William Yates Atkinson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Yates Atkinson, the governor of Georgia from 1894 to 1898, was born in Oakland, Georgia, on November 11, 1854.
Atkinson graduated from the University of Georgia with an LL.B. (law degree) in 1877. He married Susie Cobb Milton in 1880. (Their son,William Yates Atkinson, Jr., was the Georgia Democratic state chair in 1942 as well as a Georgia state Supreme Court justice from 1943 to 1948.)
The elder Atkinson was the solicitor of the Coweta Superior Court circuit. He then represented Coweta County as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1886-94), where he was the speaker, or presiding officer, during the last two years. He was also the Georgia Democratic Party state chair from 1890 to 1892.
Atkinson died on August 8, 1899 in Newnan, Georgia. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in that city.
Other notable facts about Atkinson:
- He hired the first woman salaried employee in state government, Ellen Dortch, as assistant state librarian.
- Atkinson County, Georgia is named for him.
- He vetoed a law that would have prohibited football in the state.
- As a state representative, he introduced a bill that established the Georgia Normal and Industrial College, which later became Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia.
| Preceded by William J. Northen |
Governor of Georgia 1894 – 1898 |
Succeeded by Allen D. Candler |
| Governors of Georgia |  |
|---|---|
| Walton • Bulloch • Gwinnett • Treutlen • Houstoun • Wereat • Walton • Howly • Heard • Davies • Brownson • Martin • Hall • Houstoun • Elbert • Telfair • Mathews • Handley • Walton • Telfair • Mathews • Irwin • Jackson • Emanuel • Tattnall • Milledge • Irwin • Mitchell • Early • Mitchell • Rabun • Talbot • Clark • Troup • Forsyth • Gilmer • Lumpkin • Schley • Gilmer • McDonald • Crawford • Towns • Cobb • H. Johnson • J.E. Brown • J. Johnson • Jenkins • Ruger • Bullock • Conley • J. Smith • Colquitt • Stephens • Boynton • McDaniel • Gordon • Northen • Atkinson • Candler • Terrell • H. Smith • J.M. Brown • H. Smith • Slaton • J.M. Brown • Slaton • N. Harris • Dorsey • Hardwick • Walker • Hardman • Russell • E. Talmadge • Rivers • E. Talmadge • Arnall • Thompson • H. Talmadge • Griffin • Vandiver • Sanders • Maddox • Carter • Busbee • J.F. Harris • Miller • Barnes • Perdue |
[edit] External links
[edit] References
 |
This article about a Georgia (U.S. state) politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This biographical article relating to law is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Categories: Georgia (U.S. state) politician stubs | Jurist stubs | 1854 births | 1899 deaths | Governors of Georgia | People from Georgia (U.S. state) | University of Georgia alumni | Supreme Court of Georgia (U.S. state) justices | Members of the Georgia House of Representatives | Atkinson County, Georgia
