Anne Cox Chambers - Career

Career

In 1974, upon the death of their brother, James M. Cox (known as "Jim Jr."), Chambers and Anthony gained a controlling interest in the family company. That same year Chambers became chairwoman of Atlanta Newspapers. Anthony became chairwoman of Dayton Newspapers, while her husband, Garner Anthony, became the administrative head of Cox Enterprises. In 1988 Anthony's son James Cox Kennedy replaced his father as chairman and chief executive officer. Chambers remains a close advisor concerning the daily operation of the company.

Active in business and politics, Chambers was appointed ambassador to Belgium by U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a post she held from 1977 to 1981. She was a director of the board of the Coca-Cola Company during the 1980s, and she was the first woman in Atlanta to serve as a bank director (Fulton National Bank). She was also the first woman in Atlanta appointed to the board of the city's chamber of commerce.

Anne Cox Chambers holds the Chair of Atlanta Newspapers and serves as a Director of Cox Enterprises, one of the largest diversified media companies in the United States. It owns one of the nation's largest cable television businesses, Cox Communications, which provides Internet and telephone; publishes newspapers including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Palm Beach Post; owns and operates broadcast television and radio stations; and owns Manheim, an automobile auction firm. It also owns stakes in a variety of internet businesses, including Autotrader, the largest retail automotive shopping site in the world. The Ambassador's nephew James Kennedy is CEO of Cox Enterprises.

In 2004 Cox Enterprises announced a debt financed $7.9 billion privatization bid for the 38% of the cable television business Cox Communications that it does not already own. With approximately 6.3 million cable subscribers Cox also provides high-speed Internet service to more than 2 million homes and telephone service to 1.1 million homes.