The Atlanta History Center co-hosted a discussion panel Sept. 28 with KSU history professors Dr. Catherine Lewis and Dr. Jennifer Dickey and First Lady Sandra Deal to celebrate their recent book, Memories the of Mansion: The Story of Georgia’s Governor’s Mansion.
The event drew a crowd of more than 300 people, including the families of former governors, current Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, as well as former governors Roy Barnes, Zell Miller, and Joe Frank Harris.
Current first lady of Georgia Sandra Deal co-wrote the book with Dickey and Lewis, and they both tell entertaining stories as well as relay historical details of Georgia’s current Governor’s Mansion. Along with Sandra Deal, other first ladies who contributed to the book and attended the discussion panel included Marie Barnes, Shirley Miller, Elizabeth Harris, Rosalynn Carter, and Betty Foy Sanders.
Jeff Busbee, son of former Gov. George Busbee, also attended and amused the audience by relaying several humorous stories from his experience in the mansion as a teenager. The first ladies and governors reminisced with tales of “haunted” fireplaces and surprise pranks using the kitchen dumbwaiter.
The inspiration for the book started with Mrs. Deal. When her husband was elected Governor in 2010, she was awed by the meticulous design and detail put into the mansion’s furnishings. With the help of Lewis and Dickey, the authors conducted more than 100 oral history interviews with from former first families, former employees, and others who knew the mansion’s history.
“We were delighted to guide such an important project.” Catherine Lewis said.
Lewis also talked about how the research for the book was conducted, by working with the first families as well as archives from the Atlanta History Center, University of Georgia special collections, and the Georgia Archives to put together an accurate and compelling history of the mansion, its artifacts, and its inhabitants.
When asked what their favorite story from the book was, Lewis and Dickey simply couldn’t choose.
“Each family has so many great stories, and we’ve tried to include the best of them in this book,” Lewis said.
