US Senator, US Congressman. A successful Florida lawyer and state legislator, he was elected as a Democratic Senator from Florida to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Duncan U. Fletcher. He served from 1936 to 1951, when he lost the nomination for re-election. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain his Senate seat in 1958, and a time in private law practice, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1963. From 1963 until his death in office in 1989, he served an unbroken string of 25 years in Congress representing 4 separate Florida Congressional Districts (3rd District from 1963 to 1967, 11th District from 1967 to 1973, 14th District from 1973 to 1983, and the 18th District from 1983 to 1989). When he died in Washington, DC in May 1989, he was the oldest sitting Representative. Before his burial in Florida his body had lain in state in the Capitol Building Rotunda. In 1989 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2000 he was honored by the United States Postal Service with a 33-cent postage stamp from the "Distinguished Americans" series.

US Senator, US Congressman. A successful Florida lawyer and state legislator, he was elected as a Democratic Senator from Florida to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Duncan U. Fletcher. He served from 1936 to 1951, when he lost the nomination for re-election. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain his Senate seat in 1958, and a time in private law practice, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1963. From 1963 until his death in office in 1989, he served an unbroken string of 25 years in Congress representing 4 separate Florida Congressional Districts (3rd District from 1963 to 1967, 11th District from 1967 to 1973, 14th District from 1973 to 1983, and the 18th District from 1983 to 1989). When he died in Washington, DC in May 1989, he was the oldest sitting Representative. Before his burial in Florida his body had lain in state in the Capitol Building Rotunda. In 1989 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2000 he was honored by the United States Postal Service with a 33-cent postage stamp from the "Distinguished Americans" series.

Bio by: RPD2