George Armistead Smathers was an American lawyer and politician who represented the state of Florida in the United States Senate from 1951 until 1969 and in the United States House from 1947 to 1951, as a member of the Democratic Party.
54 Facts About George Smathers
2.
The George Smathers Family moved to New Jersey from western North Carolina.
3.
Frank Smathers served as a state judge in New Jersey and his brother, William H Smathers, represented New Jersey in the United States Senate.
4.
Frank Smathers moved his family to Miami, Florida, when George Smathers was six in 1920.
5.
George Smathers was 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.
6.
George Smathers was inducted into the university's Student Hall of Fame and later into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.
7.
George Smathers survived a crash landing when his light bomber was damaged by enemy fire.
8.
George Smathers would spend a short period of time prosecuting fraud from the war before running for the United States House of Representatives.
9.
George Smathers established a reputation for being a moderate except for his anti-communism.
10.
In 1946, George Smathers defeated four-term incumbent Congressman Pat Cannon by a margin of over two-to-one.
11.
George Smathers served two terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's Fourth Congressional District from 1947 to 1951.
12.
George Smathers established a reputation as a southern liberal and a rising Democratic leader.
13.
George Smathers was best known for his strong support for President Truman and the Truman Doctrine to contain Soviet and Communist aggression.
14.
George Smathers fought to make Miami a gateway to Latin American commerce and cultural exchange.
15.
Congressman George Smathers sponsored legislation to create the Florida Everglades National Park and supported the 24th Constitutional Amendment outlawing the poll tax in federal elections.
16.
Congressman George Smathers' district included the "Winter White House" of President Harry Truman in Key West, Florida.
17.
George Smathers was invited by Truman to fly with him from Washington to Key West, establishing a key relationship with President Truman and members of his Cabinet.
18.
George Smathers' campaign attacked Pepper on his vulnerable international record, his support for universal health care and his changing stands on the Federal Employment Practices Commission.
19.
George Smathers charged that Pepper was out-of-touch with his Florida constituency and his positions contrary to national interests.
20.
Finally, George Smathers was the first candidate from south Florida to be popularly elected as United States Senator breaking the political monopoly of north and central Florida on the highest statewide offices.
21.
George Smathers's victory marked the emergence of southeast Florida's significant economic and political power.
22.
George Smathers publicly opposed federal intervention in racial matters except to support voting rights.
23.
George Smathers stressed the rule of law and the need for southern states to comply with any federal legislation.
24.
Privately, George Smathers rejected many of the doctrines and tenets of white supremacy and believed that, over time, whites would change their views on race relations.
25.
George Smathers publicly predicted the defeat of the southern filibuster of the bill and voted for its passage in the Senate.
26.
The bill was then referred to a conference committee and George Smathers voted against the final version.
27.
Likewise, George Smathers supported federal involvement in upholding voting rights, believing that through the ballot African Americans would gain a seat at the table at all levels of local, state and federal government.
28.
When Johnson suffered a heart attack in 1956, George Smathers became acting Senate Majority leader during Johnson's hospitalization.
29.
George Smathers rejected Johnson's request to later become Whip and recommended Mike Mansfield, instead.
30.
George Smathers retained his position and influence as Secretary of the Democratic Caucus under Majority Leader Mike Mansfield in the sixties.
31.
George Smathers served as chairman of the important Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for six years.
32.
George Smathers helped pass bills to create Medicare and Medicaid, the Clean Air Act, sponsored the creation of the Small Business Administration and the Senate Select Committee on Aging, and was the Senate sponsor of the Kerr-George Smathers Individual Retirement Accounts.
33.
George Smathers steered critical reforms of the Transportation and Immigration acts and legislation moving federal holidays to Mondays, essentially creating the modern three-day weekend.
34.
Senator George Smathers was an early and longstanding advocate for aid to the countries of Latin America.
35.
George Smathers continually urged vital improvements in sanitation and infrastructure as well as increased trade and economic aid to modernize Latin American economies.
36.
George Smathers recommended a joint OAS military force that would replace individual national armies to maintain the peace and fight communism.
37.
George Smathers had a chance encounter with Fidel Castro in April 1948.
38.
George Smathers was attending the Pan-American Conference in Bogota, Colombia, and Castro was participating in the opposition Pan-American Students Conference.
39.
George Smathers described the Bay of Pigs fiasco as "an ill-conceived, ill-planned deal" that lacked the planning and firepower to succeed.
40.
Senator George Smathers amended the Immigration Act to provide permanent visas for Cubans fleeing Communist Cuba, as well as efforts to provide federal assistance in food, education, housing and work for Cuban refugees.
41.
George Smathers worked closely with the Catholic Welfare Bureau and State Department officials to support Operation Pedro Pan which brought over 14,000 Cuban children to America.
42.
President Kennedy lauded George Smathers for being "one of the first Americans to recognize the importance of Latin America".
43.
At the wedding of Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier, George Smathers was chosen by the Kennedys to speak on behalf of Jack Kennedy at his wedding rehearsal dinner.
44.
In 1960, Jack Kennedy asked George Smathers to give him a nominating speech to the Democratic Convention and to manage the Kennedy-Johnson campaign in the South.
45.
In 1960, to keep the Florida Democratic Party united, George Smathers agreed to run as a "Favorite Son".
46.
George Smathers achieved considerable success as a lobbyist and businessman.
47.
In 1988, George Smathers donated property appraised at $2 million to renovate the University of Florida's original library building, now George Smathers Library.
48.
George Smathers made a testamentary gift, valued at the time at $20 million, to the University of Florida and the university honored him by naming the George A Smathers Libraries.
49.
George Smathers donated property valued at $10 million to the University of Miami.
50.
George Smathers often attended "Church by the Sea", the United Church of Christ in Bal Harbour, Florida.
51.
George Smathers's funeral was held here after his death at age 93.
52.
George Smathers introduced Nixon to "Bebe" Rebozo, who became Nixon's close friend and longtime companion.
53.
George Smathers sold Nixon his Key Biscayne home which became famous as Nixon's "Florida White House".
54.
George Smathers was a childhood friend of Phil Graham, a fellow Floridian and half-brother to Bob Graham, Florida Governor and United States Senator.