Denmark Groover Jr.
Denmark Groover Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 99th district | |
| In office 1983–1995 | |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 75th district | |
| In office 1973–1975 | |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 27th district | |
| In office 1971–1973 | |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the Bibb County district | |
| In office 1963–1965 | |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the Bibb County district | |
| In office 1953–1957 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 30, 1922 Quitman, Georgia, United States |
| Died | April 18, 2001 (aged 78) Macon, Georgia, United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
Denmark Groover Jr. (June 30, 1922 – April 18, 2001) was an
Early life
Groover was born in
Political career
Groover graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in law which helped him reach his political roles. He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1953–57, 1963–65, 1971–75, and 1983–95.[2][3][4] He supported the 1956 change to the Georgia state flag but in 1993 he acknowledged it was offensive to some and worked for a compromise design.[5] He became infamous when in 1964 during a congressional redistricting bill, he hung from a wall and tried to stop a clock before it signaled the formal end of a session. A photographer captured a photo of the incident, and the photo was printed throughout newspapers which made him an embarrassing icon for Georgia politics.[6]
Groover also authored the 1964 law which moved Georgia elections from plurality to the two-round system, in response to the end of the county unit system and the feared rise of African-American voting power in the state.[7] Later he admitted to federal investigators that this means to dilute Black voting power has been racially motivated and that he has been a segregationist.[8]
He died in 2001 and was buried in Riverside Cemetery (Macon, Georgia).[9] In 2002, Groover was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Captain/Honorable Denmark Groover Jr". Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ "Denmark Groover (1922-2001)". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ^ "Former state lawmaker Denmark Groover dies". Athens Banner-Herald. Associated Press. April 19, 2001. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via OnlineAthens.
- ^ "* Denmark Groover; Helped Change Georgia Flag". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ^ Azarian, Alexander; Fesshazion, Eden (August 2000). "The State Flag of Georgia: The 1956 Change In Its Historical Context" (PDF). Senate Research Office. State of Georgia: State of Georgia. pp. 29–30. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ "Denmark Groover (1922-2001)".
- ^ "Civil Rights in America: Racial Voting RIghts" (PDF). National Park Service.
- ^ Georgia’s runoff system was created to dilute Black voting power. Washington Post. December 5, 2022.
- ^ "Interment: Denmark Groover Jr". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
Lot Designation: Daffodil, Row B, Lot 202; includes photos & obituary.
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