Reubin Askew

Reubin O'Donovan Askew (born September 11, 1928 in Muskogee , Oklahoma , † March 13, 2014 in Tallahassee , Florida ) was an American politician . He was the 37th governor of the state of Florida from 1971 to 1979 and was then the United States' sales representative until 1981 .

Early years and political advancement

After graduating from high school, Askew served in the U.S. Army between 1946 and 1947 . He then attended the University of Florida before serving in the US Air Force for two more years during the Korean War . In 1956 he took his law exam at the University of Florida. Between 1956 and 1958, Askew was assistant prosecutor in Escambia County and in 1958 he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Since 1962 he was in the State Senate . For the gubernatorial elections of 1970 he was nominated by the Democratic Party as the top candidate. In the elections that followed, he managed to beat incumbent Governor Claude Kirk .

Florida governor

Askew's term began on January 5, 1971 and, following his successful re-election in 1974, went to January 2, 1979. He was the first Florida governor to serve two consecutive four-year terms. But this was only possible after the constitutional amendment of 1968. During his eight-year term in office, the governor worked on a tax reform that, among other things, relieved the homeowners. Askew campaigned for the end of racial segregation and advocated the civil rights movement. He appointed the first African-American judge on the country's Supreme Court. In his cabinet sat Athalie Range, the first black woman in the history of the state. Together with the governors Jimmy Carter in Georgia and later Bill Clinton in Arkansas , Reubin Askew was considered one of the most important representatives of the New South (New South) . In 1972, Askew was a speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach . It was then that he was offered the nomination for vice-presidential nomination alongside George McGovern ; Askew refused this offer. Reubin Askew was a member and chairman of various governors' associations.

Another résumé

At the end of his term, Askew was appointed United States Trade Representative by President Jimmy Carter . He held this position until the end of Carter's tenure in January 1981. After that, Askew became a partner in a law firm in Miami . In 1984 he ran unsuccessfully for his party's nomination for the presidential election. In 1987 he announced his candidacy for Congress ; But he withdrew this because of a lack of financial support. Most recently Reubin Askew lived in retirement. He was married to Donna Lou Harper, with whom he had two children.

Web links

Commons : Reubin Askew - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ Former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew This. Retrieved March 13, 2014 .

personal data
SURNAME	Askew, Reubin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Askew, Reubin O'Donovan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American lawyer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH	September 11, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH	Muskogee , Oklahoma
DATE OF DEATH	March 13, 2014
Place of death	Tallahassee , Florida

[1] Former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew This. Retrieved March 13, 2014 .