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HAY LORE Parks Lee Hay, a legacy of leadership An ongoing series about Hay House lore, traditions and history I N 1977, the Hay Family Foundation gave ownership of the Johnston-Felton-Hay House to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. One of the few conditions for the gift was that the house would always be known as Hay House in honor of its longtime owners Parks Lee Hay and Maude Saxon Hay. e Trust has honored the wishes of the family and the house is now known as Hay House. Despite its name, the building is widely identified as the home of William Butler Johnston and his wife Anne Tracy Johnston, for whom the house was built and completed in 1859. e house's architectural design and the social history of the Johnston-Felton families should not overshadow the legacy and civic leadership of the Hays. Parks Lee Hay bought the house from the Felton estate in 1926. At the time of the purchase, Hay was already a pioneer of American business. He and his wife also were socially active and civically engaged. Parks Lee Hay was born in Paulding County in 1873. He moved to Macon as a young man in 1897. Here he conceived the idea of an insurance company designed to protect the average working man by providing affordable life and health insurance packages with weekly premium payments. In 1904, he founded Bankers Health and Life Insurance Company and remained its president and chairman of the board for the next 50 years. He was of the firm belief that for any company to be a good business, it must also benefit its community. In 1940, he and his company erected the Bankers Health and Life Building at Cherry and First streets in downtown Macon. At its completion, the structure was considered one of the most modern in the Southeast with central air-conditioning and self- service elevators. Like a monument, the building still stands, always a reminder of Hay, his contributions to the community and the economic growth of Macon. Today the building is being renovated and is slated to house a luxury hotel. In addition to his business career, Hay made time for civic activities. He had a deep appreciation for people and gave generously to local organizations including the Red Cross, the Community Chest and to numerous Southern colleges, both black and white. He was a member and president of the Macon Kiwanis Club. He was a Mason and a Shriner. In addition, he served as an alderman of the City of Macon for several terms and was instrumental in starting the first street paving program. He was on the commission that built Macon's first stadium and was on the Board of Directors of the Macon Opera when it was formed in 1927. Most central to his life was his faith. Hay was devout member of the Church of Christ, Scientist. After his first wife, Elizabeth, died in 1918, through his church, he met his second wife, Maude Saxon Murphy, and remarried the following year. As stated by their longtime butler and chauffeur Chester Davis, "After they had breakfast in the morning they did not start their daily activities until they read the Bible and they never did get in too big a hurry to read the Bible." Maude also was socially and civically engaged. She joined local, state and national organizations including the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was also a member of various flower and garden clubs. Most importantly, she and Parks Lee loved to entertain and were known for hosting elaborate parties for their friends and family. ey loved Christmas, frequently erecting a 12-foot tree and throwing annual Christmas parties for their family and for the staff of Bankers Health and Life. e Hays loved the people of their community and had special appreciation for those who helped them achieve their prosperity. ey also loved their big house on Georgia Avenue, and made every effort to share its beauty with friends, family and acquaintances. e generous gift of the house by their family embodies the act of giving, which was such a prevalent part of their lives. Today, we carry on their legacy of hospitality by sharing the house with our community.— WILLIAM AULTMAN, DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIONS AND PROGRAMS FOR THE HAY HOUSE MUSEUM 24 maconmagazine.com | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021