Cracking the Solid South: The Life of John Fletcher Hanson, Father of Georgia Tech

John Fletcher Hanson was a rare combination of industrialist, journalist, and orator who spent most of his life in Macon, Georgia, rising from the ashes of the Civil War to become the leading voice of the New South. Many have assigned that role to Henry Grady, but while Grady was talking about a New South, Hanson was building one, by creating jobs, promoting Southern industrialization, and advancing educational opportunities.

Hanson, commonly referred to as “the Major” throughout his lifeti...