The number two leader at the Atlanta Committee for Olympic Games, A.D. Frazier, died Monday morning at his home in Mineral Bluff in north Georgia, a family friend has confirmed.
Frazier, 80, had been ill for several years.
Atlanta’s Olympic Games in 1996 were a financial success — a $1.7 billion initiative that essentially broke even — a feat often credited to Frazier, who had started his career as a lawyer working for C&S Bank in Atlanta.
His life was filled with amazing experiences. He managed the 1977 inauguration of President Jimmy Carter, and he went on to head the team that organized Carter’s White House and Executive Office.
After the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Frazier became president and CEO of Invesco before becoming chairman and CEO of the Chicago Stock Exchange.
Frazier later returned to Georgia, where he became owner and chairman of WolfCreek Broadcasting, a radio broadcasting company in North Georgia.
But Frazier was probably best known for being an outspoken leader who kept telling people in Atlanta to strive for excellence.
In 2002, while he was in Chicago, Frazier addressed a delegation of nearly 100 Atlanta leaders on the annual LINK trip, with strong words about how the city could aspire to be world-class — especially under the leadership of then newly-elected Mayor Shirley Franklin.
“In Chicago, city of, we want our mayor to be powerful. In Atlanta, city of, you don’t want your mayor to be powerful,” Frazier said of then-Mayor Richard Daley. “You have manifested that through 50 years by building a ringed fence around Atlanta’s problems. You haven’t seen a decent mayor in so long; you don’t know what one is.”
He mentioned that the head of the Metro Atlanta Chamber had not had a substantive conversation with Mayor Bill Campbell during his whole administration.
“You have lived with this for so long, you don’t realize how bad it is and how good it can be,” Frazier said.
But Frazier strongly fought for high ideals. He used his platform during the LINK trip to urge the city to coalesce behind Franklin, who he had worked closely with at ACOG during the Olympics.
“She can do it. You can help her,” Frazier said. “Nobody is demanding competence. Nobody is demanding excellence. The issue is whether you are willing to invest in your elected official in the core city. She will fight this war with one hand behind her back. You’ve got to give her the power. Don’t spend half the legislative session trying to make sure Atlanta doesn’t get anything more. Use more of your power to start things instead of trying to stop things.”
A poignant afternoon I spent with A.D. Frazier was during the last game that the Atlanta Braves played at Turner Field, which had served as the Olympic Stadium during the 1996 Games. The Braves were moving to Cobb County, which was a bittersweet moment.
Frazier continued to be outspoken until the end. In 2021, he penned a column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Atlanta hosting the Olympics.
“It’s been a generation, and many of us were not even alive or were too young to remember when Atlanta hosted “the largest peacetime event in history,” as Games organizer Billy Payne put it,” Frazier wrote. “Well, friends, it was indeed a great time in Atlanta’s history. We were center stage for the world. We were fearless, brave, visionary, unified and committed to an idea “rooted in goodness.” We were demonstrating to the world the greatness of our Southern hospitality. We put aside those things that divided us and focused — if just for a moment — on those things that made us one. Together.”
This post will be updated when we receive the official obituary from the family.
A.D. and Claire were darling friends in Mineral Bluff, GA. He did so much for the musicians of north Georgia. He sponsored the event I created in McCaysville (still going strong), “Pickin’ In The Park,” — a substantial weekly parkwide jam session for talented acoustic musicians and picnickers in the area. A.D. even played upright bass in my band on occasion. Both Claire and A.D. – such giving people, loved whatever community in which they lived, and put on one heck of a fireworks show every July 4th at their place on Wolf Creek. Simple, special times – and not many people knew that he had such a legacy-making professional life outside of owning a small-bandwidth radio station in McCaysville.
AD was a great friend & person, I had the privilege to be one of his executive security officers to drive him during the Olympics, Prayers go out to Claire, Jean & the kids
AD was my boss at First Chicago. I often said he was the best boss I ever had. Why? Sincerity and Empathy. He could sense your mood, whether you had something troubling you. Then he would spend time to pick you up. He always brought a smile to your face. I remember one time, while driving to work I called him as I was have concerns about a difficult situation the bank was facing. He asked me to pull over. He then said, “are you listening, are your antennae up?” Then he proceeded to make me feel like I was the best thing since slice bread. He changed my day. I texted him during the Democratic convention and told him I was thinking of him. I hadn’t communicated with him in years. He responded in his inimitable style, “Hi Ho! How are you doing? Are you retired yet? Thanks for thinking of me.” He affected my life and made me a better person, a better leader. He has been in my thoughts over the years and his memory is and shall always be a blessing. May he rest in peace.
AD was a longtime friend. He was a good man that did much good for Atlanta and others. I will miss him.