George Smathers

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George Armistead Smathers (born November 14, 1913) is 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.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Political career 3 Later life 4 Interesting facts 5 External links

[edit] Early life

Smathers was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey (his uncle, William Howell Smathers, was a U.S. senator representing New Jersey and his father was a Federal Judge in New Jersey). His family moved to Miami, Florida in 1919, and he attended the University of Florida for his undergraduate degree and law school 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 both Florida Blue Key and the University of Florida Hall of Fame. After completing his LL.B. in 1938, Smathers returned to Miami, where he served as assistant U.S. district attorney from 1940 to 1942. During World War II, he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

[edit] Political career

After the war, Smathers was elected to serve two terms in the United States House of Representatives, from 1947 to 1951. In 1950, he challenged incumbent United States Senator Claude Pepper in the Democratic primary, and won by a margin of over 60,000 votes. 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.

However, the race is most famous for a speech Smathers denies ever giving. Time Magazine reported that Smathers 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. Worst of all, it is an established fact that Mr. Pepper before his marriage habitually practiced celibacy." However, no Florida newspapers covering the campaign ever reported such remarks contemporaneously. Smathers offered $10,000 to anyone who could prove he said it, and to this day there have been no takers.[1]

In 1956, Smathers signed "The Southern Manifesto", condemning the U.S. Supreme Court decision to desegregate the public school system.

Smathers served as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for six years. During the 1960 presidential campaign, Smathers was a candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination. He later managed John F. Kennedy's campaign in the southeastern U.S.

It was leaked to the press that an emerging scandal involving Bobby Baker's corrupt activities, an aide to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, prompted President John F. Kennedy to privately offer Senator Smathers the second spot on the 1964 presidential ticket and a plan to drop Johnson as his running mate.^{[citation needed]}

In 1968, Smathers declined to run for re-election and announced his candidacy for president. He was defeated in the Democratic primary race by Hubert Humphrey.

[edit] Later life

In 1991, Smathers gave a $20 million gift to the University of Florida library system, now known as the George A. Smathers Libraries. He later also gave a substantial $10 million gift to the University of Miami.

Smathers resides in Miami Beach and is father to two sons, John (b. 1941) and Bruce Smathers (b. 1943) (Florida Secretary of State 1975-78).

Smathers is currently the United States' longest surviving former Senator, having entered the Senate more than 55 years ago (1951). He is followed distantly by West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, who entered the Senate in 1959, and who continues to serve today.

[edit] Interesting facts

The current senior US Senator from Florida, Bill Nelson, was an intern during the summers of 61' & 62'in Smathers' Washington office. [2]

During his life, Smathers personally knew eleven United States Presidents, starting with FDR. He was a close friend of both John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. When asked to contrast these two very different men, Smathers has said that although he was very fond of both, Kennedy was a lot more "fun".

Smathers was reported to be the only non-Kennedy/Bouvier family member to have been in the highly publicized 1953 wedding in Newport (RI) and was co-bestman with Robert Kennedy.

Mary Jo Kopechne worked as secretary to both Smathers and Robert F. Kennedy.

Smathers introduced close friend and Key Biscayne neighbor Charles Rebozo to Richard Nixon. Smathers had recommended Key Biscayne as a vacation destination to Nixon. While Nixon was vacationing in Key Biscayne, Smathers had Rebozo take Nixon deep sea fishing. Smathers later sold Nixon his Key Biscayne home which became famous as the Key Biscayne White House.

Smathers Beach, a popular Key West destination, is named after the senator.

Smathers served as a guest panelist on episode #360 of the television game show What's My Line?, which originally aired on April 28, 1957, and in 1957, appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and has frequently been a guest on Larry King Live and other news programs.

Preceded by: Claude Pepper

United States Senator (Class 3) from Florida 1951–1969

Succeeded by: Edward J. Gurney

[edit] External links

• Biography of George Smathers
• Interviews with Smathers
• Supposed "transcript" of 1950 speech attacking Pepper
• Newspaper Article