Charles Loudermilk Says Dreams Realized

R. Charles Loudermilk Sr., who's sat at the table with many of the legends who built modern Atlanta, keeps his eye on the future.

“I love the city and will continue to work to build the city anyway I can,” said Loudermilk, seated in his office on the top floor of the Aaron’s building in Buckhead.

During an interview, the 84-year-old founder of Buckhead-based Aaron’s Inc. and noted philanthropist and civic leader displays an in-depth, personal knowledge of Atlanta’s history and famed personalities. He also shows a strong grasp of today’s business climate and economic situation and a keen interest in the Buckhead scene.

He remembers his encounters with such great Atlanta figures as former Mayor William B. Hartsfield, visionary banker Mills B. Lane, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., architect John Portman and former Mayor, U.N. Ambassador and Congressman Andrew Young.

“This is a great city,” he says. “We’ve had some great leaders in this town over the years. No other city in the last 50 years has had the same world leaders that we’ve had.”

As the man widely known as “Charlie” speaks, it’s clear that he too is among that special group of men who built Atlanta into a major international city, moving beyond the Southern racial prejudice and insular, small-town politics that held back other towns like Birmingham, Ala.

His significant role in shaping Atlanta’s emergence will be recognized Oct. 6, from the Council for Quality Growth. Loudermilk will join a distinguished list of recipients, including U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, developer John A. Williams, developer Tom Cousins, former Mayor Shirley Franklin, and Home Depot co-founder and Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who received the honor last year.

The tribute, to be presented at a dinner in the Georgia Ballroom of the World Congress Center, will highlight the Four Pillars of leadership and success: quality, responsibility, vision and integrity. Speakers will include former Braves General Manager John Schuerholz, on quality; famed businessman Herman J. Russell, on responsibility; Portman, a lifelong friend of Loudermilk, on vision, and Young, on integrity.

With all of the world-renowned leaders and visionary politicians with whom Loudermilk has crossed paths, the main inspiration in his life remains his mother, Addie Loudermilk. She inspired the Four Pillar theme on which Loudermilk will speak, “Work Hard, Dream Big.”

“That’s been my life from the beginning,” Loudermilk said. “My mother told me I could be anything I wanted to be if I worked hard and paid the price and kept out of trouble.”

Chuckling at the memory of three daughters who lived next door and laughed at him for saying at age 5, 6 or 7 that he wanted to be president, Loudermilk said that he always “dreamed big” despite growing up in poor surroundings in Atlanta during the Depression.

“I’ve always had that feeling that I was going to be a millionaire. Back then, a million dollars was a big, big goal. I kept telling everybody that I was going to be a millionaire, and with that I was going to own a company. And those were the things that I dreamed about then. Fortunately, all of them have come true.”

In fulfilling his ambitions, Loudermilk says, “I’m a very, very fortunate person. I have relatively good health. I have a phenomenal family, great friends; many close friends. My company is doing well. I’m living a dream. I can look back, and there were so many factors that helped me to this. No. 1 is my mother. The city of Atlanta has given me the opportunities.”

While he credits Mayor Hartsfield with the vision of making Atlanta a world-class city, he speaks with special admiration for Young, citing his leadership in such projects as the construction of Ga. 400 through Buckhead. Loudermilk says that Young realized that extending the road would allow city of Atlanta residents to find jobs in the northern suburbs as well as giving those north of Atlanta better access to the city.

Loudermilk takes special relish in relating Young’s role in obtaining the 1996 Olympics for Atlanta. Young, he points out, was instrumental in obtaining the vote of the third-world representative on the Olympics organization that awarded the Games to the city.

Most mayors, Loudermilk believes, would have said no to Olympics organizer Billy Payne’s ambitions to bring the Olympics to the American South. But although Atlanta was then about the size of Charlotte, N.C., and fell short on the resources needed to put on the world athletics competition, Young supported Payne’s dream.

Loudermilk recalled that Young asked Payne to call him to gauge the business community’s support, and that 10 business leaders met at the Cherokee Club with Payne and decided to support his Olympics effort. After hearing Payne, Loudermilk said, “if Andy’s for it, I’m for it.”

About Young’s support of the Olympics, he says, “Andy Young could have said, look, the town’s too small, we don’t have the infrastructure, and we shouldn’t do it, but he didn’t. That’s another example of how you build a city. It’s optimism; you have to think big."

He’s keenly aware of what’s happening in Buckhead. While he says that it’s “a tragedy” that Buckhead developer Ben Carter couldn’t realize the Streets of Buckhead — “He had too big a vision”  — Loudermilk expressed satisfaction that OliverMcMillan will begin work next year on its Buckhead Atlanta development. He said he’s noticed crane preparation work by the San Diego developer.

“It looks like they’re going to start back soon. That’s very good,” he said. “ I developed a theater (the . We’re doing all right, but we’re looking forward to when the streets are full of people walking and shopping and going to entertainment venues like ours. It’s just a matter of two or three years until when we get Buckhead back really, really expanding.”

Loudermilk speaks with pride about Atlanta and its community unity. He cites Atlanta’s concentration of black colleges, which makes it the world leader in higher education for blacks.

“We’ve crossed this racial issue much better than any other city,” he says. “As far as I can see, we are the most integrated city maybe in the world. We have a more open business community than any other city.”

Now the city that Loudermilk’s loved and nourished throughout his life will honor him with the distinguished Four Pillar award.

“It’s quite an honor,” Loudermillk said. “Looking at the other recipients, I’m happy to be part of that. When you’re honored by your hometown, it’s a little bit more special.”

Just like his mother told him.