ATLANTA — Just a few feet from the doors of the Georgia House chamber, the well-deserved portrait of longtime Columbus Rep. Calvin Smyre is displayed in a place of honor.
His is only the seventh portrait of an African American to ever be displayed inside the capitol.
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Fifty years after he first entered the House, Democrats, Republicans, friends and family all gathered to honor Smyre, who is the longest serving legislator in Georgia history.
“I’m deeply humbled,” he said.
Columbus sent Smyre to the Capitol back in 1974 where he quickly caught the eye of longtime House Speaker Tom Murphy, who took him under his wing.
His portrait now hangs near Murphy’s. Smyre became the first Black floor leader in state history in 1986 and served as the floor leader for Gov. Zell Miller and Gov. Roy Barnes.
Miller died in 2018, but Barnes attended the ceremony to honor his friend.
“There is no other person that deserves this honor anymore than Calvin Smyre,” he said.
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Over the decades, Smyre built a reputation as a bridge builder who was able to bring Democrats and Republicans, Liberals and Conservatives to the table.
As evidence, Republicans came to the House Chamber to honor Smyre and show their appreciation.
“For over 20 years now, I’ve had the great pleasure alongside this champion of policies that have been and still are working that are critical to build a brighter future for every citizen of our great state,” Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said.
In his trademark humble style, Smyre thanked everyone else for his successes during his nearly 50 years in office with a parade he often tells.
“If you ever see a turtle sitting on a fencepost, you know that he or she didn’t get there by themselves. Somebody helped put them there,” he said.
Smyre stepped down from his seat in 2022. He held leadership positions in the Democratic Party at the local, state and national level. Outside the legislature, he worked at Synovus as executive vice president of corporate external affairs and the headed the company’s foundation.
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