predecessor successor death_date birth_place death_place party office birth_date order term_start spouse article_title term_end name alma_mater
john bryan wilson david poythress 19 may 1979 wilkes county , georgia atlanta , georgia democratic party secretary of state of georgia 19 december 1904 21st 1946 mary cade benjamin w. fortson , jr. .
 1979 benjamin wynn fortson jr. . emory university
benjamin w. fortson , jr. .

benjamin wynn fortson jr. was a secretary of state of georgia .
after being selected by ellis arnall , the governor in 1946 , fortson kept his title as secretary until 1979 , making him the longest running secretary in georgia history .
