Today the State of Georgia mourns the loss of the Honorable Lester Garfield Maddox, the seventy-fifth Governor of our State; and

Lester Maddox was born in Atlanta on September 30, 1915; and

In 1936, he married the State's future First Lady, the lovely Virginia Cox, and the couple shared over sixty years of wedded bliss and had four children together; and

After a series of unsuccessful campaigns, the determined Maddox ran for and was elected the Governor of the State of Georgia in 1966, where he was able to increase funding for the university system as well as teachers' salaries and also led significant reforms in the State healthcare and prison systems; and

Following his tenure as Governor, Lester Maddox campaigned for and won the seat of Lieutenant Governor and ably served as President of the Senate from 1971 to 1975, making him the only man in Georgia's history first to be Governor and then Lieutenant Governor.

NOW THEREFORE, IN HONOR AND AS A MARK OF RESPECT FOR THE MEMORY OF GOVERNOR LESTER MADDOX, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME AS GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, IT IS HEREBY

That the flag of the United States and the flag of this State be flown at half-staff on all buildings and grounds from this date until sunset on the day of his funeral.

This 25th day of June, 2003