Roberta Aguirre
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. The airport is named after two important Georgia politicians: former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. Hartsfield, a former alderman, founded the airport at the site of an abandoned racetrack in 1925 and became its first commissioner. The name Jackson was added in 2003, after the death of former Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson, who played a vital role in the redevelopment of the airport in the 1970s.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |
| Named after | Former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson |
| Location | 6000 N Terminal Pkwy, Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Distance from Downtown Atlanta | 7 miles |
| Area | 4,700 acres |
| Number of runways | 5 |
| Number of terminals | 2 |
| Number of concession outlets | 200+ |
| Number of eateries and retail businesses | 300+ |
| Number of flights per day | 1,000+ |
| Number of destinations | 225 |
| Number of passengers in 2012 | 95 million+ |
| Number of passengers in 2019 | 110 million+ |
| Amount of mail and cargo handled per month | 56,000 metric tons |
| Control tower height | 398 feet (121 m) |
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What You'll Learn
The airport is named after two people
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two important Georgia politicians: former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.
The airport was originally named Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport after William B. Hartsfield, a former alderman and mayor of Atlanta who founded the airport in 1925. Hartsfield signed a five-year, rent-free lease on 287 acres of land that was once an abandoned auto racetrack. The property was renamed Candler Field after its former owner, Coca-Cola tycoon and former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler.
In 2003, the Atlanta City Council voted to add the name Jackson to the airport to honour former mayor Maynard Jackson, who had died four months prior. Jackson was the first African American to serve as mayor of a major southern city and played a vital role in the redevelopment of the airport in the 1970s.
The airport is one of the busiest in the world, with more than 110 million passengers travelling through it in 2019. It covers 4,700 acres of land and has five parallel runways.
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One of the people is William B. Hartsfield
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two important Georgia politicians: William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.
William B. Hartsfield was a former alderman and mayor of Atlanta. He founded the airport in 1925 on the site of an abandoned racetrack. The site was chosen because it offered room for expansion, which was deemed important given that Atlanta had been selected as a distribution point on the federal mail route from New York to Miami. With support from the city and the attraction of companies such as Delta Air Lines and Eastern Air Lines, Hartsfield Airport grew quickly.
Hartsfield was honoured with a plaque at the airport, which reads: "He loved his city, and served its people with rare foresight and fidelity."
In 2003, after the death of former Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson, the airport's name was changed to include his name. Jackson was the first African American to serve as mayor of a major southern city and played a vital role in the airport's redevelopment in the 1970s.
The Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, with more than 110 million passengers travelling through it in 2019. It covers 4,700 acres of land and has five parallel runways. The airport is located just 7-10 miles from Downtown Atlanta.
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Hartsfield was a former alderman and mayor of Atlanta
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two important Georgia politicians: William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. Hartsfield, a former alderman and mayor of Atlanta, founded the airport and became its first commissioner.
Hartsfield served as mayor of Atlanta for six terms (1937-41, 1942-61), longer than any other person in the city's history. He is credited with developing Atlanta into the aviation powerhouse that it is today and with building its image as "the City Too Busy to Hate". Hartsfield was also known as the "father of aviation" in Atlanta, overseeing the airport's transformation from the barnstorming era to the jet age.
In 1925, Hartsfield secured a five-year, rent-free lease on 287 acres of land that was once an abandoned auto racetrack named The Atlanta Speedway. The site was chosen over several other options because it offered room for expansion, an important feature given that Atlanta had been selected as a distribution point on the federal mail route from New York to Miami. With support from the city and the attraction of major airlines, Hartsfield Airport grew quickly.
In 1971, the city renamed the airport after Mayor Hartsfield. However, in 2003, the name of former mayor Maynard Jackson was added to honour his vital role in the airport's redevelopment during the 1970s. Jackson was the first African American to serve as mayor of a major southern city, serving three terms (1974–1982, 1990–1994) and becoming the second-longest-serving mayor of Atlanta.
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The other person is Maynard Jackson
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named in honour of former mayor Maynard Jackson, who died four months before the Atlanta City Council voted to rename the airport in 2003. Jackson was born into a family that valued education and political activism. His maternal grandfather was the civil rights leader John Wesley Dobbs, who successfully campaigned for the hiring of Black police officers in Atlanta and the lighting of Auburn Street, the main retail street of the Black community. Jackson's mother Irene (Dobbs) Jackson was one of six daughters, all of whom graduated from Spelman College. She earned a doctorate in France and became a professor of French at the college. Jackson's father, Maynard Holbrook Jackson, was a Baptist minister from New Orleans who became active in civil rights in Dallas, Texas, where he grew up.
Jackson married Burnella "Bunnie" Hayes in 1965, and the couple had three children: Elizabeth, Brooke, and Maynard III. Prior to their divorce, Bunnie Jackson founded First Class, Inc., becoming the first African-American woman to own a public relations and marketing firm in Atlanta. In 1977, Jackson married Valerie Richardson, with whom he had two daughters, Valerie and Alexandra. Valerie Jackson hosts a radio show on the Atlanta Public Broadcasting station.
Jackson worked as a lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board and a legal services firm. He joined the Democratic Party and, in 1968, ran for the US Senate against incumbent Herman Talmadge. Despite losing the election due to a lack of funds, Jackson gained prominence in Atlanta, which had a substantial Black minority. In 1974, he received the Samuel S. Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or Under. As mayor, Jackson attempted to fire the incumbent white police chief, John Inman, to address Atlanta's growing crime problem and charges of racial insensitivity toward African Americans. He appointed A. Reginald Eaves, an activist and personal friend, as Public Safety Commissioner, but Eaves was criticised for his lack of police experience and generated further controversy through his appointments.
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, with just over 1,000 flights daily to 225 domestic and international destinations. It is home to over 300 eateries and retail businesses and is located about 10 miles from Downtown Atlanta. The airport covers 4,700 acres of land and has five parallel runways. It is considered the first mega-hub in America and is the world's largest airline hub.
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Jackson was Atlanta's first African-American mayor
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two important Georgia politicians: former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.
Maynard Jackson was Atlanta's first African-American mayor. He served three terms as mayor, from 1974 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1994. Jackson was 35 when he was first elected in 1973, unseating incumbent Sam Massell with 60% of the vote. He had previously served as vice-mayor, and his election as mayor was widely seen as a turning point for the "New South".
Jackson was a graduate of Morehouse College, where he received a bachelor's degree in political science and history in 1956. He went on to study law and worked as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in Atlanta. He joined the Democratic Party and made his first attempt at elective office in 1968 with an unsuccessful run for the US Senate. However, he gained the public's eye and was elected vice-mayor of Atlanta in 1969.
As mayor, Jackson worked to improve race relations in Atlanta and led several huge public works projects. He was instrumental in expanding Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport into a major transportation hub, and the airport was renamed in his honour after his death in 2003. He also brought the 1996 Olympics to Atlanta and worked to renew public arts in the city. Jackson was a strong advocate for affirmative action, ensuring that minorities shared in the prosperity of the expanding city through municipal contracts.
Jackson's legacy is remembered through his permanent memorial at Oakland Cemetery, which was unveiled on the 14th anniversary of his death. The memorial features the first line of his favourite poem, "Will," by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, and was designed by his wife, Valerie Jackson, as a tribute to his honour, courage, and vision.
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Frequently asked questions
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two important Georgia politicians: former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.
Hartsfield was a former alderman and mayor of Atlanta. He founded the airport at the site of an abandoned racetrack in 1925 and became its first commissioner.
Maynard Jackson was the first African American to serve as mayor of a major southern city. He played a vital role in the redevelopment of the airport in the 1970s.
The airport was renamed in 2003, after Jackson's death.
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