Lois Larson
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two former mayors of Atlanta, Georgia: William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. Hartsfield served as mayor of Atlanta from 1937 to 1941 and founded the airport in 1925. Jackson served as mayor from 1974 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1994. The airport is one of the busiest in the world, serving more than 100 million passengers annually.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | William B. Hartsfield |
| Position | Former mayor of Atlanta |
| Year the airport was named after him | 1971 |
| Year of birth | N/A |
| Year of death | 1971 |
| Date of death | February 22 |
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What You'll Learn
The airport was originally named after William B. Hartsfield
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, recognised as the world's busiest airport, was originally named after former Atlanta mayor, William B. Hartsfield. The airport was renamed in 1971, the same year Hartsfield died, as an expression of gratitude for his leadership and achievements.
The airport was originally named the Atlanta Municipal Airport, and its origins can be traced back to an abandoned racetrack. The land was initially purchased for the development of a racetrack, The Atlanta Speedway. However, the racetrack was never developed. It wasn't until the 1920s that Atlanta Mayor Walter Sims signed a lease to develop the abandoned land into an airport. The land was known as Candler Field, named after its former owner, Coca-Cola tycoon and former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler.
The first flight into Candler Field was a Florida Airways mail plane flying from Jacksonville, Florida, on September 15, 1926. With support from the city and the attraction of companies such as Delta Air Lines and Eastern Air Lines, Hartsfield Airport grew quickly.
In 1971, the airport was renamed the William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport, and shortly after, on February 28, which would have been Hartsfield's 81st birthday, the name was changed again to the William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. This name change was due to the introduction of the airport's first international service, with flights to Mexico and Montego Bay.
The airport has since been renamed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, honouring former Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson, who played a vital role in the airport's redevelopment in the 1970s. Jackson was the first African-American mayor of a major southern city.
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Hartsfield was a former mayor of Atlanta
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two former mayors of Atlanta, William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.
William B. Hartsfield served as mayor of Atlanta from 1937 to 1941. In 1971, four years after his death, the airport was renamed in his honour. The name change took place on what would have been his 81st birthday.
Hartsfield founded the airport in 1925 at the site of an abandoned racetrack. The land was initially known as Candler Field, named after its former owner, Coca-Cola tycoon and former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler. The site was chosen 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.
Hartsfield Airport grew quickly, supported by the city and the attraction of companies such as Delta Air Lines and Eastern Air Lines. The airport has continued to expand, with the construction of the world's largest terminal complex beginning in 1977.
In 2003, after Jackson's death, there was a debate over whether to rename the airport Hartsfield-Jackson. Then-Mayor Shirley Franklin pushed for a compromise using both men's names. Jackson was Atlanta's first African-American mayor and played a vital role in the airport's redevelopment in the 1970s.
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The name Jackson was added in 2003
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two former mayors of Atlanta, Georgia: William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. The airport was originally named after Hartsfield in 1971, following his death. However, in 2003, after Jackson's death, the name Jackson was added to Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. This change occurred following a racially charged debate over whether to rename the airport entirely. Then-Mayor Shirley Franklin pushed for a compromise, and the airport was renamed to include both men's names.
Maynard Jackson served as mayor of Atlanta from 1974 to 1982 and later from 1990 to 1994. He was Atlanta's first African-American mayor and played a vital role in the redevelopment of the airport in the 1970s. Jackson's contributions to the airport's expansion and transformation into the world's busiest are recognised on a plaque at the airport.
William B. Hartsfield served as mayor of Atlanta from 1937 to 1941. He founded the airport in 1925 at the site of an abandoned racetrack, and it became known as Candler Field, named after its former owner, Coca-Cola tycoon and former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler. The first flight into Candler Field was on September 15, 1926.
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, handling more than 100 million passengers annually. It covers approximately 4,700 acres of land and features five parallel runways. The airport has two terminals: a domestic terminal and an international terminal.
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Maynard Jackson was also a former mayor of Atlanta
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two former mayors of Atlanta, William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.
The airport, named in honour of Jackson's achievements, has become one of the busiest airports in the world. It has five runways and two terminals, handling about 56,000 metric tons of mail and cargo monthly. In 2019, more than 110 million passengers travelled through Hartsfield-Jackson, retaining its title as the world's busiest airport for 19 consecutive years. The airport has also received accolades, including being named the favourite airport in North America by Trazee Travel.
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Jackson played a vital role in the airport's redevelopment in the 1970s
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after two former mayors of Atlanta, Georgia: William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.
Maynard Jackson served as mayor of Atlanta from 1974 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1994. Jackson played a vital role in the airport's redevelopment in the 1970s. During his first term as mayor, Jackson oversaw the planning and design of the airport's present midfield terminal complex, which began construction in 1977. This $500 million project was the largest construction project in the Southern United States at the time. The complex was designed by Stevens & Wilkinson, Smith Hinchman & Grylls, and Minority Airport Architects & Planners.
Jackson's contributions to the airport did not go unrecognized. Following his death in 2003, the Atlanta City Council legislated a name change for the airport to include his name. The current name, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, honours both Jackson and Hartsfield, who was also instrumental in the airport's founding and development.
The airport's history dates back to the 1920s when Atlanta Mayor Walter Sims signed a lease to develop an abandoned racetrack, known as Candler Field, into an airport. The site was chosen for its potential for expansion, which was crucial as 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 interest of major airlines, the airport, then known as Atlanta Municipal Airport, quickly grew.
Over the years, the airport has undergone significant expansion and development, including the addition of new runways and terminals, to accommodate the increasing air traffic and maintain its position as one of the world's busiest airports.
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Frequently asked questions
Hartsfield Airport was named after former Atlanta mayor, William B. Hartsfield.
Hartsfield founded the airport in 1925 and became its first commissioner.
The airport was originally named Candler Field after its former owner, Coca-Cola tycoon and former Atlanta mayor, Asa Candler.
The airport's name was changed to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport in 1971, following Hartsfield's death. The name was changed again later that year to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport when the airport introduced its first international service. In 2003, the name was changed again to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in honour of former Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson.
