James W. Kynes
Encyclopedia
James W. "Jimmy" Kynes, Jr. (1928 – October 14, 1988) was an American college and professional football
player, lawyer
, political appointee and corporate executive. Kynes also served as the Florida Attorney General
.
, located in the Florida Panhandle
, in 1928. He attended Marianna High School
, where he was received all-state recognition playing for the Marianna Bulldogs high school football
team. Kynes graduated from Fork Union Military Academy
in Fork Union, Virginia
, where he received Virginia all-state football honors playing for the Fork Union Blue Devils.
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Bear Wolf
's ironically named "Golden Era" Florida Gators football
team from 1946 to 1949. Kynes played both offense and defense, and was a third-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) lineman and the Gators' team captain
in 1949. Memorably, in 1949, he played a key defensive role in the Gators' 28–7 upset of the Georgia Bulldogs and was the last Gator football player to play every minute of an entire sixty-minute game. He also played for coach Sam J. McAllister
's Florida Gators men's basketball
team from 1946 to 1950.
Kynes was also an outstanding student and was honored as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Kynes earned his bachelor's degree
from the University of Florida College of Business Administration in 1950, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1976. All three of Kynes' sons also played football for the Gators in the 1970s.
's Pittsburgh Steelers
selected Kynes in the fourteenth round (178th pick overall) of the 1950 NFL Draft
. After graduating from the University of Florida, he married Marjorie Hiatt, a graduate of Florida State University
and a former Seminoles cheerleader. Kynes chose to play center for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
of the Canadian Football League
(CFL) for a single season in .
and was elected president of Florida Blue Key
leadership honorary. He graduated with his bachelor of laws
degree in 1955. He subsequently served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force for two years, before entering private practice in Ocala, Florida
.
Kynes served as Florida governor Farris Bryant's executive assistant after Bryant was elected in 1960. In January 1964, Bryant appointed Kynes as the Florida Attorney General
to succeed Richard Ervin
, after Ervin resigned as attorney general to accept an appointment to the Florida Supreme Court
. Kynes stood for a full four-year term in the 1964 Democratic Party primary election in May 1964, but was defeated by 599 votes out of 938,677 cast. and served the remainder of Ervin's term of office through January 1965.
After his term as Florida Attorney General expired in January 1965, Kynes moved to Tampa, Florida
to become vice president of the Jim Walter Corporation. He was executive vice president, secretary, and general counsel
of its successor companies Hillsborough Holding Corporation and Walter Industries, Inc.
at his home in Tampa in 1988; he was 60 years old. He was survived his wife of thirty-eight years, Marjorie Hiatt Kynes, and their three sons.
Several friends and classmates initiated the James W. Kynes Award in 1986, which is presented annually to the Florida Gators offensive lineman "who best exemplified the mental and physical toughness and 'iron-man' determination Kynes exhibited as a Gator player." Kynes previously served as the president of the University of Florida National Alumni Association
, and he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus. After his death, friends and former teammates endowed a University of Florida scholarship in his name. The university awards the annual $10,000 scholarship to a former Gator student-athlete, who has demonstrated exceptional character and high academic achievement, in order to pursue a graduate or professional degree.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, political appointee and corporate executive. Kynes also served as the Florida Attorney General
Florida Attorney General
The Florida Attorney General is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state....
.
Early life
Kynes was born in the small town of Marianna, FloridaMarianna, Florida
Marianna is a city in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,230 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,200 . It is the county seat of Jackson County and is home to Chipola College...
, located in the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
, in 1928. He attended Marianna High School
Marianna High School
Marianna High School is a public high school in Marianna, Florida. It enrolls 805 students in grades 9–12 making it the largest of the five high schools in the Jackson County School District. Marianna High offers technical, and academic courses, as well as Dual Enrollment and Early Admission with...
, where he was received all-state recognition playing for the Marianna Bulldogs high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team. Kynes graduated from Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy is a private, military boarding school located in the town of Fork Union, Virginia. The school is more commonly known by its acronym FUMA ....
in Fork Union, Virginia
Fork Union, Virginia
Fork Union is an unincorporated community in southern Fluvanna County, Virginia, along U.S. Highway 15. Its ZIP code is 23055; the population within that ZIP code was 1148 according to the 2000 Census...
, where he received Virginia all-state football honors playing for the Fork Union Blue Devils.
College career
Kynes attended the University of FloridaUniversity 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...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Bear Wolf
Raymond Wolf
Raymond Bernard "Bear" Wolf was an American football player and coach. Wolf was a native of Illinois and an alumnus of Texas Christian University, where he played college football and baseball...
's ironically named "Golden Era" Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1946 to 1949. Kynes played both offense and defense, and was a third-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) lineman and the Gators' team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
in 1949. Memorably, in 1949, he played a key defensive role in the Gators' 28–7 upset of the Georgia Bulldogs and was the last Gator football player to play every minute of an entire sixty-minute game. He also played for coach Sam J. McAllister
Sam J. McAllister
Sam J. McAllister was an American college basketball, baseball and football coach.- Early life and education :McAllister attended St. Viator College in Bourbonnais, Illinois, where he was standout athlete for the St. Viator Irish football, basketball and baseball teams.- Coaching career...
's Florida Gators men's basketball
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1946 to 1950.
Kynes was also an outstanding student and was honored as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Kynes earned his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of Florida College of Business Administration in 1950, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1976. All three of Kynes' sons also played football for the Gators in the 1970s.
Professional football
The National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
selected Kynes in the fourteenth round (178th pick overall) of the 1950 NFL Draft
1950 NFL Draft
The 1950 National Football League Draft was held on January 20–21, 1950.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. After graduating from the University of Florida, he married Marjorie Hiatt, a graduate of Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
and a former Seminoles cheerleader. Kynes chose to play center for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL) for a single season in .
Law, politics and business
Kynes returned to the University of Florida in 1952, where he attended the College of LawLevin College of Law
The Fredric G. Levin College of Law is the law school of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida.-History:The College of Law was founded in 1909. It was first housed in Thomas Hall, and then in Bryan Hall from 1914 to 1969...
and was elected president 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...
leadership honorary. He graduated with his bachelor of laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree in 1955. He subsequently served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force for two years, before entering private practice in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
.
Kynes served as Florida governor Farris Bryant's executive assistant after Bryant was elected in 1960. In January 1964, Bryant appointed Kynes as the Florida Attorney General
Florida Attorney General
The Florida Attorney General is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state....
to succeed Richard Ervin
Richard Ervin
Richard W. Ervin, Jr. was the Florida Attorney General from 1949 to 1964, and he also served as chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court from 1969 to 1971...
, after Ervin resigned as attorney general to accept an appointment to the Florida Supreme Court
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
. Kynes stood for a full four-year term in the 1964 Democratic Party primary election in May 1964, but was defeated by 599 votes out of 938,677 cast. and served the remainder of Ervin's term of office through January 1965.
After his term as Florida Attorney General expired in January 1965, Kynes moved to Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
to become vice president of the Jim Walter Corporation. He was executive vice president, secretary, and general counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
of its successor companies Hillsborough Holding Corporation and Walter Industries, Inc.
Death and legacy
Kynes died of stomach cancerStomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
at his home in Tampa in 1988; he was 60 years old. He was survived his wife of thirty-eight years, Marjorie Hiatt Kynes, and their three sons.
Several friends and classmates initiated the James W. Kynes Award in 1986, which is presented annually to the Florida Gators offensive lineman "who best exemplified the mental and physical toughness and 'iron-man' determination Kynes exhibited as a Gator player." Kynes previously served as the president of the University of Florida National Alumni Association
University of Florida Alumni Association
The University of Florida Alumni Association is an alumni organization for former students of the University of Florida. It was founded in 1906 by the graduating class of that year and is still around today.-History:...
, and he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus. After his death, friends and former teammates endowed a University of Florida scholarship in his name. The university awards the annual $10,000 scholarship to a former Gator student-athlete, who has demonstrated exceptional character and high academic achievement, in order to pursue a graduate or professional degree.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1940–1949
- List of Florida Attorneys General
- List of Levin College of Law graduates
- List of Phi Beta Kappa members
- List of University of Florida alumni