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George Armistead Smathers
George Smathers
In office
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1969
Preceded by Claude Pepper
Succeeded by Edward J. Gurney
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 4th district
In office
January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1951
Preceded by Pat Cannon
Succeeded by William C. Lantaff
In office
January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1969
Preceded by John J. Sparkman
Succeeded by Alan Bible
Born November 14, 1913
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Died January 20, 2007 (aged 93)
Indian Creek, Florida
Political party Democratic
Spouse (1) Rosemary Townley (div. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Claude Denson Pepper (September 8 1900 – May 30 1989 was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for liberalism and the elderly Edward John Gurney ( January 12, 1914 &ndash May 14, 1996) was an American politician from Florida, where he served The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Florida's Fourth Congressional District is a US Congressional district in Florida. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Pat Cannon ( May 22, 1904 - January 23, 1966) was a United States Representative from Florida. William Courtland Lantaff —also known as Bill Lantaff— (born in Buffalo Erie County New York, July 31, 1913 and died in Miami Florida The US Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is a Standing committee of the United States Senate. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. John Jackson Sparkman ( December 20, 1899 &ndash November 16, 1985) was an American politician from the state of Alabama Alan Harvey Bible ( November 20, 1909 - September 12, 1988) was a Nevada Politician of the Democratic Party Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Indian Creek is a wealthy village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. )
(2) Carolyn Hyder
Profession Lawyer

George Armistead Smathers (November 14, 1913 – January 20, 2007) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Florida in the United States Senate for eighteen years, from 1951 until 1969, as a member of the Democratic Party. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party.

Contents

Early life

Smathers was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey (his uncle, William H. Smathers, was a U. William Howell Smathers ( January 7 1891 &ndash September 24 1955) was a United States Senator from New Jersey, serving S. senator representing New Jersey). New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. His family moved to Miami, Florida in 1919, and he attended the University of Florida for his undergraduate degree and law school education. The University of Florida ( Florida or UF) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major Research A law school (also known as a school of law or college of law) is an institution specializing in Legal education. At Florida, he was president of his fraternity (Sigma Alpha Epsilon), captain of the basketball team, president of the student body, and a member of Florida Blue Key; he was later named to the University of Florida Hall of Fame. Sigma Alpha Epsilon (also known as SΑΕ) is a secret letter social college fraternity Florida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. The University of Florida ( Florida or UF) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major Research After completing his LL.B. in 1938, Smathers returned to Miami, where he served as Assistant United States Attorney from 1940 to 1942. The Bachelor of Laws (abbreviated LLB, LLB or rarely LlB) is an undergraduate or bachelor degree in law offered in most Common law The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida ( S During World War II, he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

At Harvard Law School, Smathers was a classmate of Philip Graham, a fellow Floridian, and both were acolytes of Professor Felix Frankfurter. Graham (1915-1963) would later become Publisher of The Washington Post. Graham would support his friend's political ambitions; at Harvard Law, the two were thought of by classmates as being "future president and chief justice" of the United States.

Political career

After the war, Smathers was elected to serve two terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's Fourth Congressional District from 1947 to 1951. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. He established a reputation for being a moderate who was resolutely anti-communist. The handsome politician was known as "Gorgeous George" by his enemies[1]

Election to Senate

In 1950 President Harry Truman called Smathers into a meeting at the White House and reportedly said "I want you to do me a favor. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence I want you to beat that son-of-a-bitch Claude Pepper. "[1] Pepper had been part of an unsuccessful 1948 campaign to "dump Truman" as the Democratic presidential nominee. The United States presidential election of 1948 is considered by most Historians as the greatest election Upset in American history. Smathers challenged the incumbent United States Senator Claude Pepper in the Democratic primary, and won by a margin of over 60,000 votes. Claude Denson Pepper (September 8 1900 – May 30 1989 was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for liberalism and the elderly The race was marked by echoes of the Red Scare: Smathers repeatedly attacked Pepper for having Communist sympathies, pointing out his pro-civil rights platform and campaign for universal health care as well as his travels to the Soviet Union in 1945 where, after meeting Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, declared he was "a man Americans could trust. McCarthyism is a term describing the intense anti-communist suspicion in the United States in a period that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Universal health care is health care coverage which is extended to all eligible residents of a governmental region "[1]

However, the race is most famous for a speech Smathers never gave. [2] A reporter made up a hoax that Smathers gave a speech to a rural audience using fancy words to create the implication that Pepper was sinister. Smathers reportedly had said, "Are you aware that Claude Pepper is known all over Washington as a shameless extrovert? Not only that, but this man is reliably reported to practice nepotism with his sister-in-law, and he has a sister who was once a thespian in wicked New York. The trait of Extraversion-Introversion is a central dimension of human personality. Nepotism is the showing of favoritism toward relatives and friends based upon that relationship rather than on an objective evaluation of ability Meritocracy or suitability An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Worst of all, it is an established fact that Mr. Pepper before his marriage habitually practiced celibacy,"[3] While it is sometimes said that Time magazine reported these items, the magazine actually referred to the quote as a "yarn. Celibacy refers to the lack of participation in Sexual intercourse. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and "[4] The leading reporter who actually covered Smathers said he always gave the same hum-drum speech. No Florida newspapers covering the campaign ever reported such remarks contemporaneously. Smathers offered $10,000 to anyone who could prove he said it, and there were no takers before his death. [5][1]

Smathers served as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for six years. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ( DSCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United

Stand on Civil Rights

Smathers denounced the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education rulings as a "clear abuse of judicial power. Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, 347 US 483 (1954 was a Landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court, which overturned earlier " In 1956, Smathers signed the infamous Southern Manifesto condemning the Supreme Court decision to desegregate the public school system. The Southern Manifesto was a document written in February-March 1956 by legislators in the United States Congress opposed to racial integration in public A supreme court, also called a court of last resort or high court, is in some Jurisdictions the highest judicial body within that jurisdiction's Desegregation is the process of ending Racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States.

In the Seante, Smathers voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and tried to water-down other equal rights measures that President Lyndon Baines Johnson put through Congress. Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving He opposed Johnson's elevation of Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall ( July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American Jurist and the first African American

Relationship With JFK

Smathers befriended John F. Kennedy and attended his wedding, speaking on beahlf of JFK at the wedding dinner rehearsal. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of [2] During the 1960 presidential campaign, Smathers was a favorite son candidate for the Democratic nomination. The United States presidential election of 1960 marked the end of Dwight D He later managed John F. Kennedy's campaign in the Southeast. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region

It was leaked to the press that an emerging scandal involving the corrupt activities of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson aide Bobby Baker, prompted President John F. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Robert Gene Baker (born November 12 1928 in Pickens South Carolina) was a political adviser to Lyndon B Kennedy to privately offer Smathers the second spot on the 1964 presidential ticket and a plan to drop Johnson as his running mate.


Retirement from Politics

In 1968, Smathers declined to run for re-election and retired from politics. He continued to keep his hand in the game, though, as a lobbyist.

Later life

Soon after leaving the Senate, Smathers divorced his first wife, Rosemary Townley Smathers. In addition to lobbying, Smathers became a successful businessmen, involved in a wide variety of interests, including automobile dealerships and orange groves. He sold a house on Key Biscayne to JFK's old nemesis, Richard Nixon, when Nixon was looking for a residence in Florida.

The former Senator became a rich man as both a lobbyist and businessman. His business interests made him wealthy enough that he was able to make substantial gifts to the University of Miami and the University of Florida. In 1991, Smathers gave a $20 million gift to the University of Florida library system, now known as the George A. Smathers Libraries. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The University of Florida ( Florida or UF) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major Research The University of Florida 's George A Smathers Libraries includes seven of the nine libraries of the University of Florida and provide primary support to all academic programs He later also gave a $10 million gift to the University of Miami. The University of Miami (also known as Miami of Florida, UM, or just The U) is a private non-sectarian University founded in 1925

Smathers resided in exclusive Indian Creek Island off of Miami Beach and was father to two sons, John (b. Indian Creek is a wealthy village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. 1941) and Bruce Smathers (b. Bruce Armistead Smathers (born 1943 in Miami, Florida, United States) was a member of the State Senate and then was elected to and 1943) (Florida Secretary of State 1975-78) from his marriage to Townley. The Secretary of State of Florida is a constitutional officer of the State government of the U

Other Notable Facts

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Pat Cannon		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 4th congressional district
1947 – 1951		 Succeeded by
William C. Lantaff
United States Senate
Preceded by
Claude Pepper		 United States Senator (Class 3) from Florida
1951 – 1969
Served alongside: Spessard Holland		 Succeeded by
Edward J. Gurney
Political offices
Preceded by
John Sparkman		 Chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee
1967 – 1969		 Succeeded by
Alan Bible
Party political offices
Preceded by
Thomas Hennings		 Secretary of Senate Democratic Conference
1960 – 1967		 Succeeded by
Robert Byrd
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Russell B. Long		 Most Senior Living U.S. Senator
(Sitting or Former)
May 9, 2003 – January 20, 2007		 Succeeded by
Robert Byrd

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Fund, John, PoliticalJournal "George Smathers, RIP", January 24, 2007
  2. ^ Crispell 66-67
  3. ^ ABC News: ABC News
  4. ^ Anything Goes - TIME
  5. ^ State: A born winner, if not a native Floridian
  6. ^ Palm Beach Post, October 22, 2006. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

External links

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