The Honorable Edward M. McIntyre

The Honorable Edward M. McIntyre. A member of the Board of Directors of the National Conference of Black Mayors and the Black Mayors Association of Georgia, he was the first African American to serve on and chair the Richmond County Board of Commissioners, and the first African American Mayor of Augusta (1981-1983). For 17 years, he served as vice president of the Pilgrim Health and Life Insurance Company. He was founder and the first president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, organized the CSRA Business League, the Augusta African American Historical Committee, Inc., the Augusta Caucus, and Augustans Together, a group devoted to racial harmony. A Paine College trustee, he spearheaded the College's $500,000 (Haygood Hall) “Build It Back” campaign. For 17 years, he chaired The Board of Trustees at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, where his mother, the Rev. Essie Mae McIntyre was pastor and one of the first female Baptist preachers in the nation. A graduate of Morehouse College, he received two honorary doctorates and numerous other awards, including “Citizen of the Year” from The Augusta News-Review, and “Man of the Year” from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., The Augusta Richmond County Voters League, The Augusta Lincoln League, and from Good Shepherd Baptist Church. The Augusta Civic Center (James Brown Arena) and River Walk were products of the vision of this untiring advocate of interracial harmony and educational, social, political and economic advancement.