Bo Callaway

American businessman and politician (1927–2014)

Bo Callaway

Callaway in 1974

11th United States Secretary of the Army
In office
May 15, 1973 – July 3, 1975
President| Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Preceded by| Robert F. Froehlke
Succeeded by| Norman R. Augustine (acting)
Martin R. Hoffmann
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967
Preceded by| Tic Forrester
Succeeded by| Jack Brinkley
Personal details
Born|

Howard Hollis Callaway[1]

(1927-04-02)April 2, 1927
LaGrange, Georgia, U.S.
Died| March 15, 2014(2014-03-15) (aged 86)
Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Political party| Democratic (Before 1964)
Republican (1964–2014)
Spouse|

Beth Walton

(m. 1949; died 2009)​

[1]
Children| 5[1]
Relatives| Fuller Earle Callaway (grandfather)
Terry Considine (son-in-law)
Education| Georgia Tech
United States Military Academy (BS)
Military service
Allegiance| United States
Branch/service| United States Army
Years of service| 1949–1952
Rank| Lieutenant
Battles/wars| Korean War

Howard Hollis "Bo" Callaway (April 2, 1927[2] – March 15, 2014) was an American businessman and politician.[3][4] A member of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967 and as the United States secretary of the Army from 1973 to 1975.[1][5]

## Life and career

[edit]

Callaway in 1965

Callaway was born in LaGrange, Georgia,[2] the son of Virginia Hollis and Cason Callaway,[1] and the grandson of Fuller Earle Callaway. He attended Episcopal High School, graduating in 1944.[2] After graduating, he attended Georgia Tech and the United States Military Academy, earning his degree in military engineering in 1949. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War, which after his discharge in 1953, he returned to Georgia to help his parents develop and run Callaway Gardens.[1] He was named executive director there on June 10, 1953.[6]

In 1964, he was elected as a Republican to represent Georgia's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, succeeding Tic Forrester. He was the first Republican to represent Georgia in Congress since Reconstruction, riding a Republican wave in the Deep South resulting from the appeal of Barry Goldwater to conservative Southerners.[2][7]

Rather than run for re-election, in 1966, Callaway ran as a Republican candidate for governor of Georgia. The gubernatorial election was exceptionally close due to a split within the state Democratic Party between supporters of segregationist Lester Maddox and liberal former governor Ellis Arnall; after Maddox won the Democratic nomination, Arnall continued his campaign as a write-in candidate. Ultimately, Callaway won a plurality, but not a majority of votes cast, which under Georgia law meant that the election was thrown to the Georgia General Assembly. After a series of lawsuits reaching the United States Supreme Court, the authority of the legislature was ultimately upheld, and Maddox was elected governor by the heavily Democratic legislature.[8]

Callaway was succeeded in Congress by Jack Brinkley.

### Later career

[edit]

Portrait of Callaway

Callaway resided in Colorado in the 1970s. In 1973, he was appointed by President Richard Nixon to serve as the United States Secretary of the Army,[1] serving under Nixon and Gerald Ford and was succeeded by Norman R. Augustine in 1975. During his service as secretary of the army, he entered into a prominent national controversy when he first reduced the sentence of and later paroled lieutenant William Calley for his role in the My Lai massacre.[9][10]

Callaway served as Ford's campaign manager,[11] but resigned following accusations that he had used undue political influence to ensure the expansion of a ski resort;[11] he was replaced by Rogers Morton.[12]

In 1980, Callaway ran as a Republican candidate for United States senator of Colorado. He was supported by Senator William L. Armstrong, but ultimately lost the nomination to Mary Estill Buchanan.[2][13] After that, he served as the chairperson of the Colorado Republican Party until 1987.[2]

## Death

[edit]

Callaway died on March 15, 2014, from complications of intracerebral hemorrhage in Columbus, Georgia, at the age of 86.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Yardley, William (March 23, 2014). "Howard H. Callaway, Strategist Who Helped G.O.P. Rise in South, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
2. ^ a b c d e f "CALLAWAY, Howard Hollis (Bo)". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
3. ^ "Callaway of Georgia: A GOP Governor?". The Amarillo Globe-Times. Amarillo, Texas. September 1, 1966. p. 35. Retrieved October 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Belated Vindication for Bo Callaway". The Macon Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. June 26, 1977. p. 37. Retrieved October 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ Adams, Tony (March 15, 2014). "Carter recalls intense rivalry and eventual friendship with Callaway". Ledger-Enquirer. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
6. ^ "Callaway Resort & Gardens history". zippia.com. Zippia, Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
7. ^ "SOUTH REVERSES VOTING PATTERNS; Goldwater Makes Inroads, but More Electoral Votes Go to the President". The New York Times. November 4, 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
8. ^ "Quickly Sworn In Behind Shut Doors". The Atlanta Constitution. January 11, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
9. ^ Baxter, R. R. (August 1, 1976). "The My Lai Massacre And Its Cover‐up". The New York Times.
10. ^ Adams, Tony (July 29, 2015). "Bo Callaway dies at age 86". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
11. ^ a b "Bo Callaway Relieved as Ford Manager". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. March 13, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved October 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ Naughton, James (March 31, 1976). "Callaway Quits Post". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
13. ^ Strogoff, Jody Hope (March 21, 2014). "Bo Callaway was a winner despite having lost Senate bid". Colorado Politics. Retrieved March 2, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* United States Congress. "Bo Callaway (id: C000055)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-07-02
* Appearances on C-SPAN

U.S. House of Representatives

Preceded by

Tic Forrester

|  Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 3rd congressional district
January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967  | Succeeded by

Jack Thomas Brinkley

Party political offices
Vacant

Title last held by

Roscoe Pickett  |  Republican nominee for Governor of Georgia
1966 | Succeeded by

Hal Suit

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Preceded by

Robert F. Froehlke

|  United States Secretary of the Army
May 1973 – July 1975  | Succeeded by

Martin R. Hoffmann

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