Doyle E. Carlton

Doyle Elam Carlton (born July 6, 1885 in Wauchula , Florida , † October 25, 1972 in Tampa ) was an American politician and the 25th Governor of Florida from 1929 to 1933 .

Early years and political advancement

Doyle Carlton attended Stetson University and the University of Chicago , which he successfully graduated in 1910. He then studied law at Columbia University . After passing his exams, he was admitted to the bar in 1912. He then opened a law firm in Tampa. Between 1917 and 1919 he was a member of the Florida Senate . From 1925 to 1927 he represented the city of Tampa as an attorney. His Democratic Party nominated him for the upcoming gubernatorial elections in 1928 as their top candidate. He had to assert himself within the party against some competitors, including the former governor Sidney Catts .

Florida governor

After the victorious election, Carlton took up his new office on January 8, 1929. In contrast to his predecessor John W. Martin , who benefited from favorable external circumstances, Carlton's tenure was marked by problems. For one thing, he had to deal with the consequences of a severe cyclone. Then a pest ( Mediterranean fruit fly ) attacked the orchards and largely destroyed the harvest. The end of the land speculation brought financial losses. After all, the global economic crisis triggered by the New York stock market crash of October 1929 did the rest to shake the country. As everywhere else, unemployment rose sharply. All of this created discontent and unrest among the people of Florida. The governor responded by lowering civil service salaries and even laying off jobs to ease the budget. There was also an increase in the mineral oil tax. This money was to be used to finance road construction as a job creation measure against unemployment. In addition, a commission was set up to identify possible savings in the government budget. By January 3, 1933, the end of his term in office, these attempts had not resulted in any radical success. The turning point came with the help of the New Deal policy of the federal government under President Franklin D. Roosevelt , who was elected in 1932 .

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Carlton ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Senate in 1936 . Between 1957 and 1961 he was a member of the Civil Rights Commission. In the meantime, he was practicing law in Tampa. Doyle Carlton died in October 1972. He was married to Nellie Ray, with whom he had three children.

literature

Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 1, Meckler Books, Westport Conn. 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Carlton, Doyle
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Carlton, Doyle Elam (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Florida governor
DATE OF BIRTH	July 6, 1885
PLACE OF BIRTH	Wauchula , Florida
DATE OF DEATH	October 25, 1972
Place of death	Tampa , Florida