George Smathers
George Armistead Smathers (November 14, 1913 – January 20, 2007) was an American lawyer and politician from the state of Florida who served in both chambers of the United States Congress, the United States House of Representatives from 1947 to 1951 and the United States Senate from 1951 to 1969. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
"Senator Smathers" redirects here. For other uses, see Senator Smathers (disambiguation).
George Smathers
January 20, 2007 (aged 93)
Indian Creek, Florida, U.S.
2, including Bruce
1942–1945
Early life, education and military service[edit]
Smathers was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the son of Lura Frances (Jones) and Benjamin Franklin Smathers on November 13, 1913.[1][2] The Smathers Family moved to New Jersey from western North Carolina. Frank Smathers served as a state judge in New Jersey and his brother, William H. Smathers, represented New Jersey in the United States Senate. Frank Smathers moved his family to Miami, Florida, when George Smathers was six in 1920. Smathers would attend Miami Senior High School. While in high school he was an athletic student.[3]
After graduating from high school, Smathers father would convince him to not accept a football scholarship from the University of Illinois and instead go for the University of Florida as he felt his son had the potential of holding elected office,[4] was not fitted for colleges football and he needed to have connections at the University of Florida for his law firm.[5] At the University of Florida, he would be the captain of both the basketball and track team. He was also academically involved being a member of the Florida Blue Key and managed to become a member of the university's hall of fame in 1936, the same year he graduated. At UF, managed to also become elected as the president of the student body without any opposition.[4] Smathers was inducted into the university's Student Hall of Fame and later into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.[6]
After completing his LL.B. in 1939, Smathers married Rosemary Townley from Atlanta and returned to Miami, where he served as Assistant United States Attorney from 1939 to 1942. During World War II, he volunteered for the U.S. Marine Corps and served with Marine Light Bomber Squadron 413 for 19 months in the South Pacific. He survived a crash landing when his light bomber was damaged by enemy fire. Smathers returned to Miami after the war.[7][1][8] He would also spend a short period of time prosecuting fraud from the war before running for the United States House of Representatives.