'Hartsfield' Out, 'Jackson' In? Petition Circulating

They tried it a couple years ago -- renaming Hartsfield International Airport. At that time, City Council President Robb Pitts had the idea to sell airport-naming rights to a company. Monty Cheshire, Hartsfield's grandson, then told the press, "That was the only significant thing named after William Berry Hartsfield. Atlanta would lose an important link with its heritage. There are some things more important than money. I would hate to see that happen." It didn't happen, then.

Earlier, in 1987, when then-mayor Andrew Young wanted to sell the airport to Japanese investors, it didn't happen, either.

Hartsfield (right), first elected Mayor of Atlanta in 1936, was a force in turning the big Southern town into a national-leading city. He had done that by the end of his last term, in 1961. His legacy may now get re-named in a political move that's designed to 'honor' two more of Atlanta's late mayors.

Can you hijack a whole airport?

Atlanta marketing consultant Leon Cargile has announced a national effort to get at least 20,000 names from the web in an on-line petition to change the name of Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport.

Visitors to the web site can add their names to the on-line petition designed to allow their voices to be heard in an effort to honor the former Atlanta Mayor and Civil Rights Leader Maynard Jackson, Jr.

The site was the inspiration of Leon Cargile who feels that adding Mayor Jackson’s name to Hartsfield International Airport would be a befitting honor for the late Civil Rights Leader and former three-term mayor. "My idea was to show there’s massive support on the local as well as the national level to rename the airport," Cargile said. "And thanks to David Brown, president of
Exceptional Hosting Solutions, I was able to get the site up quickly."

Cargile said he would present the results of the drive to Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and the Atlanta City Council, who recently charged a commission with the task of coming back in 60 days with a recommendation on an appropriate way of honoring the late Mayors Jackson and Ivan Allen, Jr. "I encourage everyone nationwide to visit the website and show their support," Cargile said.

 There’s also a public discussion board on the site where visitors can post messages of support.

Hartsfield, while still an alderman, got the city to take over "Candler Field" [named for the Coca-Cola exec who owned the property, where a disused race track stood --ed.] in 1925, and spearheaded the effort to have the city actually buy it (rather than continue the free, courtesy lease) in 1930.

For his part, Hartsfield fought the prevalent racism of his day, even integrating the city's police force in 1948, long before many northern cities had even considered it.

Maybe if Mayor Jackson had done all the work at getting the airport built in the first place [in fairness, he did push for its expansion, even helping get I-85 relocated --ed.], there would be more sympathy for naming the airport after him, rather than just having a marketing firm simply appropriate Mayor Hartsfield's legacy.

FMI: www.atlanta-airport.com; www.hartsfield-jacksoninternationalairport.org