C. Farris Bryant
Encyclopedia
Cecil Farris Bryant was the 34th Governor of Florida
. He also served on the United States National Security Council
and in the Office of Emergency Planning during the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson
.
Born in Marion County, Florida
, he graduated from Ocala High School before attending Emory University
in Atlanta, Georgia
from 1931 to 1932. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida
with a business degree, where he was a member of Florida Blue Key
. He continued his education at Harvard University
, where he earned a law degree in 1938. After completing his education, he went to work in the office of the state Comptroller
, where he met his future wife, Julia Burnett.
In 1942, he ran for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives and won. He resigned the seat to join the armed services during World War II
, and served in the United States Navy
as a gunnery and antisubmarine officer in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific. In 1946, he was again elected to his seat, and served five consecutive terms until 1956, serving as speaker in 1953. His uncle was Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
Ion Farris
In 1960, he was elected governor and took the oath of office on January 3, 1961. Bryant was a segregationist like most other Florida politicians at the time (with the notable exception of his predecessor Governor T. LeRoy Collins). His administration continued the focus on education of his predecessor. He helped in obtaining funds for twenty-eight junior college
s and additional state universities
. He worked to get interstate and state highways built in Florida. He also worked to purchase public lands for future use by the state, saying that it was important to do it now, "before the need arose or before it became critical." He was also a major proponent of the Cross Florida Barge Canal
. Governor Bryant, as his predecessor and successor alike, opposed the death penalty
, but some executions (including last pre-Furman
) took place during his administration, as the Florida governor had a very limited power to commute sentences. He left office on January 5, 1965.
After his term, he was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson
to serve on the United States National Security Council
and in the White House
Office of Emergency Planning. In 1970 he ran for the U.S. Senate
, but was defeated in the Democratic primary
runoff by relatively little known state senator Lawton Chiles
, who went on to win the U.S. Senate seat (served 1971-1989), and later himself became Governor (1991–1998). Upon his defeat, Bryant returned to the practice of law in Jacksonville, Florida
, where he lived until his death in 2002. In 1972, Bryant joined John B. Connally of Texas in the "Democrats for Nixon
" organization and helped to secure Florida for the Republican presidential ticket that year.
In 2000, Farris Bryant created the "Farris and Julia Bryant Florida History Preservation Fund Endowment" for the University of Florida Libraries
to preserve Florida history and culture. Collections digitally and physically preserved include the Papers of C. Farris Bryant and the Florida History and Heritage Collections".
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He also served on the United States National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
and in the Office of Emergency Planning during the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
.
Born in Marion County, Florida
Marion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
, he graduated from Ocala High School before attending Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
from 1931 to 1932. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
with a business degree, where he was a member of Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
. He continued his education at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he earned a law degree in 1938. After completing his education, he went to work in the office of the state Comptroller
Florida Comptroller
The Florida Comptroller was the state comptroller of Florida from 1845 to 2003...
, where he met his future wife, Julia Burnett.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a gunnery and antisubmarine officer in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific. In 1946, he was again elected to his seat, and served five consecutive terms until 1956, serving as speaker in 1953. His uncle was Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
The Speaker is the presiding member of the Florida House of Representatives...
Ion Farris
Ion Farris
Ion Lowndes Farris was an American politician and attorney from the state of Florida. He served as both a member of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate...
In 1960, he was elected governor and took the oath of office on January 3, 1961. Bryant was a segregationist like most other Florida politicians at the time (with the notable exception of his predecessor Governor T. LeRoy Collins). His administration continued the focus on education of his predecessor. He helped in obtaining funds for twenty-eight junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
s and additional state universities
State university system
A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, or a similar entity such as the District of Columbia. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country...
. He worked to get interstate and state highways built in Florida. He also worked to purchase public lands for future use by the state, saying that it was important to do it now, "before the need arose or before it became critical." He was also a major proponent of the Cross Florida Barge Canal
Cross Florida Barge Canal
The Cross Florida Barge Canal was a canal project to connect the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean across Florida for barge traffic. Two sections were built but the project was cancelled, mainly for environmental reasons. It is now a protected green belt corridor, one mile wide...
. Governor Bryant, as his predecessor and successor alike, opposed the death penalty
Capital punishment in Florida
Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Florida. Florida was the first state to reintroduce the death penalty after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down all statutes in the country in the 1972 Furman v. Georgia decision, and the first to perform a post-Furman involuntary...
, but some executions (including last pre-Furman
Furman v. Georgia
Furman v. Georgia, was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty. The case led to a de facto moratorium on capital punishment throughout the United States, which came to an end when Gregg v. Georgia was...
) took place during his administration, as the Florida governor had a very limited power to commute sentences. He left office on January 5, 1965.
After his term, he was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
to serve on the United States National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
and in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Office of Emergency Planning. In 1970 he ran for the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, but was defeated in the Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
runoff by relatively little known state senator Lawton Chiles
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of...
, who went on to win the U.S. Senate seat (served 1971-1989), and later himself became Governor (1991–1998). Upon his defeat, Bryant returned to the practice of law in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, where he lived until his death in 2002. In 1972, Bryant joined John B. Connally of Texas in the "Democrats for Nixon
Democrats for Nixon
Democrats for Nixon was a campaign to promote Democratic support for the then-incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon in the 1972 presidential election...
" organization and helped to secure Florida for the Republican presidential ticket that year.
In 2000, Farris Bryant created the "Farris and Julia Bryant Florida History Preservation Fund Endowment" for the University of Florida Libraries
George A. Smathers Libraries
The University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries, is one of the largest university library systems in the United States. The system includes eight of the nine libraries of the University of Florida and provides primary support to all academic programs except those served by the Lawton...
to preserve Florida history and culture. Collections digitally and physically preserved include the Papers of C. Farris Bryant and the Florida History and Heritage Collections".
External links
- Papers of Governor C. Farris Bryant Digital Collection in The Floridians within the University of Florida Digital CollectionsUniversity of Florida Digital CollectionsThe University of Florida Digital Collections are supported by the University of Florida Digital Library Center in the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The University of Florida Digital Collections comprise a constantly growing collection of digital resources from the...
- Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida
- University of Florida video, "Adapting the Atom" with introduction by C. Farris Bryant
- Video of C. Farris Bryant on Florida Memory
- Obituary of C. Farris Bryant in the New York Times