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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.

Allyne Tisdale

Allyne Tisdale was born in Florence, Alabama and later attended Auburn University.During her early career she worked in an accounting office at an engineering firm located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.Following this, Tisdale worked in accounting offices in both Raleigh, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia.While working in Atlanta, Tisdale was recommended to a position in the office of Senator Herman Talmadge.Upon accepting this position, she became the Veterans and Military Affairs caseworker for his office.Tisdale was eventually appointed executive secretary to the senator and worked in his office until his defeat in January, 1989.; Interviewed by Mel Steely on June 16, 1988 at an unknown location in Washington, D.C.; This interview features Dr. Mel Steely asking about Allyne Tisdale's experiences working in the office of Senator Herman Talmadge. It begins with her speaking of her background and how she came to be employed by the senator. She then discusses her first position with the senator as a caseworker and several memorable cases she worked on. One of these cases involved Max Cleland who later became a United States Senator from Georgia.; Following this discussion about her background, Tisdale is asked about her thoughts of Senator Talmadge. She describes him as warm and cordial, but commanding of loyalty and respect. She also describes the set-up of the office in terms of staff hierarchy. She mentions her interactions with several of the administrative assistants who were employed by the senator's office and that Watergate was the high point of his career in her opinion.; The final questions revolve around the death of Talmadge's son, his divorce, his ethics violations, and his defeat. Tisdale comments very little on the personal life of the senator but does admit there were some changes in his personality during this timeframe but that he was able to maintain his office through the dedication of his staff. In regards to the ethics violations, Tisdale denies neither she or the senator had any knowledge of a secret bank account or stacks of money being kept either in his office or his home. She remarks that Talmadge was completely trustworthy and that she felt that his former administrative assistant Daniel Minchew was not a pleasant person to work with and she did not feel comfortable with him. Finally, she tells that all signatures found on the account that were identified as hers and Talmadge's were forgeries.