Governor
Jim
Folsom,
Jr.,
was
elected
Lieutenant
Governor
of
the
State
of
Alabama
on
November 7,
2006.
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.
