Hosea Abit Nix Papers, 1907-1984, [bulk dates, 1940-1956]
10 boxes, 6 linear feet; 1 audiotape

Administrative Information

- Access Restrictions
- User Restrictions
- Processing Notes
- Copyright Information
- Preferred Citation

Biographical Note

Scope and Content

Home

Organization and Arrangement

Related Collections

- In Russell Library
- In other repositories


Series Descriptions


Access Points

Folder List
 

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Access Restrictions:

User Restrictions: Library acts as “fair use” reproduction agent.

Processing Notes: Newspaper clippings and thermofax papers have been copied onto bond paper for protection of content. Artifacts have been grouped separately by series for preservation.

Copyright Information: Before material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permission. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.

Preferred Citation: Hosea Abit Nix Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia.


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BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE:

Hosea Abit Nix was born in Jackson County, Georgia on July 7, 1888 to John and Dora Nix. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1911 with first honors, he went on to receive his LL.B. in 1912 and was admitted to the Georgia bar that same year. Nix then continued his graduate study at both the University of Chicago and Harvard from 1912 to 1913.

On December 23, 1913, Nix married Eunice Little and over the course of their marriage, the couple had two children. From 1913 to 1918, Nix was an associate professor of law and secretary at the University of Georgia Law School. Later, he was a Regent for the University of Georgia system. After practicing law with Thomas J. Shackleford in Athens, Nix became associated with the firm Erwin and Erwin, later to be renamed Erwin, Erwin and Nix. He also went on to receive his LL.D. from Atlanta Law School in 1938.

Nix was active politically as well. He ran unsuccessfully for governor against Eugene Talmadge in both 1932 and 1940. In 1940, he participated as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. That same year and again in 1948, he also served as a member of the Electoral College.

While Abit Nix's political career was short-lived, his collection provides insight into political campaigns in Georgia during this era. During the 1940 campaign, Nix focused primarily on issues rather than personalities. Although Talmadge was known for his race-baiting tactics, Nix does not seem to have addressed the issue. He was often angered by Talmadge's maneuvers, however. On one such occasion, a fight erupted during a speech by Nix. Talmadge's presence amongst the crowd had apparently incited his supporters to such a level that Nix was drowned out by the noise. The two sides, therefore, clashed and violence ensued.

After his attempts for the governor's office were denied, Nix returned to his law practice where he remained until his death in 1959.

 


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SCOPE AND CONTENT:

 

The Hosea Abit Nix Papers consist of files from Nix's life and political career, focusing on his unsuccessful bid for Governor of Georgia. The collection represents the years 1907-1984 and documents his 1940 campaign as well as his days at the University of Georgia, his stay at Duke University Hospital, and his civic activities. The types of materials found in the collection include correspondence, printed materials, certificates and diplomas, newspaper clippings, photographs, and one audiotape.

 


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ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT

The papers are divided into five series: I. 1940 Campaign, II. Personal, III. Photographs, IV. Artifacts, and V. Audiovisual Materials. The series are arranged chronologically and/or alphabetically by subject.

 


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RELATED COLLECTIONS IN THIS REPOSITORY:

Herman E. Talmadge Collection, 1945-1987
Richard B. Russell, Jr. Collection, 1903-1974



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RELATED COLLECTIONS IN OTHER REPOSITORIES:

Not available at this time. Please contact Russell Library for more information.



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SERIES DESCRIPTIONS:

I. Campaign of 1940
4 boxes, 2 linear feet
Campaign files are mainly correspondence and include information on the general public's views and questions about issues such as the sales tax. Of particular interest are Georgians' reactions to Eugene Talmadge and issues such as state debt and old-age pensions. This series is arranged alphabetically by county.

II. Personal, 1907-1984
4 boxes, 2 linear feet
This series consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs and printed materials. It is further divided into three subseries: A. University, B. Medical and C. General. A. University and C. General are arranged alphabetically by subject. B. Medical subseries is arranged chronologically.

III. Photographs, ca. 1950s, 1980
4 items
This series consists of one picture of former President Jimmy Carter with W. Tapley Bennett, Jr., a picture of Abit Nix during his tenure on the Georgia YMCA Board standing with two employees of the Athens, Georgia YMCA, and two pictures of Ellen Bennett and Ralph Godsall's wedding in 1980.

IV. Artifacts
2 boxes, 2 linear feet
This series consists of awards, certificates and diplomas that span from Nix's graduation in 1911 to his civic involvement in later life. It includes his daughter's UGA Pandora yearbooks from 1933 to 1934 and 1937.

V. Audiovisual Materials, 1958
1 audiotape
This series consists solely of an audiotape of Nix speaking on February 11, 1958 at a finance meeting for the Northwest District of the State YMCA of Georgia, Inc. in Gainesville, Georgia. He is introduced by J. K. Acree, City Superintendent of Schools, Cartersville, Georgia.

 

 

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ACCESS POINTS

Talmadge, Eugene, 1884-1946.
Governors --Georgia --Election --1940.
Georgia --Politics and government --1865-1950.



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FOLDER LIST

BOX

FOLDER

CONTENT
   

I. Campaign of 1940

  

1  

1                

Appling County

 

2

Atkinson County

 

3

Barrien County

 

4

Bacon County

 

5

Barrow County

 

6

Bartow County

 

7

Ben Hill County

 

8

Bibb County

 

9

Brantley County

 

10

Bleckley County

 

11

Brooks County

 

12

Bryan County

 

13

Bulloch County

 

14

Butts County

 

15

Burke County

 

16

Calhoun County

 

17

Camden County

 

18

Carroll County

 

19

Clarke County

 

20

Dade County

 

21

Dawson County

 

22

Decatur County

 

23

Dekalb County

 

24

Dodge County

 

25

Dooly County

 

26

Dougherty County

 

27

Douglas County

 

28

Fulton County  (July 9-14)

 

29

Fulton County  (June 11-30)

2

1

Fulton County (July)

 

2

Fulton County  (Aug-Sept)

 

3

Gilmer County

 

4

Glascock County

 

5

Glynn County

 

6

Gordon County

 

7

Grady County

 

8

Greene County

 

9

Gwinnett County

 

10

Habersham County

 

11

Hall County

 

12

Hancock County

 

13

Haralson County

 

14

Harris County

 

15

Hart County

 

16

Henry County

 

17

Houston County

 

18

Irwin County

 

19

Jackson County

 

20

Jasper County

 

21

Jefferson County

 

22

Johnson County

 

23

Lamar County

 

24

Lanier County

 

25

Laurens County

 

26

Lee County

 

27

Liberty County

 

28

Lowndes County

 

29

Lumpkin County

 

30

McDuffie County

 

31

McIntosh County

 

32

Macon County

 

33

Madison County

 

34

Marion County

 

35

Meriwether County

 

36

Mitchell County

3

1

Montgomery County

 

2

Morgan County

 

3

Murray County

 

4

Muscogee County

 

5

Newton County

 

6

Oconee County

 

7

Oglethorpe County

 

8

Peach County

 

9

Pickens County

 

10

Pierce County

 

11

Polk County

 

12

Pulaski County

 

13

Putnam County

 

14

Quitman County

 

15

Rabun County

 

16

Randolph County

 

17

Richmond County

 

18

Screven County

 

19

Spalding County

 

20

Stephens County

 

21

Stewart County

 

22

Sumter County

 

23

Talbot County

 

24

Taliaferro County

 

25

Tattnall County

 

26

Taylor County

 

27

Terrell County

 

28

Thomas County

4

1

Tift County

 

2

Toombs County

 

3

Towns County

 

4

Treutlen County

 

5

Troup County

 

6

Turner and Twiggs County

 

7

Union County

 

8

Upson County

 

9

Walker County

 

10

Walton County

 

11

Ware County

 

12

Warren County

 

13

Washington County

 

14

Wayne County

 

15

Wheeler County

 

16

White County

 

17

Whitefield County

 

18

Wilcox County

 

19

Wilkes County

 

20

Wilkinson County

 

21

Worth County

 

22

Miscellaneous (June-July, 1940)

 

23

Miscellaneous (August, 1940)

 

 

 

II. Personal

 

A. University

1

1

Church Activities

 

2

Class work, Reports, Speeches etc.

 

3

Commencement Activities

 

4

Events and Activities

 

5

Georgia Student Handbooks
 

6

Red and Black Correspondence

2

1

Association For International Conciliation (AFIC) - The Work of the Second Hague Conference

 

2

AFIC - The Possibilities of Intellectual Cooperation Between North and South America

 

3

AFIC - America and Japan

 

4

AFIC - The Sanction of International Law

 

5

AFIC - The United States and France

 

6

AFIC - The Approach of the Two Americas

 

7

AFIC - The United States and Canada

 

8

AFIC - The Policy of the US and Japan in the Far East

 

9

AFIC - European Sobriety in the Presence of the Balkan Crisis

 

10

AFIC - The Logic of International Cooperation

 

11

AFIC - American Ignorance of Oriental Languages

 

12

AFIC - America and the New Diplomacy

 

13

AFIC - The Delusion of Militarism

 

14

AFIC - Address by the Honorable Elihu Root

 

15

AFIC - The United States and China

 

16

AFIC - Opening Address at the Lake Mohonk Convention on International Arbitration

 

17

AFIC - Journalism and International Affairs

 

18

AFIC - Influence of Commerce in the Promotion of International Peace

 

19

AFIC - The United States and Spain

 

20

AFIC - American Public Schools as a Factor in International Conciliation

 

21

AFIC - The East and West

 

22

AFIC - A League of Peace

 

23

AFIC - The Results of the Second Conference

 

24

AFIC - Program of the Association for International Conciliation

 

25

AFIC - The Results of the National Arbitration and Peace Conference

 

26

Subjugation of the Filipino

 

27

"The Negro Issue": An Address by Jacob Piatt Dunn

 

28

"Negro Suffrage": Speech of Thomas W. Hardwick

 

29

Sermon by Reverend Charles H. Parkhurst

 

30

Miscellaneous Scripts

 

31

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

 

32

Map of Harvard College

B. Medical

1

1

June, 1949

 

2

June, 1949

 

3

July 20-31, 1949

 

4

August, 1949

 

5

September 1-15, 1949

 

6

September 16-31, 1949

 

7

October, 1949

 

8

Miscellaneous - No Date

C. General

1

1

Civic Activities and Awards

 

2

Mr. Rotary Scrapbook

 

3

Newspaper Clippings

 

4-6

Printed Materials
 

III. Photographs

 

1

Abit Nix as Georgia YMCA Board chairman [8.25"x10", b/w]

 

2

William Tapley Bennett, Jr. and Jimmy Carter [5"x7", b/w]

 

3

Bennett-Godsall wedding, 1980 [2, 3.5"x3.25" and 5"x5", color]
     
     

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