Howard Hollis “Bo” Callaway, Sr., died Saturday, March 15, 2014, in Columbus, Ga. Callaway, age 86, was Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation in Pine Mountain. He was the son of the late Cason and Virginia Callaway, co-founders of Callaway Gardens.Callaway was born April 2, 1927, in LaGrange, Ga. He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria. From 1944 to 1945, he attended Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta leaving there to become a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point earning letters in boxing, tennis, and squash. He graduated in 1949 with a degree in Military Engineering.During his military career, Callaway served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was a platoon leader in Korea, an instructor in tactics at Fort Benning, Ga., and was the recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, three Campaign ribbons, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. Callaway ended his military service in 1953 to return to his home
in Hamilton, Ga., and help his father develop and manage Callaway Gardens, a nationally recognized 6,500 acre garden and resort in Pine Mountain. He also served as Chairman, President and/or CEO from 1953 until 1964, 1966 until 1970 and again from September 1993 until November 2003. He has been a member of the ICCF Board since 1958.In 1964, Callaway was elected to the U.S. Congress by the 3rd Congressional District of Georgia. He took a leave of absence from the Gardens to serve in Washington, DC, as the first Republican congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction.From 1970 to 1973, Callaway served as president and/or chairman and chief executive officer of Interfinancial, Inc., in Atlanta.In 1973, he was appointed Secretary of the Army. He was awarded the medal of distinguished Public Service by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1975. Callaway managed Gerald Ford’s 1976 presidential election campaign.From 1970 until 2003, he was the principal owner and CEO of Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. In 1980, he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate from Colorado and from 1981 until 1987 he was chairman of the Colorado Republican Party.In September 1993, he returned to Callaway Gardens as president and chief executive officer as well as chairman of the board. In January 1995, he stepped down as president but continued to serve as chairman until 2003, when his son Edward was named to that position.Callaway was a member of numerous organizations including the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, National 4-H Committee, Republican National Committee and Phi Kappa Phi.Callaway is survived by five children, Howard H. “Bo” Callaway, Jr. of Bristol, Va.; Elizabeth “Betsy” Callaway Considine of Denver, Colo.; Virginia Callaway Martin of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Edward Cason Callaway of Hamilton, Ga.; and Ralph Walton Callaway of Columbus, Ga.; 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren and three on the way. He was predeceased by his wife Laura Elizabeth “Beth” Walton Callaway and brother Cason J. Callaway, Jr., of Hamilton, Ga. Callaway also had a sister, the late Mrs. Clifford (Jinks) Petersen of Beverly Hills, Ca.In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial contributions be made to the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, c/o Callaway Gardens, P.O. Box 2000, Pine Mountain, Ga. 31822.Arrangements are by Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 4071 Macon Rd., Columbus, Ga. 31907, 706-563-2372, www.striffler-hamby.com.