Catching up with Jim Rittenhouse

With 100 years under his belt, Jim Rittenhouse is a living legend, being among only a small number of centenarians and a handful of WWII veterans still alive today.

Jim joined Georgia Power in 1949 as a student engineer, joining the transmission line crew in Rome, Ga. He later moved to Macon, where he held several positions, including Lighting engineer and Residential Sales supervisor. In 1962, he moved to Atlanta for the same role in Residential Sales and was eventually promoted to Division Manager for the whole Atlanta region, which included Sales and Operations. Later, when Atlanta broke into two different divisions - East Metro and West Metro – he became VP of the East Metro division where he retired in 1988 after 38 years of service.

It was his service during World War II, however, that makes him stand out among Georgia Power retirees and his contemporaries. After enlisting in the Army to support America’s troops in the war at only 18, he attended basic training in Little Rock, Ark. The Army sent him to Germany in 1944 where he served on the front lines as a Branded Automatic Rifle (BAR) man in the 26th Infantry Division, which was sent as reinforcements for soldiers lost in the Battle of the Bulge.

After bravely fighting on the front lines in France and Germany, Jim was wounded in the leg by friendly fire in April 1944 in an occupied home in Germany, close to the Austrian border. While recovering at a French hospital, he received a Purple Heart for his service. After his recovery, he returned to his division in Czechoslovakia where he served during the occupation helping repair military vehicles to transport German prisoners of war back to Germany. He returned home around Christmas in 1945.

He served an additional four months at Ft. Campbell, Ky., and married his sweetheart, Jean, in April 1946 on a weekend pass before being officially discharged in August 1946. He received a degree in industrial engineering from the University of Alabama through the GI bill in 1950 shortly after he began working for Georgia Power. In April 2026, Jim and Jean celebrated 80 years of marriage, making them one of the longest documented marriages in Georgia history. The local newspaper recently featured their love story in a recent column.

We caught up with Jim recently at his home in Hiawassee, Ga. and are featuring him in recognition of Military Appreciation Month this May.

Although he lost many fellow soldiers and friends, Jim says he would do it all over again. “I am a proud veteran. I love this great country and am proud to have served, and I support veterans in any way that I can and appreciate their service.”

Jim and Jean with former Georgia Power colleague Gene Hodges.

What are you up to now?

It’s been a while since I retired in 1988, but I spent a good bit of the first years of retirement traveling. We bought a motor home and visited all 50 states. We moved to Lake Burton and had a place in Florida as well that we enjoyed visiting. I’m blessed to have five kids, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren who are spread out between Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

We belong to a local Methodist church. And over the years, I’ve served as president for Georgia Power’s Ambassadors Northeast chapter, and supported Veterans FW and the American Legion. I’m also a member of a small, local veterans group that meets monthly and am the only WWII member. I also enjoy playing in the stock market some as well.

Jim and Jean at their home in Hiawassee.

What was your proudest moment at Georgia Power?

I am proud to have assembled a group around me in the East Metro Division that did a good job of servicing our customers and made me look good in the process. We accomplished a lot, and we worked hard on behalf of our customers to keep their lights on. My team carried the burden of it.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Georgia Power?

I definitely enjoyed the people I worked with. Georgia Power people are great. We worked hard, and we had fun too. I made a point of regularly meeting with our line crews and related with them. In addition, while I was a Transmission engineer in Macon, I traveled from Macon to the Florida line frequently and got out and met people, which I enjoyed. I think that helped us work well as a team.

As Division Manager in Operations, it was challenging to keep up with the growth, as the northern part of the Atlanta area was growing faster at the time than anywhere else. When things got tough or tense, I saw my job as a leader to help keep the peace among the staff and support them however I could.

Although many have passed away who I worked with over the years, there are some I still stay in touch with today, including Gene Hodges, Garnett Grubb and Richard Webb.

Jim at his home in Hiawassee.

Jim at his 100th birthday celebration.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Georgia Power?

I definitely enjoyed the people I worked with. Georgia Power people are great. We worked hard, and we had fun too. I made a point of regularly meeting with our line crews and related with them. In addition, while I was a Transmission engineer in Macon, I traveled from Macon to the Florida line frequently and got out and met people, which I enjoyed. I think that helped us work well as a team.

As Division Manager in Operations, it was challenging to keep up with the growth, as the northern part of the Atlanta area was growing faster at the time than anywhere else. When things got tough or tense, I saw my job as a leader to help keep the peace among the staff and support them however I could.

Although many have passed away who I worked with over the years, there are some I still stay in touch with today, including Gene Hodges, Garnett Grubb and Richard Webb.

Jim's cake at his 100th birthday party.

Can you share your secrets to success?

Part of the secret to success is to surround yourself with good people who are accountable and care about one another and our customers. Good teamwork is key, and I’m proud to have been a part of one.

Jim and Jean with members of the Rittenhouse family.

Jim and Jean on their wedding day in 1946.

Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?

I don’t think so. The company was good to me, and I was good to the company. It was a great experience, and I’m proud to have worked for Georgia Power for 38 years.

Jim with members of the local veterans.