Ronald 'Bo' Ginn
Encyclopedia
Ronald Bryan 'Bo' Ginn represented Georgia's
1st congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives
.
Ginn was born in Morgan, Georgia
and attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
in Tifton, Georgia
from 1951 through 1953 and Georgia Southern College
in Statesboro
where he earned a degree in 1956.
Ginn served as administrative assistant to U.S. Senator
Herman Talmadge
and U.S. Congressman
George Elliott Hagan
. He successfully ran against Hagan as a Democrat
to win the 1st District congressional seat in 1972 to the 93rd United States Congress
. He served five consecutive terms in that seat before stepping down to run for Governor of Georgia in 1982.
During his time in the House, Ginn was considered one of South Georgia's most influential legislators, and credited with helping to bring several United States Navy
bases to the area, as well as to protect Fort Stewart
when its future seemed shaky. In the 1982 Georgia gubernatorial election, Ginn lost in the primary to Joe Frank Harris
. His political career over, he founded the Ginn & Eddington lobbying firm in Washington, D.C.
and later moved to Augusta, Georgia
to be closer to his children.
In 1993, Ginn filed for bankruptcy
and soon after was investigated for financial discrepancies. After pleading guilty to bank fraud and receiving a federal prison sentence, in 1995 extra time was added to his sentence due to the United States Court of Appeals
believing the first ruling was too lenient. Ironically, in his '82 bid for governor he had run ads showing himself in a jail cell, touting his "tough on crime" reputation. He would eventually serve a total of 21 months in prison.
Ginn's wife Gloria died in 1998; Ginn was diagnosed with lung cancer
in 2003 and succumbed to the disease on January 2, 2005. He left behind 3 children - Julie Moretz, Ronald Bryan Ginn Jr. and Kacy Jones, and seven grandchildren. (Andrew, Lee, Matt, Morgan, Bo III, Daniel, and Carson)
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
1st congressional district
Georgia's 1st congressional district
Georgia's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district comprises the entire coastal area of Sea Islands, where many of the large cotton and rice plantations flourished in the 19th century, and much of the rural southeastern part of the state...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Ginn was born in Morgan, Georgia
Morgan, Georgia
Morgan is a city in Calhoun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,464 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Calhoun County.-Geography:Morgan is located at ....
and attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a State College of the University System of Georgia. Located in Tifton, Georgia, ABAC offers baccalaureate and associate degrees...
in Tifton, Georgia
Tifton, Georgia
Tifton is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,060 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Tift County.-Major highways:* Interstate 75* U.S. Highway 41* U.S. Highway 82* U.S...
from 1951 through 1953 and Georgia Southern College
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
in Statesboro
Statesboro, Georgia
Statesboro is a city in southeast Georgia, United States, and is the county seat and most populous city of Bulloch County. Statesboro has a population of 28,422 and the Statesboro, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 70,217...
where he earned a degree in 1956.
Ginn served as administrative assistant to U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Herman Talmadge
Herman Talmadge
Herman Eugene Talmadge was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. He served as governor of Georgia briefly in 1947 and again from 1948 to 1955. His term was marked by his segregationist policies. After leaving office Talmadge was elected to the U.S...
and U.S. Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
George Elliott Hagan
George Elliott Hagan
George Elliott Hagan was an American politician, businessman and farmer.Hagan was born in Sylvania, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia University of Georgia in Athens. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives for five terms and the Georgia Senate for one term...
. He successfully ran against Hagan as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to win the 1st District congressional seat in 1972 to the 93rd United States Congress
93rd United States Congress
The Ninety-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1973 to January 3, 1975, during the end of Richard...
. He served five consecutive terms in that seat before stepping down to run for Governor of Georgia in 1982.
During his time in the House, Ginn was considered one of South Georgia's most influential legislators, and credited with helping to bring several United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
bases to the area, as well as to protect Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
when its future seemed shaky. In the 1982 Georgia gubernatorial election, Ginn lost in the primary to Joe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris is an American conservative Democratic politician who served as the 78th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1983 to 1991....
. His political career over, he founded the Ginn & Eddington lobbying firm in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and later moved to Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
to be closer to his children.
In 1993, Ginn filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and soon after was investigated for financial discrepancies. After pleading guilty to bank fraud and receiving a federal prison sentence, in 1995 extra time was added to his sentence due to the United States Court of Appeals
United States court of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
believing the first ruling was too lenient. Ironically, in his '82 bid for governor he had run ads showing himself in a jail cell, touting his "tough on crime" reputation. He would eventually serve a total of 21 months in prison.
Ginn's wife Gloria died in 1998; Ginn was diagnosed with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in 2003 and succumbed to the disease on January 2, 2005. He left behind 3 children - Julie Moretz, Ronald Bryan Ginn Jr. and Kacy Jones, and seven grandchildren. (Andrew, Lee, Matt, Morgan, Bo III, Daniel, and Carson)