A. Perry Gordy Explained

State Senate:Georgia
District:15th
Party:Republican
Birth Date:16 December 1912
Birth Place:Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Term Start:January 14, 1963
Term End:May 17, 1965
Battles:
Successor:Ivey William Gregory Jr.
Predecessor:John C. Peterson
Children:3
Alma Mater:Alabama Polytechnic Institute
University of Georgia
Death Place:Columbus, Georgia, U.S.

Arthur Perry Gordy Jr. (December 16, 1912 – May 7, 1983) was an American businessman and politician from Georgia. He served in the Georgia State Senate as a Republican from 1963 to 1967. He is notable for being the first Republican elected from Muscogee in the history of the state.[1]

Early life

Gordy was born on December 16, 1912, in Columbus, Georgia, to Arthur Perry Gordy Sr., a dentist and orthodontist, and Edna Adele (Spencer) Gordy. He graduated from Columbus High School in 1929. In 1936, he graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institute with a BS degree in engineering. He earned his master's degree in education from the University of Georgia.[2] He served in World War II from July 1942 to December 1945 in the United States Navy Reserve.

Political career

In 1962, he was elected to Georgia's 15th Senate district and won. While state senator, he supported legislation that would have consolidated Georgia's small counties.[3] He was the first Republican in the history of the state to be elected from Muscogee. In May 1965, he was named director of the Columbus Area Vocational Technical School, and resigned from his senate seat.[4]

Personal life

He married his wife Martha Louisa Trimble, on February 1, 1948. Together they had three children. He died on May 7, 1983, in Columbus.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hart . Carroll . 1966 . Georgia's official register, 1965-1966 . February 4, 2024 . . 383.
  2. News: 1983-05-08 . A. Perry Gordy Jr., Civic Leader & Educator, Dies . 2024-02-04 . The Columbus Ledger . 13.
  3. News: 1962-10-21 . Gordy Backs Consolidation of Small Georgia Counties . 2024-02-04 . The Columbus Ledger . 4.
  4. News: 1965-05-18 . Board Picks Principals . 2024-02-18 . The Columbus Ledger . 11.