ATLANTA -- Former Governor Carl Sanders passed away on Sunday. He was 89 years old. Sanders served as Georgia's governor from 1963 to 1967.
Current Governor Nathan Deal expressed his sadness at Sanders' passing Monday morning:
Sandra and I are greatly saddened by the passing of Gov. Carl Sanders. The bond we shared was more than the mutual possession of a public office; Gov. Sanders was a mentor and friend whose bright example of compassionate leadership was unsurpassed. During his tenure as governor, he transformed Georgia by building thousands of classrooms, improving our transportation system, increasing state income and bringing a competitive spirit to the state through the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves. But more than anything else, Gov. Sanders showed true leadership and character by supporting civil rights for all during a time when many were not. It is this legacy that I remember with a heavy heart today, and his lasting positive impact on our state will be felt by many future generations of Georgians. We will continue to pray for the Sanders family during this difficult time.
Last year, Sanders sat down with 11Alive's Jeff Hullinger to talk about the assassination attempt on his life. It happened November 22, 1963 -- the same day President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. The would-be assassin was caught on the grounds of the Governor's mansion and spilled plans to kill Sanders in "hand to hand combat".
While in office, Sanders led the transition towards racial desegregation. He worked closely with Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson implementing civil rights laws.
Former president Jimmy Carter released a statement on Sanders death:
Carl Sanders was an outstanding governor of Georgia, a champion of education, and a courageous proponent of ending racial segregation in our state. I was proud of his service when I was in the state senate, and continued to pursue many of his notable policies when I became governor. Rosalynn and I extend our sincere condolences and prayers to his wife, Betty, and to his family and friends.
Sanders was a lifelong friend to his alma mater, the University of Georgia, where he played football and earned a law degree. The university said Sanders was known as Georgia's "Education Governor." During his time in office, UGA received more than $40 million in constructing funds, and its faculty doubled in size.
In 2002, Sanders personally gave $1 million to the UGA School of Law to establish an endowed professorship. He also secured state funding to expand the school's law library and buy new books for it.
"The University of Georgia community mourns the loss of one of its finest alumni and one of the state's greatest champions for public higher education," UGA President Jere W. Morehead said in a release. "As a fellow alumnus of the university and the School of Law, I join others as we express our deep appreciation for his unyielding support for the university and the School of Law. Gov. Sanders' impact on this state will be remembered in so many ways, but UGA remembers him, in particular, for his many significant contributions to the betterment of our university and our School of Law."
Rebecca H. White, dean of the UGA School of Law, also released a statement about Sanders' passing:
Our state has lost a great man, and our law school has lost one of its most important and influential graduates. Carl Sanders understood the importance to our state of having a first-class law school and took the steps necessary to make that happen, so that we now have, as he predicted, a law school of "such excellence that no citizen of Georgia need ever leave [this] state because a superior legal education is available elsewhere." We are forever in his debt, and I will miss deeply his friendship, wise counsel, loyalty and support.
