In his interview, Mr. Foreman discusses family history and mentions members of his family who made significant contributions to Atlanta including his great-grandfather, Evan P. Howell, who owned of a grist mill in Buckhead and later became editor-in-chief of the Atlanta Constitution. He also recalls the story of his grandmother, Laulie Ray Shedden, hiding family furniture in the basement of the Trinity Methodist Church during the Civil War to prevent its destruction. He recalls the battle to save the Fox Theatre, a fight in which he played an integral role. He also discusses his friendship with the theater’s caretaker Joe Patten, Patten’s rehabilitation of the “Mighty Mo” organ, and Patten’s arrangement to have an apartment in the Fox Theatre. Foreman discusses his role as a young man in the Junior Georgians orchestra and the “Atlanta Paupers Club,” a group of boat-owning friends who spent “all of their money” on boating. He also discusses one of the favorite getaways for Atlantans—Highlands, North Carolina. And he recalls numerous Buckhead institutions including E. Rivers Elementary School, Mrs. Bloodworth’s Kindergarten, Miller’s Service Station, and the Buckhead Theatre.

 

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Interview by Chad Wright, January 12, 2013.

Read the transcript.