Reubin Askew
Reubin Askew | |
|---|---|
 A 1971 portrait of Askew | |
| 7th United States Trade Representative | |
| In office October 1, 1979 – December 31, 1980 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Robert S. Strauss |
| Succeeded by | Bill Brock |
| Chair of the National Governors Association | |
| In office January 23, 1977 – September 9, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Cecil Andrus |
| Succeeded by | William Milliken |
| 37th Governor of Florida | |
| In office January 5, 1971 – January 2, 1979 | |
| Lieutenant | Thomas Burton Adams Jr. Jim Williams |
| Preceded by | Claude R. Kirk Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Bob Graham |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 2nd district | |
| In office November 6, 1962 – November 3, 1970 | |
| Preceded by | Philip D. Beall |
| Succeeded by | W. D. Childers |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from Escambia County | |
| In office November 4, 1958 – November 6, 1962 | |
| Preceded by | J. B. Hopkins |
| Succeeded by | Gordon W. Wells |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Reubin O'Donovan Askew September 11, 1928 Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | March 13, 2014 (aged 85) Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Donna Lou Harper (m. 1956) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Florida State University (BA) University of Florida (LLB) |
| Signature | File:Reubin Askew's signature.png |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1946–1948 |
| Rank |  Sergeant |
| Unit | Paratrooper |
Reubin O'Donovan Askew (September 11, 1928 – March 13, 2014) was an American politician. He was a Democrat from Florida. He was born in Muskogee (Oklahoma), but since 1937 he lived in Florida. He was a lawyer. He served both in US Army and US Air Force.
Early life
[change | change source]Askew was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He studied at Florida State University and at University of Florida Levin College of Law. Askew married Donna Lou Harper in August 1956.
Career
[change | change source]Prior to becoming governor, Askew served as state representative (1959-1963) and state senator (1963-1970). For a year (1969-1970) he was president pro tempore of this body.
He was elected governor in the same year and assumed duties in January 1971. He was one of the first southern governors (alongside Jimmy Carter of Georgia) yo openly support desegregation. In 1972 then-democratic Presidential nominee, senator George McGovern of South Dakota offered him vice presidency, but Askew declined it. McGovern lost to Richard Nixon.
Askew was reelected in 1974 and served until early 1979. After leaving office he was, for two years, United States Trade Representative under President Carter.
In 1984 he ran for president, but was defeated in the primary.
Personal life
[change | change source]Askew had two children; one son and one daughter. Askew lived in Tallahassee, Florida.
Death
[change | change source]Askew died at the age of 85 on March 13, 2014 at his Tallahassee home, after a recent stroke.[1]
Legacy
[change | change source]He was regarded by many (including Harvard Scholars) as one of the best U.S. governors in the 20th Century.
References
[change | change source]Other websites
[change | change source]
Media related to Reubin Askew at Wikimedia Commons
- Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida Archived 2011-11-09 at the Wayback Machine
- Florida DeMolay hall of Fame website
- DeMolay hall of Fame website Archived 2006-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
- NYTimes obituary
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Claude R. Kirk, Jr. |
Governor of Florida January 5, 1971–January 2, 1979 |
Succeeded by D. Robert Graham |
