Hightower, Neil Hamilton, 2004 January 30

This is a Living History interview with Neil Hightower, class of 1963, conducted by Marilyn Somers on January 30, 2004 at his home in Thomaston, Georgia. The subject is the interviewee’s life, and experiences at Georgia Tech. Mr. Hightower was born on December 31, 1951 in Atlanta, Georgia. He and his older brother attended Robert E. Lee Elementary and later, Robert E. Lee Institute in Thomaston, Georgia, for his schooling. His father was an Emory alum and his mother was an Agnes Scott alum. Both of his parents were involved in the textile business. The Hightower family name can be traced back to over 100 years ago in Thomaston. They were responsible for opening the first textile mill in the town. Mr. Hightower remembers working in the mill as a teenager; it was there that he first became interested in the textile business. Many members of the Hightower family graduated from Georgia Tech, including his grandfather, cousins, and other relatives. Both Mr. Hightower and his brother attended Georgia Tech. He originally entered Tech as a Mechanical Engineering major, but soon switched to Textile Engineering. He pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and lived in Towers Dormitory his freshman year. He was fond of his professors, especially Vernon Crawford and Dr. Taylor. He was a part of ROTC for all four years at Tech. Mr. Hightower is grateful for all the study and life skills that he learned during his time at Tech. He served two years in the military after graduating from Tech; he was a part of the 1st Air Cavalry Division and served as a platoon leader. As soon as he finished up in the military, he returned to Thomaston to work at the family mill, Thomaston Mills. He has worked there since that time and has served as President for the company. He has also served on many committees in his community, including the Upson County School Board. Mr. Hightower has three children. He met his wife Kay in Atlanta; the two moved to Thomaston together after his stint in the military. He is proud of his family roots in Thomaston and the proud heritage of textiles in his family.