Gerald Horton, 74, former Ga. legislator

In his 11 years in the Georgia General Assembly, from 1968 to 1979, Gerald Horton was a forceful but always good-natured advocate for legislation benefiting Atlanta.

He was a member of the “urban caucus” that included progressive political leader and fellow legislator Sidney Marcus. The group cultivated key political alliances to pass bills favorable to Atlanta in a rural-dominated Legislature.

Enlarge this image

AJC File

Gerald Horton was a member of the Georgia Legislature’s ‘urban caucus.’

After leaving the General Assembly, Mr. Horton went on to a successful career in public relations, including two years as chairman and chief executive officer of the Ogilvy & Mather public relations group in New York City. He also taught nonprofit management, corporate communications and other subjects at the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Atlanta University and other institutions.

Mr. Horton, 74, died Wednesday at his home in Jacksonville of cancer of the bile tract. A memorial service is being planned for late November in Atlanta. Arlington Park Funeral Home in Jacksonville is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Horton was born in Tupelo, Miss., in 1934. He liked to tell people that Elvis Presley was born six months later in the same hospital.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Harvard University and was a staff officer in the U.S. Navy before beginning his varied career as director of research for Atlanta Magazine. He founded and ran a social science research and management consulting firm, the Research Group, in 1966.

In 1968, Mr. Horton, a Democrat, won a Fulton County seat in the Georgia House. He helped pass a sales tax for MARTA, said Sam Massell, president of the Buckhead Coalition and mayor of Atlanta from 1970 to 1974. “Back in those days, he was our man,” Massell said.

Fellow legislator and friend Peyton Hawes said Mr. Horton was unfailingly pleasant but forceful, and cared deeply about finding ways to fix urban ills that were widespread at that time. “He was absolutely good-natured, whether you were arguing or agreeing with him,” said Mr. Hawes, an Atlanta lawyer.

Mr. Horton met annually with friends he called “Horton’s Advisers” for about 40 years, said Leon Eplan, former commissioner of planning and development for the city of Atlanta and a friend for 50 years. The group talked politics and current events, he said.

“He had this wide range of accomplishments, and he kept friends forever,” said Mr. Eplan, of Atlanta.

In 1979, Mr. Horton became a public affairs executive with Georgia Power Co. From 1985 to 1987, he was chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather. In 1987, he became executive professor of management and founder of the nonprofit management program at UGA’s Terry College of Business. He held many other academic positions.

“I think he would say teaching was his greatest accomplishment. … He got a lot of energy from being around younger people,” said his son Nehl Horton of Chicago.

Other survivors are his wife, Kathryn Birmingham of Jacksonville; daughter Elizabeth Hill of Atlanta; son Gerald Horton of Athens; and four grandchildren.