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Aroused Citizens of Georgia film

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.VIS548

Scope and Contents

The film in this collection depict footage related to voting and the Three Governors Controversy in Georgia. The Three Governors Controversy began with the death of Governor-elect Eugene Talmadge in 1946. After his death, a political struggle for the governor’s office ensued involving the incumbent governor Ellis Arnall, Lieutenant Governor Melvin Thompson, and Talmadge's son Herman, who was subsequently elected by the Georgia Assembly. In March of 1947 the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Melvin Thompson was rightful governor until a special election could be held in 1948. Herman Talmadge won that election, defeating Ellis Arnall.

The bulk of this footage shows a meeting at the Piedmont Hotel on January 27, 1947, of the Aroused Citizens of Georgia, an organization which opposed Herman Talmadge's election as governor during the early months of the Three Governors Controversy in 1947. Speakers during this meeting include Harvey J. Kennedy, co-chair of the organization and mayor of Barnesville, Georgia; Dr. Paul E. Bryan, a law professor at Emory University; Grace Connally, a supporter of Herman Talmadge, who is seen disrupting the meeting and physically grabbing the arm of Judge Blanton Fortson, co-chair of the Aroused Citizens of Georgia, who is seated in the audience.

This footage also features segregated voting lines and booths at Nathan B. Forrest Elementary School, presumably for the 1940 general election.

Dates

  • approximately 1940-1948

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.

Extent

1 16 mm film(s)

Language

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically by titles supplied by staff.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

This collection has been digitized and is available at: https://album.atlantahistorycenter.com/digital/collection/p17222coll102

Digitization of the films in this collection is made possible by a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Bias in Description

As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information. We choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, and bias is reflected in our descriptions, which may not accurately convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materials. Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment. In working with this collection, we often re-use language used by the former owners of the material. This language provides context but often includes bias and prejudices reflective of the time in which it was created. The Kenan Research Center’s work is ongoing to implement reparative language where Library of Congress subject terms are inaccurate and obsolete.

Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or descriptions, please let us know by emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in 2026.

Title
Aroused Citizens of Georgia film
Subtitle
ahc.VIS548
Author
Kate Daly
Date
July 2026
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040