From a textile powerhouse in LaGrange and an azalea garden in Pine Mountain in Georgia to the ski slopes of Crested Butte, Colorado, and the fairways of Pebble Beach, California, to the high-end publishing houses of New York City and the high-stakes corridors of Washington, D.C.—the story of the Callaway family is more than a tale of Georgia industrialism; it is a sprawling legacy of global influence.
While the Callaway name remains deeply rooted in LaGrange, the family’s reach extends through a diverse array of world-class enterprises and public service.
The Foundation: Fuller Callaway Sr. and Jr.
At the epicenter of the Callaway dynasty was Fuller Earle Callaway Sr., who in 1900 founded Callaway Mills. A retail prodigy who at the age of eight earned (and invested and then tripled) his first nickel, Fuller Sr. transformed LaGrange into a textile powerhouse.
With a vision focused on community and through the establishment of the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation, Fuller Sr. worked for the betterment of his employees, building schools and hospitals and implementing educational programs—a service-first philosophy that became the family’s DNA.
Maintaining the Callaway tradition of civic leadership, Fuller Sr. and Ida Cason Callaway’s son, Fuller Jr., provided extensive support to LaGrange College, helped found the Institute of Textile Technology in Charlottesville, Virginia, and was instrumental in founding the Georgia Tech Research Institute. It was his wife, Alice Hand Callaway, who left Hills and Dales Estate to the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation with the request that the property, a beloved Georgia institution, be preserved for the instruction and enjoyment of the public.
Cultivating Nature and Public Service: Cason and Bo Callaway
The couple’s other son, Cason J. Callaway, shifted the family legacy from industry to ecology. Alongside his wife, Virginia, Cason founded Callaway Gardens in 1952 to protect the rare Plumleaf Azalea. However, it was Cason’s son, Howard Hollis “Bo” Callaway, who bridged the gap between the family’s business acumen and the national stage.
Bo Callaway played a pivotal role in developing Callaway Gardens into a world-renowned resort, but his ambitions stretched westward and upward. He was instrumental in the development of Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, marking the family’s footprint in the ski industry.
Bo also made history in 1964 as the first Republican congressman elected from Georgia since 1875. Additionally, he served as Secretary of the Army under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and eventually headed Ford’s 1976 presidential campaign committee.
Disrupting Industry: Callaway Golf and Wine
While Bo and Cason focused on land and leadership, another branch of the family took the name global through sheer entrepreneurial grit. Ely Callaway Jr., a nephew of Fuller Sr., proved that the family’s business savvy was highly portable. After a successful career in textiles, Ely moved to California to pursue two ventures:
- Callaway Vineyard & Winery: Founded in 1969 in Temecula, this was a pioneer in Southern California viticulture.
- Callaway Golf: In 1982, Ely transformed a small club manufacturer into a global titan. With the introduction of the “Big Bertha” driver—named after a WWI long-range gun—he revolutionized the sport through technology.
The Creative Frontier: Callaway Publishing
The legacy of innovation continued with Nicholas Callaway, Ely’s son. As the founder of Callaway Arts & Entertainment (formerly Callaway Editions) Nicholas became a titan of modern publishing. His company gained a reputation for high-production-value books and, through its Callaway Digital Arts branch, created bestselling interactive apps including Miss Spider’s Tea Party and developed partnerships with media powerhouses like Martha Stewart.
Whether through a perfectly manicured azalea trail, a historic political milestone, or a record-breaking golf club, the Callaway family has maintained a pursuit of excellence and a spirit of stewardship that began in a small Georgia mill town and continues to influence global culture.
