Jim Folsom, Jr.
Jim Folsom, Jr., was elected Lieutenant Governor of the State of Alabama on November 7, 2006 from the Democratic Party.
Jim Folsom, Jr., was born May 14, 1949, the oldest son of Governor James E. "Big Jim" Folsom, Sr. (one of the first Southern governors to support civil rights and integration) and Jamelle Folsom. Jim Jr. was raised in Montgomery and Cullman with his eight brothers and sisters. Governor Folsom graduated from Jacksonville State University in 1974, having paid his way by working at the yarn mill and post office. Following graduation, Folsom worked with the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations and Reynolds Metals.
In 1978, Folsom was elected to the Public Service Commission, where he served two terms. In 1986 and 1990, he was elected Lt. Governor, each time with overwhelming majorities. As Lt. Governor, Folsom demonstrated an ability to bring people together, building diverse coalitions to get things done. As a result, many effective and ground-breaking pieces of legislation were adopted during his tenure.
In April 1993, hours after his predecessor was removed from office, Jim Folsom, Jr. was sworn in as Alabama's 50th Governor. Lauded for creating Alabama's most diverse cabinet and staff by appointing many women and African-Americans to key posts statewide, Governor Folsom also directed that the Confederate flag be moved from the Capitol dome to war memorials.
In what was the longest lasting impact of his administration - despite being told it could not be done - Governor Folsom personally directed Alabama's efforts to attract the first Mercedes-Benz automobile manufacturing plant outside of Germany. Alabama beat out 30 other states for the coveted industry, opening the door for future automotive opportunities in Alabama. Some 150,000 Alabama jobs have been created and over one million automobiles have been built in Alabama through the successful recruitment of Mercedes and the other international automobile manufacturers that followed.
He is married to Marsha Guthrie Folsom; they are the proud parents of two children, Meghan and James III.[1]
