The Role of Lester Maddox

            In 1967, Lester  Maddox was elected governor beating former Governor Ellis Arnall. He was a segregationist and a restaurant owner. He was famous for closing down his restaurant rather than desegregate it. Although he was a segregationist, he surprised many Georgians by appointing more African Americans to state boards and commissions than all existing governors combined. He also helped improved some things like reforming the state prisons, integrated the Georgia State Patrol, increased spending on teacher salaries and higher education, and established "People's Days." "People's Days" is an event where any Georgians could visit the governor's mansion to talk about anything they want every two months. Later on, Maddox ran for lieutenant governor in 1970, because he could not succeed himself.