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Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program

The Georgia Political Papers and Oral History Program is comprised of over 3,000 linear feet of archival collections, along with an extensive number of oral history interviews, that document the unique political culture of the state of Georgia.

Lynn Smith

Lynn Smith represents Newnan and Coweta County in the state House of Representatives in Atlanta. She begins this interview by describing her early life, which involved moving around the Southeast before attending the University of Georgia and settling in Newnan. She then discusses her early career as a high school French teacher and a businesswoman. She then talks about her involvement in the local Newnan-Coweta County, including service on the board of Newnan's Carnegie Library as well as with the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce. In 1996, Smith ran for the state legislature, and she discusses her decision to run, the campaign, and her successful election. She then reflects on some of the most important issues she faced in her early years in the legislature, including the tri-state water wars, the controversy over Roy Barnes's decision to change the state flag, and the creation of Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Coweta County. She then offers thoughts on Governors Sonny Perdue, Nathan Deal, and Brian Kemp, and ends the interview by displaying some of her photography and reciting poetry she has written.