The death of a Georgia Icon

Hugh Gillis, Georgia’s longest serving legislator (55 plus

years), died on Jan. 1, 2013, at 94 years of age. Impressive though this is,

his years of service and longevity of life is not what made him a Georgia icon.

It was the quality of his life, his love of and devotion to his fellow man, his

common but effective ‘touch’ and his many great accomplishments that made Hugh

M. Gillis Sr., a “man among men.”

Perhaps George Hooks, former state legislator who served

with Hugh Gillis for 32 years, says it best: “Hugh Gillis was a southern gentleman of the finest order.

Despite his family’s wealth and great political capital, he never lost his

focus on the citizens of his home area.”

How true! I know this from observations and personal contact

and experience having, like George, served with Sen. Gillis for 32 years, with

both of us retiring from the legislature at the end of 2004.

Let’s look at a few of the many things that Hugh, Mr. Hugh,

Sen. Hugh and Sen. Gillis accomplished:

• One of the longest serving legislators in the history of

  the United States.

• Gillis first served in the Georgia House beginning in

  1941, was elected to a two-year term in the Georgia Senate for 1957-58 and was

  then re-elected to the Senate in 1962, winning this seat which he would hold

  for the next 42 years.

• He chaired the Natural Resources Committee in the Senate

  for 20 years.

• After his 2004 retirement, he served five years on the

  Georgia Ports Authority.

• He was so popular among his fellow senators that he was

  the only Democrat to retain his chairmanship of a major committee when the

  Republicans took over the Senate.

• Gillis worked with 13 different Georgia Governors.
• He was a major force behind the creation of the Dental

  School at the Medical College of Georgia and the creation of the Mercer Medical

  School.

• Here are some other things about this great Georgian’s life

  and accomplishments you might find to be of interest:

• Truetlen County was formed (from Laurens County) in 1917

  with the bill being introduced by Neil Lee Gillis, grandfather of Hugh Gillis.

• Hugh Gillis was born in 1918 on land that his family

  farmed for generations.

• Gillis graduated from the University of Georgia and was

  first elected to the Georgia House in 1940 (term to begin in 1941).

• According to George Hooks, Gillis was the last living

  Georgia House member to have voted for Herman Talmadge (in the legislature and

  at night) during the infamous “three Governor controversy.”

• He was a staunch supporter of the Georgia Forestry

  Commission.

• Gillis is buried in the Gillis family cemetery (five

  generations of Gillis kin are buried there) and on a small part of the more than

  20,000 acres owned by the Gillis family.

Very impressive. Still, it does not capture the breadth and

depth of the influence Sen. Gillis wielded. When Sen. Gillis spoke, everyone

listened – and, almost always did when he was encouraging them to do. Perhaps

the best single word to describe High Gillis is “wise.” He had wisdom, and his

colleagues and associates well understood this and almost always followed his

lead.

Let me tell of a personal experience when we were working on

the AgCenter, and I was trying to get it located to Perry. Sen. Hugh Gillis was

one of the first and most vocal supporters of the center and its being located

here. This was a tremendous advantage, because it essentially put the Georgia

Senate in “Perry’s corner.” For this, I will always be grateful. Thanks, Sen.

Hugh.

I started this column with a quote from Sen. George Hooks.

Let me end with a quote from Sen. Hugh Gillis as told to me by George. Here itis: “Look out for the man behind the plow.”

What Sen. Gillis meant was: Take care of the working man.

Perhaps this philosophy, which he lived, is why Sen. High

Gillis was so popular in his native area and with his fellow legislators from

all over Georgia – and, truly he was.

I close with one last quote from George Hooks: “Georgia is a better state, and I am a better person because

of Hugh Gillis’ life.”

 

 

Amen, George, all of us Georgians are.

For other information, see: galawyersonline.com

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