Gov. Deal Declares Wednesday ‘Bo Callaway Day’

Two years after that, Callaway ran for governor and lost to Lester Maddox when a three-way race resulted in no one receiving a majority.  Later he served as Secretary of the Army for both Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.  But Callaway is mainly remembered for the many years he nurtured and encouraged Republicans in both Georgia and in Colorado, where he also lived.

  Calloway has been widely described as a pioneer in Georgia politics, effectively the founding father of the modern Georgia Republican Party. 

Matt Towery, publisher of InsiderAdvantageGeorgia and himself a long-time Georgia Republican, described just how much of a pioneer Bo Callaway was:

Howard “Bo” Callaway passed away this weekend. He was Republican in a time when most people in Georgia politics had to be solidly Democrat if they hoped to hold office, to be respected in their communities, or for that matter to not have to dodge rotten tomatoes.

Tributes to Callaway poured in from Republicans across the state.  John Padgett, Chairman of the Republican Party of Georgia, issued a statement which read, in part:

The first Georgia Republican in Congress since Reconstruction, Bo was a clear, clarion voice for conservative values, principles, and policies at a time when Democrats dominated the Deep South. 

As the Georgia Republican Party struggled to grow in numbers and influence, Bo traveled the state to support like-minded candidates, raise resources, and build momentum for conservative causes.  For years, his efforts appeared well intentioned but fruitless.  But finally, with the successful campaigns of Mack Mattingly (1980) and Paul Coverdell (1992), the Georgia Republican Party emerged as a force to be reckoned with in Peach State politics.

It was with purpose and perseverance that Bo planted the seeds that grew the Georgia Republican Party into what it is today. . .

Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss talked about Callaway’s role in his own career:

“I was saddened to learn of Bo Callaway’s passing this weekend. He was a long-time mentor for me and served as my statewide campaign chair during my 2002 campaign for the U.S. Senate. He was an inspiration to many of us coming through the Georgia Republican ranks and played a critical role in the growth of the Republican party in Georgia. Bo was one of the finest men I have ever met. My prayers are with his family during this time.”

Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson also issued a statement:

“Georgia has lost one of its political giants. As the Georgia GOP’s first major candidate for Congress and for Governor, Bo Callaway was a great political pioneer‎‎ and a champion of conservative values.”

In the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, former President Jimmy Carter described Callaway’s importance to the Georgia GOP this way: “He was instrumental in the transformation of our state’s political loyalty to Republicanism.”  Carter and Callaway had been bitter political enemies early in their careers, but their relationship mellowed in later years.

  Howard Hollis “Bo” Callaway, Sr., was born April 2, 1927, in LaGrange, Georgia, the son of Cason and Virginia Callaway.  In 1944, Callaway went to Georgia Tech but in 1945 left Tech to become a cadet at West Point.  Graduating from West Point in 1949, Callaway served in the U.S. Army in Korea and other places, winning several commendations.  He left the military and returned home in 1953 to help his family create and manage Callaway Gardens, their resort near Pine Mountain, Georgia. 

Callaway had grown up as a Democrat, but in 1964 he decided to run for Congress as a “Goldwater Republican.”  He won, making him the first Republican congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction.

In 1966, he decided to run for governor of Georgia.  His Democratic opponent was Lester Maddox, who had defeated former Governor Ellis Arnall in the primary (as well as the young Jimmy Carter).  Worried that Maddox would lose to Callaway, Arnall’s supporters began a write-in campaign.  On election day, Callaway won 3,039 more votes than Maddox, but the write-in votes for Arnall prevented anyone from receiving a majority.  Ultimately the Georgia General Assembly decided the election, and the heavily rural and Democratic legislators overwhelmingly selected Maddox.

Bo Callaway never held elected office again, but it was hardly the end of his political career.  In 1973 he was tapped by President Richard Nixon to be the Secretary of the Army.  After Nixon resigned from office, Callaway continued in this position under President Gerald Ford.  As the Vietnam War was winding down, Callaway played an instrumental role in the adoption and implementation of an all-volunteer army.

Callaway resigned as Secretary of the Army to become the chairman of President Ford’s campaign committee.  Nine months later, he was forced to resign that position over alleged improprieties regarding the Crested Butte ski resort his family had purchased in Colorado in 1970.  Later investigations turned up no evidence of conflicts of interest.

  Callaway moved his family to Colorado in 1976, became active in Colorado Republican politics, and ran for Senate against then-Sen. Gary Hart in 1980.  He lost, but for many years he worked to elect Republicans in both Colorado and Georgia.  In 1993, Callaway returned from Colorado to Pine Mountain and Callaway Gardens.  He never stopped working to elect Republicans in either state.

Bo Callaway is survived by five children, 16 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren – with three on the way. 

His funeral will be held on Wednesday, March 19, at noon at Christ the King Catholic Church in Pine Mountain, followed by a private burial service.  A memorial organ concert will be held at the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel at Callaway Gardens from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.