Florida State Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal

The Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal (commonly referred to as State Treasurer) is a former statewide constitutional officer of Florida. The office was abolished following the Florida Cabinet reforms of 1998 which took effect in 2003.

A statewide office, with a seat in the Cabinet, the official handled the duties of the State Treasurer, Commissioner of Insurance, and Fire Marshal. These duties included payroll, pensions, tax collection, state finances, insurance regulation, and the investigation of fires. The most visible responsibility of the officeholder was as Insurance Commissioner.

Following the Cabinet reform, the office was merged with that of the state Comptroller to create the new office of Chief Financial Officer of Florida, which oversees the Florida Department of Financial Services. The new department contains many of the functions of the previous offices, but has less direct control over insurance regulation than the previous office did. This was done to lessen the control of one person over financial services regulation in the state.

Tom Gallagher was the last Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal and the first CFO. Other persons who held the office included U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and William D. Gunter, Jr.

History

Below is a list of past officeholders:[1]

PictureOffice HolderTerm StartedTerm EndedNotes
Benjamin Byrd August 5, 1845 January 8, 1848
William R. Hayward January 8, 1848 January 24, 1853
Simon Barclay Conover August 19, 1868 January 16, 1873 Appointed treasurer
Charles H. Foster January 16, 1873 January 9, 1877
Walter H. Gwynn (January 9, 1877 February 1, 1881 Well known surveyor, previously served as a secretary for Governor John Milton; appointed to office by Governor George Franklin Drew
Henry A. L'Engle February 1, 1881 February 19, 1885
Edward S. Crill February 19, 1885 January 8, 1889
Francis J. Pons January 8, 1889 December 31, 1891
E. J. Triay December 31, 1891 January 3, 1893
Clarence B. Collins January 3, 1893 June 19, 1897
James B. Whitfield June 19, 1897 March 1, 1903 Declined to seek election in 1902 in order to run (and win) for Florida Attorney General
William V. Knott March 1, 1903 February 19, 1912 Term ended upon appointment to be Florida Comptroller by Governor Albert W. Gilchrist
J. C. (John Christian) Luning February 19, 1912 September 28, 1928 Appointed by Governor Gilchrist due to W.V. Knott appointment to Comptroller. Term ended upon death in South Dakota motoring accident on September 26, 1928.
William V. Knott September 28, 1928 January 3, 1941 Appointed by Governor John W. Martin upon Luning's death
J. Edwin Larson January 3, 1941 January 28, 1965
Broward Williams January 28, 1965 January 5, 1971 Title changed to Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner in 1969
Philip F. Ashler June 3, 1975 November 9, 1976
William D. "Bill" Gunter Jr November 9, 1976 January 3, 1989
Tom Gallagher January 3, 1989 January 3, 1995
Clarence William "Bill" Nelson January 3, 1995 January 3, 2001 Resigned upon winning election to the United States Senate
Tom Gallagher January 3, 2001 January 3, 2003 Won special election to replace Nelson and served as a the last State Treasurer. Ran unopposed in 2003 for the newly created office of Chief Financial Officer of Florida, which he held until 2007.

References