FAMILY

May Patterson Goodrum wore a cloak of many colors: sales clerk and buyer at Jacob’s Pharmacy, wife and widow of prominent Atlanta businessman James Jefferson Goodrum, socialite at the center of Buckhead society for twenty years, and most significantly, a philanthropist. While her southern charm won over peers with far more reaching social connections than herself, May’s formative years tell a story of financial hardship, personal loss, and forced self-reliance. With her marriage to Jim Goodrum, it appeared her struggles were of the past. Sadly, he passed away two years after their wedding. While he left her a substantial marital trust, it left her once again alone to navigate the currents of her life. Explore May’s life in Atlanta as a young girl growing up in Castleberry Hill, the mistress of Goodrum House, and a Red Cross volunteer in Atlanta during World War II.