Meticulous Mayor Meeks Does Fine Job | Lewis M. Meeks (Jan 1, 1985 – Dec 31, 1988)

Larry Walker | lwalker@whgmlaw.com

 

This is what two had to say about

their good friend, Lewis Meeks. Billy Bledsoe: “Generous to a fault, sharp as a tack, very family

oriented, and one of the finest people I have ever known.”  Jeanne Bledsoe: “Thoughtful,

trustworthy and also very modest.”

 

This

is what I say: “If by meticulous you mean extremely careful and precise, and

this is what I mean, Lewis Meekis is the most meticulous person with whom I

have ever dealt.  His being careful

and precise, and very ordered, served the City of Perry very well during his

time as Mayor.”

 

Lewis

Meeks was born in Atlanta in 1933 and graduated from West Fulton High School in

1951.  He attended Georgia Tech as

a co-op student, after which he joined the U.S. Air Force, where he served from

March, 1953 through December, 1956. Later, he attended Middle Tennessee State University, where he earned a

B.S. degree in 1958.  As a result

of his military service, Meeks received G. I. benefits which enabled him to

attend Georgia State University, where he earned a B.S. in Math and Economics

and a Masters of Business Administration. 

 

While

in Tennessee, Meeks worked at a bank in Memphis, and after he received his

undergraduate degree, he was employed at the The Citizens and Southern Bank in

Greenville, South Carolina.  After

he received his Masters, he worked in the Trust Department at The National Bank

of Georgia in Atlanta.  Meeks left

The National Bank of Georgia to work with The Tennessee Corporation

(agriculture chemicals) in Atlanta. But, Meeks missed the “banking business”.  So, when a friend of his who knew Ogden Persons told him

about a job in Perry at Perry Loan and Savings Bank (now the Bank of Perry),

Lewis and June made a trip to Perry, had lunch with Vernon and Mildred Tuggle

at The New Perry Hotel, toured Perry with this fine Perry couple, and made the

decision to relocate to Perry (despite, as Lewis says, “June’s crying all the

way back to Atlanta” not wanting to move). 

 

Thanks

to Ogden Persons, Vernon and Mildred Tuggle and, I’m sure others, including one

of the first people Lewis and June met, W. G. Mullins, Lewis and June became

Perryans.  Little did anyone know,

at that time, the tremendous contributions both were to make to our community –

but especially Lewis Meeks in his role as President and Chair of the Board at

The Bank of Perry, his service as Mayor of Perry and many, many other civic

involvements.

 

Much

can be written about Meek’s vast community service through the Perry Area

Chamber of Commerce, civic clubs, government authorities, councils and church

involvement.  But, this is about Meeks’

role as Perry’s Mayor.  However, it

should be noted that much of his involvement in these areas prepared him well

to be the outstanding Mayor he was. 

 

Here

was a man with vast banking experience and almost unprecedented Perry and

Houston County civic involvement. He was ready to be a Mayor, but still there had to be a reason that made

him want to be Mayor.  When asked,

“why,” this was his answer: “Perry truly came to be my home.  I fell in love with Perry.  All of my civic involvement made me want

to contribute even more.  I was

particularly interested in economic development.”  Certainly, as you will see, Meeks had great success in this

area, which made Perry very successful during his tenure.

 

Let

me give it to you in his own words – my questions and Meek’s answers:

 

What is the most interesting thing(s) that

happened during your terms as Mayor? The development of downtown

Perry.  Initially, I worked through

my involvement with the Downtown Development Authority.  We had people from other towns to find

out what we were doing and what we had done. We had a ‘dog and pony show’ where

Wendell Whipple, Don Parkinson, Billy Bledsoe and I went to other towns to tell

our story – we even went to communities in Florida.  Also, we got our first two African American council members,

Hervia Ingram, first, and Bobby Glover, shortly thereafter, and all of this in

our newly created council districts went very smoothly.  I am proud of this.

 

What did you like least about being Mayor?  Council

meetings!

 

What did you like most about being Mayor?  Planning.

 

What do you consider your most significant

achievement during your tenure as Mayor?  My role in helping to

bring the leadership in our community together – both public and private.  I think the secret to success in

running a city is to work, daily, constantly, to bring all of the various

interests in the community, together, to work in a united manner – if you do

this with success, you can accomplish most anything. 

 

Did Meeks have

success?  Let’s look at some of the

things that happened during his two terms, four years, with his acknowledging

that much of this started at earlier times, and that “we are always standing on

someone else’s shoulders”: Frito-Lay, 1985, Ag-Center – Announced, 1985, Ag-Center – Groundbreaking,

1987, Northrop, 1987, and PPG – Announced, 1988.

 

Quite

a record, I’d say, Mr. Meeks. Thanks for four years of good service to our community, which continues

today with your work at Christ Sanctified Holiness Church.

 

I

told you he was meticulous.  Notice

that when he was Mayor, he liked the ‘the council meetings’ the least and the

‘planning’ best.  I’d say: spoken

like a meticulous banker.  And, I’d

say this trait served the city very well and will continue to do so for years

to come.  Now, and in the future,

Lewis, so many are standing and will stand on your shoulders. 

 

No

Mayor can accomplish much without a good council.  Those who served with Mayor Meeks were: C. Ralph Gentry,

Bobby E. Glover, James B. Hendrix, Hervia B. Ingram, Thomas R. Mayo, George F.

Nunn, Jr., Frank H. Roper, H. E. Smith, and Edmond H. Wilson.

 

NEXT WEEK: JIMMY FAIRCLOTH CONTINUES AS EFFECTIVE MAYOR

 

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