | Steffen Thomas |
| Dedicated to | Eugene Talmadge |
The Eugene Talmadge statue is a public monument located on the grounds of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia. It was designed by Steffen Thomas and put in place in 1949. The statue shows Georgia Governor Eugene Talmadge. Recently, some people have discussed the statue because of Talmadge's past views, which included supporting ideas that treated people unfairly based on their race.
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History of the Eugene Talmadge Statue
Who Was Eugene Talmadge?
Eugene Talmadge was born in 1884. He served as Governor of Georgia several times. He was first elected in 1932. In total, he was elected governor four times. He passed away in 1946 after his fourth election. He died before he could take office for that term.
During his time as governor, there were some political disagreements. He was known for supporting laws that separated people based on their race. For example, in his 1946 campaign, he wanted to bring back a rule. This rule, called the "white primary," stopped some people from voting. The Supreme Court of the United States had recently said this rule was against the law.
Building the Statue
In 1949, Eugene's son, Herman Talmadge, wanted a statue to honor his father. Herman had also served as governor for a short time. The artist Steffen Thomas created the statue. He worked on it from his studio in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
The Talmadge family had some ideas for the statue. They did not want Eugene shown in a casual way. They felt it would not be respectful. The statue was officially revealed on September 23, 1949. This day would have been Eugene's 65th birthday. His grandsons helped to unveil it at the Georgia State Capitol. A small detail about the statue is that its right hand has six fingers. The real Eugene Talmadge did not have six fingers.
Why People Are Talking About It Now
Since the 2010s, people have looked more closely at Eugene Talmadge's time as governor. Many news groups have questioned why his statue is at the Georgia State Capitol. After another statue was removed from the capitol grounds, newspapers like The Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked about it. They pointed out that Talmadge was one of several figures honored there. These figures had views that were seen as unfair to some groups of people.
