David H. Gambrell

"Senator Gambrell" redirects here. For the South Carolina state senate member, see Michael Gambrell.

David Henry Gambrell (December 20, 1929 – May 6, 2021) was an American attorney who represented Georgia in the United States Senate from 1971 through 1972.

David H. Gambrell
Gambrell in 1972, while serving.
United States Senator from Georgia
In office February 1, 1971 – November 7, 1972
Appointed by	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Richard Russell Jr.
Succeeded by	Sam Nunn
Chair of the Georgia Democratic Party
In office 1970–1971
Preceded by	James H. Gray Sr.
Succeeded by	Charles Kirbo
Personal details
Born	David Henry Gambrell (1929-12-20)December 20, 1929 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Died	May 6, 2021(2021-05-06) (aged 91) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Luck Flanders ​ ​ (m. 1953; died 2015)​ Jeanne Martin ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	4
Alma mater	Davidson College Harvard Law School
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Unit	Reserves

Education and legal career

Gambrell was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 20, 1929, the son of Kathleen (Hagood) and Smythe Gambrell. He graduated from Davidson College in 1949, and received his JD, with honors, from Harvard Law School in 1952. He served in the reserves of the United States Army. After serving as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard and then as an associate and partner at the King & Spalding law firm in Atlanta, Gambrell founded Gambrell & Stolz, LLP in 1963. He served as president of the Atlanta Bar Association from 1965 to 1966, and as president of the State Bar of Georgia from 1967 to 1968. He also served in the American Bar Association House of Delegates, on the Board of Editors of the ABA Journal, and as Director of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. In 2002, he received the State Bar of Georgia's Distinguished Service Award, and the Atlanta Bar Association, in 2007, honored him with their Leadership Award.

Political career

Gambrell went on to take part in state politics, serving as chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party from 1970–1971. In 1971, upon the death of Richard Russell Jr., Governor Jimmy Carter appointed Gambrell to the United States Senate, where he served during the years 1971 and 1972. While in the U.S. Senate he served as a member of the Banking Committee, Aeronautics and Space Committee, and Senate Select Committee on Small Business. Gambrell, a moderate, was defeated in the Democratic primary runoff in 1972 by the more conservative Sam Nunn, who went on to serve in the Senate for the next twenty-four years. Gambrell sought the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1974, but fared badly, finishing behind Lester Maddox, George Busbee (the eventual winner), and Bert Lance.

Other activities

Gambrell served in a number of public, business and civic roles, including the Directorships of three publicly held corporations, the Visiting Committees of Davidson College, Harvard Law School, Emory University and the Board of Directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He also served as Chairman of the Governor's Committee on Post-Secondary Education, as chairman of the Drafting Committee for the Education Article of the Georgia Constitution, as a member on the Board of Curators of the Georgia Historical Society and as a trustee of the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia. He retired as a director of American Software, Inc. and was a trustee of the Georgia Legal History Foundation.

Personal life

Gambrell was married to Luck Flanders Gambrell. They had four children. She was a philanthropist in her hometown of Swainsboro, Georgia, having donated 190 acres (0.77 km²) of land to establish East Georgia State College in 1971; the college's library bears her name to honor this gift. Luck died on June 29, 2015. Gambrell died on May 6, 2021, after a period of declining health.

External links

• United States Congress. "David H. Gambrell (id: G000034)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.