Broadwell, William Eugene, 2005 March 24

This is a Living History interview with William Eugene “Gene” Broadwell, class of 1943, conducted by Marilyn Somers on March 24, 2005 at his home in Brunswick, Georgia. The subject is the interviewee’s life, and experiences at Georgia Tech.

Mr. Gene Broadwell was born on March 10, 1921 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was from Roswell, Georgia and his mother was from Sandy Springs, Georgia. Mr. Broadwell attended Forest Avenue School for his early elementary school years, but graduated from R.L. Hope Elementary. He attended North Fulton High School. Mr. Broadwell’s sister passed away when she was nineteen years old. His father worked in the Hurt Building for Courts and Company. Mr. Broadwell visited the office often and sold Liberty Magazines outside. Mr. Broadwell played football for North Fulton for three years. He was in the ROTC program during high school and was the Cadet Colonel for Fulton County. Mr. Broadwell was offered an athletic scholarship to attend Tech. He played football for one year. He tutored in Biology and Corporate Law. Mr. Broadwell pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon his first year. He earned money by working for LG Balfour, George Muse Suits, and by booking fraternity and sorority dances at the Georgian Terrace. Mr. Broadwell was tutored in math his first year at Tech. In order to graduate on time, he had to take twenty-six hours of classes his last semester; Dean Skiles was not very happy with him for taking this amount. He took Foundry with Professor Billy Van Houten. Mr. Broadwell was head of the military unit at Tech and was a member of the Navy ROTC. He also worked for the YMCA and went to the Exhibition Cotton Mills to teach children how to build model airplanes. Mr. Broadwell would go to the Biltmore Hotel to meet girls and this is where he met his wife, Evelyn. Mr. Broadwell graduated in 1943, which was also the first year that George P. Burdell graduated. The day after he graduated, Mr. Broadwell and Evelyn were married. The Monday after graduation, they went to Miami because he had to report to duty. In January of 1944, Mr. Broadwell was transferred to California to work on a ship. He was the First Lieutenant and Communications Officer. The ship went to Pearl Harbor with the objective to take over the Mariana Islands. The invasion started in Saipan and his ship was the only one that survived in Saipan. After Saipan, Mr. Broadwell’s ship was called to Tinian to perform “Black Opps.” They took Tinian without an invasion. Mr. Broadwell was allowed to go home after his daughter passed away. He traveled to Rutherford, New Jersey to be with his wife. Throughout his time on the water, he was seasick. Mr. Broadwell was granted medical discharge, but did not take it. He entered the Navy again and was transferred to Agana where he was the Morale Officer. By 1950, Mr. Broadwell left the Navy on honorable discharge. Mr. Broadwell and Evelyn moved to Albany, Georgia where they started Frosty Freezer Company. His twins, Teddy and Betty, were born in Albany. Mr. Broadwell sold Frosty Freezer and went into the restaurant supply business; he owned Albany Restaurant and Supply Company and Macon Restaurant and Supply Company. He also invented the Diet Liner, which was a hospital feeding truck. Mr. Broadwell entered the airplane business after many of his clients were interested in buying the airplane he used for his restaurant supply companies. He started Gene Broadwell Aircraft Inc., which operated out of St. Simons, Georgia. Mr. Broadwell still worked in the hotel business and expanded to designing hotels, eventually designing one in New York. Mr. Broadwell owned his own Cessna Aircraft dealership in St. Simons, but sold it to Walston Aviation Inc. He moved to Ohio to work for AAR. After working in Ohio for a year, Mr. Broadwell moved to Ft. Lauderdale to work with his friends for International Aircraft, but that never got off the ground. Mr. Broadwell then moved to Alton, Illinois to work for Thomason Aviation for a year. They moved back to St. Simons and Mr. Broadwell started a Mercedes dealership. Mr. Broadwell started the SWG Georgia Tech Clubs in Albany and St. Simons. He served on the GT/UGA Foundation for Professors’ Salaries. Mr. Broadwell had seven children, five of whom are living. His wife, Evelyn passed away a year ago. He now works at the CVS in Brunswick five hours a day. Mr. Broadwell’s theory is that the Lord has something he wanted him to do that he does not have to ever give up.