{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Buddy Darden | image = George Darden Headshot.jpg | state = Georgia | district = {{ushr|GA|7|7th}} | term_start = November 8, 1983 | term_end = January 3, 1995 | predecessor = Larry McDonald | successor = Bob Barr | office1 = Member of the Georgia House of Representatives<br>from the 19th district<br>Position 3 | term_start1 = January 1981 | term_end1 = November 1983 | predecessor1 = Bill Cooper | successor1 = Bill Cooper | office2 = District Attorney of the Cobb Judicial Circuit of Georgia | term_start2 = January 1, 1973 | term_end2 = January 1, 1977 | predecessor2 = Benjamin Smith | successor2 = Thomas Charron | birth_name = George Washington Darden III | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|11|22}} | birth_place = Hancock County, Georgia, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = Lillian | education = University of Georgia (BA, LLB) }} '''George Washington "Buddy" Darden III''' (born November 22, 1943) is an American politician and lawyer from Georgia. He served in the state house and then for more than five terms as Congressman from Georgia. He served in his career as a legislator as a member of the Democratic Party.
==Early life== Darden was born in Hancock County, Georgia. He lived in Sparta, Georgia and attended public schools, graduating from Sparta High School in 1961. He earned his Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens in 1965 and Bachelor of Laws in 1967 (converted to a Juris Doctor in 1969) from the UGA School of Law.<ref>[http://statregister.galileo.usg.edu/statregister/view?docId=statregister/stat1975/stat1975-0943.xml&query=George%20Darden&brand=default Georgia Official and Statistical Register, 1975-1976 - page 940]</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Darden, George (Buddy)|work=Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=d000051|access-date=2012-02-01}}</ref> He served as student body president while in college.<ref name=crec94>{{cite web|title=Congressional Record, Volume 140, Number 147|publisher=GPO|url= http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1994-11-29/html/CREC-1994-11-29-pt2-PgS60.htm|date=1994-11-29|access-date=2012-02-01}}</ref>
==Career== ===Law=== Upon graduation from law school, Darden started his law career as assistant district attorney in Cobb County, Georgia, serving from 1968 to 1972. He was elected as County District Attorney and served from 1973 to 1977.<ref>{{cite news|last=Evans|first=Randy|title=The Buddy Darden Rule|newspaper=Neighbor Newspapers|url=http://neighbornewspapers.com/stories/The-Buddy-Darden-Rule,162527|date=2010-08-08|access-date=2012-02-01}}</ref>
===State Legislature=== In 1980 Darden was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives as a Democrat representing District 19-Post3 (Cobb County). He took office in January 1981, and served until 1983, when he resigned to campaign for an open Congressional seat.<ref>{{cite web|title=Members Of The General Assembly Of Georgia - 136th Session - Term 1981-1982|publisher=State of Georgia|url=http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/cgi-bin/govdimag.cgi?path=dbs/1981/ga/s700/_ps1/g4/1981_h82.con/&user=galileo&sessionid=637f8586-1527492862-4693&serverid=DU&instcode=afpl&return=ggpd%3fuserid%3dgalileo%26dbs%3dggpd%26action%3dretrieve%26recno%3d41%26numrecs%3d100%26__rtype%3drecno%26key%3dy-ga-bs700-b-ps1-bg4-b1981-h82|date=July 1981|access-date=May 10, 2018}}</ref>
===Congress=== Upon the sudden death of U.S. Representative Larry McDonald, who was killed in the 1983 downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007, Darden won a special election to fill McDonald's seat for the remainder of the 98th Congress. He resigned from the Georgia General Assembly.<ref>{{cite video|people=Larry McDonald, Pat Buchanan, Tom Braden|title=Crossfire|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cosmolearning.com/videos/larry-mcdonald-on-the-new-world-order-may-1983/|medium=Television Production|date=May 1983|location=United States}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=State legislator George 'Buddy' Darden, who soundly defeated Kathryn McDonald|publisher=United Press International|author=William Cotterell|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/11/09/State-legislator-George-Buddy-Darden-who-soundly-defeated-Kathryn/6819437202000/|date=November 9, 1983|access-date=May 10, 2018}}</ref>
During his tenure in office, Darden sponsored 61 bills, including H.R.2044, legislation that authorize and directs the National Park Service to assist the State of Georgia in relocating a highway affecting the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in Georgia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Summary & Status– George Darden – 100th Congress|publisher=THOMAS (Library of Congress)|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d100&querybd=@BANDNOT(@FIELD(FLD003+@1(00266))+@FIELD(FLD008+(m)))|access-date=2012-02-01|archive-date=2014-12-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210092925/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d100&querybd=@BANDNOT(@FIELD(FLD003+@1(00266))+@FIELD(FLD008+(m)))}}</ref> Darden shepherded numerous bills, including those benefiting Lockheed Aeronautical Corp., through Congress as part of the Armed Services Committee and co-sponsored others. "You don't have to introduce a tiny little bill with your name on it to make a difference," he said.<ref>{{cite news|title= Darden-Beverly sequel even hotter, Debate opens war wounds in 7th District|newspaper= The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=1992-09-28|pages=B3}}</ref>
Darden was a member of the Standards of Official Conduct committee, elected in 1991, and served on the Committee on Armed Services and Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Text – 102nd Congress – H.RES.57|publisher=THOMAS (Library of Congress)|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c102:4:./temp/~mdbsYsUMwE::|access-date=2012-02-01}}{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Text – 101st Congress – H.RES.39|publisher=THOMAS (Library of Congress)|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c101:13:./temp/~mdbsc5ShI4::|access-date=2012-02-01}}{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Darden has supported socially conservative positions: he opposed federal funding for Medicaid abortions except in cases of rape, incest or threat to the life of the mother.<ref name=profile>{{cite news|title=George Washington Darden – candidate Profile|publisher=The Associated Press|date=1992-11-07}}</ref> He supported the death penalty.<ref name=profile/> Darden advocated maintaining a strong defense in spite of improved East-West relations. He said any money saved from a "peace dividend" should go to deficit reduction.<ref name=profile/> In 1992, the Americans for Democratic Action gave Darden's 1991 voting record 40 points out of 100; the American Conservative Union gave him 35 points.<ref name=profile/>
He was reelected to five more terms until 1994, when he was defeated by Bob Barr.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bob Barr|work=Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000169|access-date=2012-02-01}}</ref> He sought the Democratic nomination for his old seat, now numbered as the 11th district, in 2002, but lost to Roger Kahn, who was defeated in the general election.<ref>{{Citation|editor-first=Larry|editor-last= Sabato|last=Bullock|first=Charles S. III|contribution=It's a Sonny Day in Georgia|title=Midterm Madness: the elections of 2002|year=2003|page=185}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=1010|title = Our Campaigns - GA District 11 - D Primary Race - Aug 20, 2002}}</ref>
He was the last white Democrat to represent the Atlanta suburbs until Carolyn Bourdeaux was elected from a nearby district in 2020.
== After Congress== Since leaving Congress, Darden has served as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1996, 2000 and 2004. In 2000, President Clinton announced the recess appointment of Darden to serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).<ref>{{cite press release|title=President Names Darden as Member of Board of Directors of the OPIC |publisher=The White House Office of the Press Secretary |date=2000-12-22 |url=http://archives.clintonpresidentialcenter.org/?u=122200-president-names-darden-member-of-the-board-of-directors-of-the-opic.htm |access-date=2012-02-01 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Darden also served as chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission in the administration of Georgia Governor Roy Barnes from 1999 to 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rollercoaster for Northern Georgia U.S. Attorney Candidate|work=Main Justice|url=http://www.mainjustice.com/tag/george-darden/|date=2009-09-08|access-date=2012-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304111427/http://www.mainjustice.com/tag/george-darden/|archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref>
In 1992, Darden became a member of the Board of Trustees for LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. In 2002, Darden was named Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and served for five years. He retired as Chair in 2007. In recognition of his service to the college, LaGrange College conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on May 19, 2007. As is customary, Darden was the commencement speaker at the graduation ceremony during which he was honored.<ref>{{cite press release|title=College Awards Three Honorary Doctorates|publisher=LaGrange College|date=2007-05-04|url=http://www.lagrange.edu/news/HonoraryDocotrates.aspx|access-date=2012-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712135852/https://www.lagrange.edu/news/HonoraryDocotrates.aspx|archive-date=2011-07-12}}</ref>
Darden is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.issueone.org/reformers/|title = Issue One – ReFormers Caucus| date=2025 }}</ref>
In 1995, Darden was named a partner in the Atlanta law firm of Denton's (formerly Long, Aldridge & Norman, then McKenna, Long & Aldridge).<ref>{{cite web|title=Revolving Door: Buddy Darden Employment Summary|publisher= OpenSecrets |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=13478|access-date=2012-02-01}}</ref> In 2018, he left Denton's to join Atlanta law firm Pope McGlamry as senior counsel.{{citation needed | date=August 2025}}
==Personal life== Darden married Lillian Budd (born May 15, 1945) on February 18, 1968. They had two children together: Lillian Christine Darden and George Washington Darden IV.<ref name=crec94/><ref>{{cite web|title=Lillian B. Darden (Secretary) |publisher=Georgia Department of Human Resources |url=http://www.testdhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHR/menuitem.3d43c0fad7b3111b50c8798dd03036a0/?vgnextoid=efb478b1cd12ff00VgnVCM100000bf01020aRCRD&vgnextchannel=bdfaf2318612ff00VgnVCM100000bf01020aRCRD |access-date=2012-02-01 }}{{dead link|date=July 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Darden currently resides in Marietta, Georgia.
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{C-SPAN|7246}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Larry McDonald}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives<br>from Georgia's 7th congressional district|years=1983–1995}} {{s-aft|after=Bob Barr}} |- {{s-prec|usa}} {{s-bef|before=Charles Floyd Hatcher|as=Former U.S. Representative}} {{s-ttl|title=Order of precedence of the United States<br>''{{small|as Former U.S. Representative}}''|years=}} {{s-aft|after=Phil Gingrey|as=Former U.S. Representative}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darden, George}} Category:1943 births Category:20th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly Category:20th-century United States representatives Category:Candidates in the 2002 United States elections Category:Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives Category:Democratic Party United States representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:District attorneys in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Category:LaGrange College Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States Congress who became lobbyists Category:People from Sparta, Georgia Category:University of Georgia alumni