Representative Druie Douglas Barnard

Druie Douglas Barnard Jr. (March 20, 1922 – January 11, 2018) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia who served eight consecutive terms in Congress from 1977 to 1993. Over the course of his legislative career, he represented the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history, participating actively in the democratic process and contributing to the development of federal policy.

Barnard was born in Augusta, Georgia, and was educated in the Richmond County public schools. He graduated from the Academy of Richmond County in Augusta in 1939. He then attended Augusta College from 1939 to 1940 before transferring to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. At Mercer he became a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and completed his undergraduate studies, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1943.

Immediately after college, Barnard entered military service during World War II. He served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945, attaining the rank of technician two. Assigned to the 57th Finance Disbursing Unit, he was stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later served in the European theater of operations in England, France, and Belgium. Following his wartime service, he returned to Georgia and pursued legal studies, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in 1948.

After completing his legal education, Barnard embarked on a long career in banking and public service. From 1948 to 1962 he worked in the banking profession, primarily with the Georgia Railroad Bank, a prominent local financial institution in Augusta. His experience in finance and administration led him into state government. In 1962 he served as a delegate to the Georgia State Democratic convention, and in 1963 he became executive secretary to Georgia Governor Carl Sanders, a position he held until 1966. He was also a delegate to the 1964 Democratic National Convention. From 1966 to 1976 Barnard served as a member of the board of the Georgia State Department of Transportation, helping to oversee transportation policy and infrastructure development in the state.

Barnard was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives and took office on January 3, 1977. He served eight terms, remaining in Congress until January 3, 1993. His tenure in the House coincided with major national developments, including the later years of the Cold War, shifts in economic policy, and evolving debates over civil rights, transportation, and environmental protection. As a member of the House of Representatives, Druie Douglas Barnard participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Georgia constituents, drawing on his background in banking, law, and state government. On March 22, 1980, while serving in Congress, he addressed a crowd estimated at between 200 and 300 people at the unveiling of the Georgia Guidestones monument in Elberton, Georgia, explaining that the monument was intended to guide future generations and urging Americans to work to preserve the environment ecologically.

In his later years, Barnard remained closely connected to his community in Augusta. He was an active member of First Baptist Church in Augusta and was widely known by the familiar name Doug Barnard. He was married to Naomi Holt “Nopi” Barnard, a poet, and the couple had two daughters and one son, as well as seven grandchildren. In recognition of his public service, Georgia State Route 56 Spur in Augusta was named in his honor as the Doug Barnard Parkway. Druie Douglas Barnard Jr. died on January 11, 2018, in Augusta, Georgia, leaving a legacy of military service, professional accomplishment in banking and law, and more than a decade and a half of service in the United States Congress.