Background
Colwell was born in Blairsville, Georgia, in a family with six sons. His father was a farmer.
Colwell was born in Blairsville, Georgia, in a family with six sons. His father was a farmer.
He attended public schooling in Union County, Georgia.
Colwell served in the Georgia House of Representatives as a Democrat representing district 4 from 1964 until 1991 (140th Georgia General Assembly). He later served as the chairman of the State Institution and Property Committee, overseeing the state prison system.