On July 23, 1963, Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. of Atlanta traveled to Washington, D.C. to give a statement in favor of President John F. Kennedy's public accommodations bill. This bill, later known as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, was highly controversial in the deeply divided United States. Born and raised in the Jim Crow-era South, where racial persecution and the Klu Klux Klan was an active terrorist threat, Mayor Ivan Allen was the only prominent Southern politician to present a testimony arguing for the passage of the public accommodations bill.

Who is Ivan Allen?

Mayor Ivan Allen’s impact on the passage of the public accommodations bill (later known as the Civil Rights Act of 1964) began far before his tenure as mayor. Mayor Allen was born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in a prominent family that owned a business selling office supplies. During his college years, Mayor Allen attended nearby Georgia Tech and majored in commerce. While at Georgia Tech, Allen worked to cultivate his skills in both business and public policy to aid his family’s future success with their business. He also demonstrated that he possessed talent far beyond his academic excellence. As president of his class, Allen acted as a role model for his fellow peers and developed the qualities of an influential leader. After graduating from Georgia Tech, Mayor Allen began working for his family’s business and soon became its president in 1946. While leading his family’s company, Mayor Allen pursued multiple business ventures and participated in various civic activities, such as serving as the president of the Georgia State Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Allen announced his candidacy for Mayor of Atlanta in 1961. He ran against Lester Maddox, a staunch segregationist, and won the popular vote with the support of the black community. While mayor, Allen championed the economic development of Atlanta with his “Forward Atlanta” campaign. He began encouraging desegregation due to his pragmatic business interests; he believed that racial separation hindered Atlanta’s modern image. Mayor Allen was soon approached by an associate of the Kennedy family while JFK was in office. JFK was working to pass his public accommodations bill and requested Mayor Allen to speak on behalf of his legislation in front of the Senate. After serious deliberation, Mayor Allen agreed and traveled to Washington, D.C. to present his testimony. Initial public reactions to Mayor Allen’s speech were passionate and divided; he was applauded by liberals while many scorned his “disrespect” for his Southern constituents.

Ivan Allen Digital Archive

The Ivan Allen Digital Archive, hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology, stores thousands of documents in an online database in an effort to digitize and share information regarding the life of Mayor Allen and his tenure as mayor. This information spans several decades of the 20th century and provides visitors with insight upon Mayor Allen’s efforts to modernize Atlanta and support the public accommodations bill.

The following six folders all relate to Mayor Allen's testimony in favor of the Civil Rights Act. These materials are featured in the "Testimony," "Public Response," and "Civil Rights Act" tabs. Hover over the images below to explore different folders of the digital archive. When you click on each image, it will direct you to its specific page in the Ivan Allen Digital Archive.

Mayor: Notes on the Sixties
Book by Ivan Allen Jr.

Mayor Allen’s memoir titled Mayor: Notes on the Sixties provides his personal narrative on his time as mayor of the city of Atlanta. Allen discusses his accomplishments in growing Atlanta economically, along with his efforts to deal with race relations within the city’s extensive neighborhoods. We have chosen to employ this book throughout our digital museum to supplement our discussion on the Ivan Allen Digital Archive and Allen’s impact on the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Center for Civil and Human Rights

This digital museum was also made in conjunction with a visit to the Center for Civil and Humans Rights of Atlanta, GA. We invite patrons to tour this museum to learn more about Atlanta's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and Mayor Allen's role in its impact.
Authors: Adam, Chandler, Kate, Ryan, Zane
​ENGL 1102, Dr. Nick Sturm, Summer 2019