Ed Jackson and Charly Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

March 30

1745 In England, James Oglethorpe was promoted to major general in the British Army.

1842 At his office in Jefferson, Ga., Dr. Crawford W. Long administered sulfuric ether to James Venable as an anesthesia for the painless removal of two tumors from Venable's neck. [See photo of reenactment] Unfortunately, Long did not publish the results of his operation until 1849. By then, several other doctors and dentists also were claiming to have been the first to use ether as an anesthesia. Nevertheless, Long's March 30, 1842 operation is generally recognized as the first instance of the use of anesthesia during surgery. As an interesting footnote to Long's story, his fee to James Venable for the anesthesia and surgery was just two dollars! In recognition of Long's achievement, the U.S. Post Office issued a Crawford Long commemorative stamp in 1940

1870 On his way from Virginia to Savannah, where he hoped to recover his health, a weak and ailing Robert E. Lee arrived in Augusta aboard an evening train. Staying at Augusta's Planters Hotel for two nights, the general had hundreds of visitors call on him the next day -- including several of his former generals. In the afternoon, Lee was driven through the streets to cheering crowds. The next morning, before boarding the train to continue his trip, Lee addressed a large crowd expressing his appreciation for their hospitality. Working his way through the crowd to stand close to the Confederate icon was the 13-year-old son of the minister of Augusta's First Presbyterian Church. That boy was Woodrow Wilson.

1870 The U.S. Secretary of State proclaimed that the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution --which prohibited denial of the right to vote on account of race -- as having been ratified by the 29 of the 37 states then in existence. As this meant that three-fourths of the states had ratified the 15th Amendment, it was proclaimed as officially part of the Constitution. [Georgia had ratified the 15th Amendment on Feb. 2, 1870.]

1908 Folk artist Mattie Lou O'Kelley was born in Maysville, Georgia. See July 26, 1997 entry for biographical information.

1937 Gov. E.D. Rivers signed an act of the General Assembly authorizing the creation of non-profit Electric Membership Corporations to provide electricity to rural areas of Georgia.

1939 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived in Warm Springs, Ga. for his thirty-fifth visit to his "second home."

1942 Construction of the Bell Aircraft plant in Marietta officially began on this day. Present for the ground breaking were Marietta Mayor L.M. (Rip) Blair, Cobb County Commissioner George McMillan, County Attorney James V. Carmichael, and Atlanta Chamber of Commerce officials Ivan Allen, Sr., and Frank Shaw -- all key forces in the effort to bringing Bell to Georgia. The grading contract for the main building and railroad sidings went to W. Florence Construction Company of Powder Springs. The Atlanta firm of Robert & Company got the contract to build the plant. Under the direction of the U.S. Corps of Engineers and Bell Aircraft Corporation, Robert & Company would be responsible for architectural-engineering management. A G. Stanford, a Georgia Tech graduate, was named as the resident engineer in charge of the project. On November 9, 1942, the contract to build the Bell Bomber Administration Building would be awarded to Atlanta contractors Hardin & Ramsey. [Contributed by Dr. Tom Scott, Kennesaw State University]

1945 President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived in Warm Springs, Ga. for his forty-second (and final) visit to his "second home." He was suffering from advancing heart disease and exhaustion resulting from his efforts in leading the final push to end World War II and preparing for establishing an organization to try and ensure world peace afterwards. But unfortunately he would not live to see these particular dreams realized; click here for a detailed account of his death at Warm Springs and final departure from Georgia.

1989 Gov. Joe Frank Harris signed legislation [see text] designating the gopher tortoise as Georgia's official state reptile.

1990 "National Doctor's Day" was celebrated for the first time. Doctor's Day was first celebrated in 1933 when the Barrow County Medical Auxiliary adopted a resolution: "to pay lasting tribute to her Doctors...be it resolved...that March 30, the day that famous Georgian Dr. Crawford W. Long first used ether anesthesia in surgery, be adopted as 'Doctor's Day'...its observance demanding some act of kindness, gift or tribute in remembrance of the Doctors." In 1935, the Southern Medical Association Auxiliary adopted the annual observance, and the custom slowly spread to other areas of the country. In 1958, the U.S. House adopted a resolution officially recognizing Doctor's Day. Finally, in 1990, President George Bush signed into law a bill designating March 30 as "National Doctor's Day."

1996 In Charlotte, N.C. All-American basketball player Saudia Roundtree scored 26 points and put on a stellar performance as the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs beat Stanford 86-76 in an NCAA women's Final Four semifinal game. This meant that the Lady Dogs would play the Lady Vols of the University of Tennessee for the NCAA national championship the next night.
 
 

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1738 Writing in his journal of Trustee proceedings, the Earl of Egmont noted:

"This morning I went by invitation of Col. Oglethorpe to See that part of his Regiment raised in England March through the City into Essex under the Command of Majr. Cook. They were well cloathed and young Sightly fellows. He had desired the rest of the Trustees to come, but only myself, Ld. Tirconnel, Mr. Christopher Towers & Capt. Eyles were there, which I observed was a dissapointment to him, he having prepared an elegant dinner."

Source: Robert G. McPherson, The Journal of The Earl of Egmont: Abstract of the Trustees Proceedings for Establishing the Colony of Georgia, 1732-1738 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1962), p. 342.

1740 Evangelist George Whitefield would go on to a distinguished career, but he found it difficult leaving Georgia:

"Found myself very sick and weak in Body; but was strengthened notwithstanding, to go through most of the Duties of the Day, and to take an affectionate Leave of my dear Parishioners, because it appeared that Providence called me at this Time towards the Northward. An unspeakable Trouble and Agony of Soul did I feel most part of the Day, and was enabled to wrestle with my Lord in behalf of the People in general, and those belonging to the Orphan-House in particular. . . . All Things belonging to the Orphan-House succeed beyond Expectation, and some of my little Flock have lately (as far as I can judge) been effectually called of God. . . . Some others also there are who have received the Love of God in the Truth of it. So that I hope, if ten Saints could preserve Sodom, the few righteous Souls left behind, will prevent the utter Desolation of declining Savannah."

Source: [no author or editor cited], Our First Visit in America: Early Reports from the Colony of Georgia, 1732-1740 (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1974), p. 303.

1822 While visiting Georgia, New England lawyer and publisher Jeremiah Evarts wrote of a very special meal he had in Savannah:

"Dined at Dr. Kollock's with Dr. Porter. Mrs. Bratton, Dr. Kollock's niece, sets the most elegant table in this city. The dinner was best drum fish, with appropriate dressings, ducks and Southern bacon, oysters cooked in two ways, Irish potatoes in two ways, beets, onions, bread and boil rice. I took duck and bacon, oysters, &c. Then came cherry pie, cranberry pie, quince, orange and other preserves, with salad, cheese, butter and cream (beat to a foam and with a flavor from juice of pineapple). Of the cherry pie I tasted, merely to judge, and of the cream which was very delicious. Then came oranges, plantains, raisins and walnuts with several sorts of cordials and wine. The luxury of this city, as exhibited at dinners, is very great."

Source: Edward J. Cashin (ed.), A Wilderness Still the Cradle of Nature: Frontier Georgia (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1994), p. 63.

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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