Who Really Brought the Olympics to Atlanta? The Story Behind the 1996 Games

When people in Atlanta ask, “Who brought the Olympics to Atlanta?”, they’re usually thinking of one name: Billy Payne.

He was the driving force behind the effort to land the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games for Atlanta. But the real story involves a much bigger cast of leaders, volunteers, and institutions across metro Atlanta and Georgia.

If you live in Atlanta, visit often, or are just curious how the Olympics ended up here instead of cities like Athens or Toronto, understanding this story gives helpful context for how the city developed into a global destination.

The Short Answer: The Key People Behind Atlanta’s Olympic Win

The person most widely credited with bringing the Olympics to Atlanta is:

• Billy Payne – an Atlanta lawyer and real estate developer who conceived the idea, organized the bid, and became president and CEO of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG).

But Payne didn’t do it alone. Other central figures included:

• Andrew Young – former Atlanta mayor, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and civil rights leader. He gave the Atlanta bid global credibility and helped persuade the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
• Mayor Maynard Jackson – mayor of Atlanta during much of the early planning. He helped rally city support and navigate local politics.
• Governor Joe Frank Harris – Georgia’s governor when the bid formed, offering state-level support.
• Sam Massell, Ivan Allen Jr., and other business/civic leaders – helped shape Atlanta’s image as an international, business-friendly city.

So while Billy Payne is the face of the Olympic bid, it was a broad Atlanta coalition that actually made the Games happen.

How the Idea Started: A Local Vision that Seemed Unrealistic

In the mid-1980s, Atlanta was already a major Southern city but still fighting for international recognition. The idea that Atlanta could host the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996 sounded almost impossible.

Key moment:

• Around 1983–1984, Billy Payne began asking:
  Why not Atlanta for the Olympics?

From there, he:

• Quietly explored what it would take to mount a bid.
• Started recruiting influential Atlantans to join the effort.
• Formed an early organizing group that would eventually become ACOG.

Many local residents, politicians, and business leaders were skeptical at first. Atlanta wasn’t a traditional “Olympic city” like Los Angeles or Tokyo. But Payne and his allies leaned into Atlanta’s strengths:

• World’s busiest airport (Hartsfield, now Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport).
• Growing hotel and convention capacity.
• A reputation for business growth and civil rights leadership.
• A central location in the Southeastern United States.

The Role of Andrew Young: Global Credibility for Atlanta

If Billy Payne was the visionary organizer, Andrew Young was the global ambassador who helped convince the IOC.

Young brought:

• International stature as a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
• Deep civil rights credibility, which supported the message that Atlanta was a city of progress and inclusion.
• Strong speaking and diplomacy skills that resonated with Olympic decision-makers.

When Atlanta’s bid team traveled abroad to meet IOC members, Young’s presence signaled that:

• Atlanta was serious.
• Atlanta could represent both the New South and global diversity.
• The city tied its story to themes of peace, human rights, and progress that appealed strongly to Olympic values.

For many Atlantans today, if you ask who helped bring the Olympics here, Andrew Young is almost always mentioned alongside Billy Payne.

The Official Bid: Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG)

To turn an ambitious idea into a real candidacy, Atlanta formed the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG).

ACOG’s leadership included:

• Billy Payne – President and CEO
• Andrew Young – Co-chairman of the bid
• Support from local business, civic, and political leaders

ACOG’s responsibilities covered:

• Preparing the formal bid documents submitted to the IOC.
• Laying out venues, transportation plans, and housing (athletes’ village, media facilities, etc.).
• Showcasing Atlanta’s infrastructure and readiness.
• Coordinating with city and state governments, including the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia.

Although ACOG later became the organizing body for the actual Games, it originally existed to answer one question convincingly:

Why Atlanta Won: What Convinced the IOC

On September 18, 1990, the International Olympic Committee announced that Atlanta had been selected to host the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, beating cities like Athens, Toronto, and Melbourne.

From an Atlanta-focused perspective, several factors mattered:

1. Atlanta’s Image as the “Capital of the New South”

Atlanta marketed itself as:

• A modern, fast-growing metropolis.
• A city with a strong civil rights legacy (thanks in part to leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson).
• A place that symbolized reinvention, diversity, and opportunity.

This story helped Atlanta stand out from more traditional European bid cities.

2. Strong Business and Infrastructure Support

The IOC saw that:

• Atlanta had a major international airport with global connections.
• Corporate partners in the region (including many Fortune 500 companies) were prepared to sponsor and support the Games.
• The city could expand or upgrade venues, transit, and housing in a relatively compressed timeline.

3. Persistent, Hands-On Lobbying

Members of Atlanta’s bid team spent years:

• Meeting with IOC members around the world.
• Building relationships and explaining Atlanta’s plans.
• Demonstrating that local government, state officials, and business leaders were aligned.

Billy Payne and Andrew Young were central to this outreach. Many IOC members later recalled their role as pivotal in tipping the decision toward Atlanta.

Major Local Institutions That Helped Bring the Olympics

If you want to understand how the Olympics came to Atlanta, it helps to know which Atlanta-based organizations were heavily involved in planning, support, or legacy projects.

Below is a simplified overview:

For Atlanta residents, a visible legacy of this collaboration is Centennial Olympic Park in downtown, which remains a central public gathering space.

What This Meant for Atlanta Residents and Visitors

For people living in Atlanta or visiting today, the story of who brought the Olympics here shows up in everyday places:

• Centennial Olympic Park – Built as a centerpiece of the Games; now a public park surrounded by attractions like the Georgia World Congress Center and area museums.
• Georgia Tech campus – Expanded housing and athletic facilities to serve as an Olympic Village, leaving long-term benefits for students.
• Downtown and Midtown development – The push to prepare for 1996 accelerated building, road improvements, and hospitality growth.

If you walk around downtown Atlanta, especially near Centennial Olympic Park Drive, you’re literally moving through the physical legacy of the people who brought the Games here.

Common Atlanta Questions About “Who Brought the Olympics Here?”

Was it just Billy Payne?

No. Billy Payne was the initiator and central organizer, but he worked with:

• Andrew Young, who provided international stature.
• Mayor Maynard Jackson and later Mayor Bill Campbell, who supported the city’s role.
• State and regional leaders, including Governor Joe Frank Harris and local county officials.
• Hundreds of staff, volunteers, and civic organizations.

Still, if someone in Atlanta casually asks, “Who brought the Olympics to Atlanta?”, it’s accurate and common to answer:

Did the federal government bring the Olympics to Atlanta?

The federal government helped with issues like security and support services, but the bid and main organizing effort were local:

• Initiated by Atlanta civic leaders.
• Backed by city and state political leadership.
• Operated through ACOG, a local organizing body.

Did Atlanta win mainly because of money?

Funding and sponsorship potential helped, but money alone didn’t secure the Games. The decision reflected:

• Atlanta’s strategic positioning as a global transportation and business hub.
• The city’s civil rights and “New South” narrative.
• The persistence and personal diplomacy of Billy Payne, Andrew Young, and other bid leaders.

How to Explore Atlanta’s Olympic Legacy Today

If you’re in Atlanta and want to connect the story of who brought the Olympics here to places you can actually see:

• Centennial Olympic Park
  – Located in downtown Atlanta
  – Built specifically for the 1996 Games
  – Features Olympic rings, memorials, and frequent public events

• Georgia Tech Campus (Midtown Atlanta)
  – Hosted the Olympic Village
  – Many dorms and facilities used today were developed or upgraded for the Games

• Surrounding Downtown Sports & Event Facilities
  – While some original venues have changed or been replaced over time, the cluster of sports and entertainment spaces near downtown was heavily shaped by 1996 planning.

These sites are all part of the story that began when a local lawyer had the audacity to ask whether Atlanta could host the world—and then convinced the right people to believe it.

In everyday Atlanta terms, if you need a simple, accurate answer:

• Billy Payne led the effort and is most credited with bringing the Olympics to Atlanta.
• He was strongly supported by Andrew Young and a wide network of Atlanta civic, business, and political leaders who turned the idea into the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games the city still feels today.