Biography
Harry Gilham, born in 1930, grew up in the Buckhead area and attended school at North Fulton High School. Before joining the Navy, Gilham went to Georgia Tech and then to Emory Business School. In 1960 Harry Gilham founded the Georgia Lighting Company. Gilham and his wife Caroline raised their family in Buckhead and are prominent Buckhead citizens today.
Abstract of Interview
Harry Gilham describes growing up in Buckhead in the 1930s and 1940s. He discusses race relations and his family’s relationship with their African American housekeeper. He also describes an encounter with the Ku Klux Klan. In addition, he discusses his participation in boy scouts and his high school days. Mr. Gilham also talks about the founding of his very successful business, Georgia Lighting.
Interviewed by Mera Cardenas and Chad Wright, March 13, 2010.
Video
In the video below, Harry Gilham recalls when he and a childhood friend stole Ku Klux Klan (KKK) robes from the home of the Grand Wizard on Peachtree Battle Avenue in the community of Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia, and subsequently wore them to a Boy Scout meeting without understanding their connotation.
Visit YouTube to view additional video excerpts from our Oral History Project.
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