Denmark Groover Jr.

Denmark Groover Jr. (June 30, 1922 – April 18, 2001) was an American politician who served in the state of Georgia's House of Representatives.

Denmark Groover Jr.
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
In office
1953–1957
1963–1965
1971–1975
1983–1995
Personal details
Born(1922-06-30)June 30, 1922
Quitman, Georgia, United States
DiedApril 18, 2001(2001-04-18) (aged 78)
Macon, Georgia, United States
Political partyDemocratic

Early life

Groover was born in Quitman, Georgia on June 30, 1922 to Mary Porter McCall and Denmark Groover Sr. He educated in the public schools in Quitman. His father was a salesman who sold mules, insurance, and watermelons. During World War II he was a United States Marine Corps aviator who flew with the so-called Black Sheep Squadron, which were commanded by Major Pappy Boyington.[1]

Political career
Plaque of Groover at the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame

Groover graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in law which helped him reach his political roles. He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1953–57, 1963–65, 1971–75, and 1983–95.[2][3][4] He supported the 1956 change to the Georgia state flag but in 1993 he acknowledged it was offensive to some and worked for a compromise design.[5] He became infamous when in 1964 during a congressional redistricting bill, he hung from a wall and tried to stop a clock before it signaled the formal end of a session. A photographer captured a photo of the incident, and the photo was printed throughout newspapers which made him an embarrassing icon for Georgia politics.[6] He died in 2001 and was buried in Riverside Cemetery (Macon, Georgia).[7]

In 2002 Groover was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.[1]

References
  1. "Captain/Honorable Denmark Groover Jr". Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  2. "Denmark Groover (1922-2001)". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  3. "Former state lawmaker Denmark Groover dies". Athens Banner-Herald. Associated Press. April 19, 2001. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via OnlineAthens.
  4. "* Denmark Groover; Helped Change Georgia Flag". latimes. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  5. Azarian, Alexander; Fesshazion, Eden (August 2000). "The State Flag of Georgia: The 1956 Change In Its Historical Context" (PDF). Senate Research Office. State of Georgia: State of Georgia. pp. 29–30. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  6. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/denmark-groover-1922-2001
  7. "Interment: Denmark Groover Jr". Riverside Cemetery. Retrieved April 28, 2017. Lot Designation: Daffodil, Row B, Lot 202; includes photos & obituary.


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