'Bo' Callaway, Who Made GOP History in Georgia, Dies at 86

Former Rep. Howard 'Bo' Callaway — who in 1964 became the first Republican congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction — has died at age 86, The State newspaper reports.

Callaway, a businessman, also ran for governor of Georgia in 1966, but lost to Lester Maddox. His campaign slogan was "Go Bo!"

He was later appointed Secretary of the Army by President Richard Nixon in 1973 and remained in the position through the presidency of Gerald Ford.

In 1976, Callaway moved to Colorado and was tapped as chairman of the Colorado Republican Party. He was also chairman of GOPAC, a Republican political action committee.

Callaway was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. After a stint in the Army, Callaway helped his father develop and run the Callaway Gardens resort complex in Pine Mountain, Ga.

Raised as a Democrat, Callaway switched to the GOP when he ran for Congress as a "Goldwater Republican."

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