Ernest W. Barrett

Ernest W. Barrett (April 29, 1922 – March 11, 1985) was the chairman of the county commission in Cobb County, Georgia from 1965 to 1984. Barrett was also a former trustee of Kennesaw State University.

One of Cobb’s greatest political leaders, Ernest Barrett, was chair of the county commission for five consecutive terms from 1965 to 1984 and played a central role in making Cobb one of the nation’s most desirable places to live. His administration illustrates the positive impact a county government can have in facilitating social change. Indeed, Cobb’s phenomenal growth in those years stemmed directly from Barrett’s ability to gain support for roads, parks, libraries, schools, water lines and sewers — essential ingredients in generating a high quality of life.

A Cobb County native, Ernest Barrett was born April 29, 1922, on his grandfather’s farm on Chastain Road. At age 20, he married Jackie Knight of Marietta. After serving in the army in World War II, Barrett used the G.I. Bill to learn the laundry business. After opening Fair Oaks Cleaner and Laundry, he joined the Junior Chamber of Commerce, from which emerged the “Young Turks,” a group of rising community activists whose support was crucial to his 1964 election as chair.

Upon taking office, Barrett persuaded the public to approve a $14.9 million bond referendum — a huge amount for the time. The bonds provided funds for five badly needed projects: road and bridge improvements, public parks, a library system, an expanded courthouse complex and a new juvenile home. The bulk of the money ($9.4 million) was for roads. At the time the county still had about 600 miles of dirt roads and at least three thoroughfares that even lacked bridges over creeks. Following the successful bond referendum, Barrett began a 20-year effort to make improvements.

On the eve of the 1965 bond referendum, the Marietta Daily Journal described Cobb as the largest county in the state without a parks system. After the referendum, the county began acquiring land and building parks. On July 11, 1970, Shaw Park off Canton Highway became the first of the new recreation areas to open. Public parks had historically existed in cities, not unincorporated rural areas. But the suburbanization of America had created a need for county recreational facilities. Cobb’s assumption of this responsibility made it a leader in the state and nation.

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