Biography
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.
Alabama beat out 30 other states for the coveted industry,
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 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.