LeRoy Collins

Infobox Governor
name = Thomas LeRoy Collins

---

order = 33rd
office = Governor of Florida
term_start = January 4, 1955
term_end = January 3, 1961
lieutenant =
predecessor = Charley Eugene Johns
successor = C. Farris Bryant
birth_date = March 10, 1909
birth_place = Tallahassee, Florida
death_date = March 12, 1991
death_place = Tallahassee, Florida
party = Democratic
spouse =
profession =
religion = Episcopalian

Thomas LeRoy Collins (March 10, 1909 - March 12, 1991) was the thirty-third governor of Florida.

Early life

LeRoy Collins was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, where he attended Leon High School. He went on to attend the Eastman School of Business in New York and then went on to the Cumberland Law School in Birmingham, Alabama to receive a law degree. In 1932, he married Mary Call Darby, great-granddaughter of Richard K. Call, twice Territorial Governor of Florida.

Politics

His entry into public service began in 1934, when he was elected as Leon County's representative to the Florida House. He continued to serve in the House until 1940, when he was elected to the Florida Senate to fill an unexpired term of deceased William Hodges.

In 1941, he purchased the home built by Richard K. Call in Tallahassee, "The Grove", which is located across the street north of the official Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee. He was re-elected in 1942, but resigned to fight in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he was elected once again to the Florida Senate in 1946. He was reelected in 1950, serving until 1954 when a special election was held to fill the remaining two years of Governor Daniel T. McCarty, who had died in office in 1953.

Collins twice received title of "Most Valuable Senator" (first time in 1947 by the Capital Press Corps and in 1953 by fellow lawmakers) [ [http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/library/library-admin/collins.asp LEON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY - Governor Thomas LeRoy Collins ] ] .

Governorship

After Governor Daniel T. McCarty died just nine months after accession to the office on September 28, 1953 (he suffered a debilitating heart attack on February 25) [ [http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum/collections/governors/about.cfm?id=38 Museum - Office of Cultural & Historical Programs ] ] , Florida Senate President Charles Eugene Johns became Acting Governor to serve until a special election (at that time, Florida had no Lieutenant Governor) [ [http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum/collections/governors/about.cfm?id=39 Museum - Office of Cultural & Historical Programs ] ] .

Collins challenged Johns in Democratic primary and won nomination. Due to near domination by the Democratic Party in the South, a primary win was tantamount to a general election victory. Collins was sworn in as governor on January 4, 1955. In 1956, he was reelected to serve a regular four-year term, which made him the first Governor of Florida to serve two consecutive terms.

In the 1956 election, he made history by becoming the first governor to win election in the first primary election, defeating five other candidates. During his term, Collins focused on education, working to strengthen the state's school system. In the racial unrest of his time he took a moderate course, counseling progress under law, and the state experienced only minimal disorder.

Although he initially condemned the U. S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka as did almost all Southern elected officials, he fought with the Florida Legislature to attempt to prevent them from passing an "interposition" resolution which indicated the intent of the legislature to "interpose" itself between the citizens of Florida and the United States government to prevent what the legislature contended was an illegal intrusion upon the right of the state by imposing integration.

He utilized a little-known provision of the state constitution by unilaterally adjourning the legislature to prevent it from passing the resolution the first time. After the legislature returned and passed the resolution, he had no power to veto it, because it was not a law but only a resolution expressing the sense of the legislature.

However, as it passed through his office, he wrote upon the interposition resolution, the following statement, in his own handwriting:

"This concurrent resolution of 'Interposition' crosses the Governor's desk as a matter of routine. I have no authority to veto it. I take this means however to advise the student of government, who may examine this document in the archives of the state in the years to come that the Governor of Florida expressed open and vigorous opposition thereto. I feel that the U. S. Supreme Court has improperly usurped powers reserved to the states under the constitution. I have joined in protesting such and in seeking legal means of avoidance. But if this resolution declaring the decisions of the court to be 'null and void' is to be taken seriously, it is anarchy and rebellion against the nation which must remain 'indivisible under God' if it is to survive. Not only will I not condone 'interposition' as so many have sought me to do, I decry it as an evil thing, whipped up by the demagogues and carried on the hot and erratic winds of passion, prejudice, and hysteria. If history judges me right this day, I want it known that I did my best to avert this blot. If I am judged wrong, then here in my own handwriting and over my signature is the proof of guilt to support my conviction. LeRoy Collins, Governor." May 2, 1957.

The original interposition resolution can today be found at the State Archives of Florida.

Collins became a chair of the Southern Governors Association in 1957 [ [http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/library/library-admin/collins.asp LEON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY - Governor Thomas LeRoy Collins ] ] .

Governor Collins fell just a few votes short of persuading the first Constitution Revision Commission to send an amendment to voters to abolish capital punishment. He recalled about his proposal to end death penalty in Florida that every time an execution was carried out under his order, arguing that it left him feeling nearly as guilty as the murderers [ [http://legalminds.lp.findlaw.com/list/deathpenalty/msg01074.html death penalty news-FLORIDA (2), OHIO ] ] . Every governor after him has supported the death penalty.

Presidential and Vice Presidential possibilities

During 1956 Democratic National Convention Collins was among contenders for the Vice Presidential nomination, when Presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson II allowed the convention to chose his running-mate. Collins received 29 votes in first ballot [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=59952 Our Campaigns - US Vice President - D Convention Race - Aug 13, 1956 ] ] .

Before the 1960 presidential election Collins was considered as a serious possible candidate because of his popularity as a southern Governor, who was acceptable for Northern liberals because of his support for civil rights [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,825719-4,00.html THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS In 1960 Their Big Year - TIME ] ] . He, however, did not seek nomination, even in Florida primaries, which went to favorite son candidate, Senator George Smathers [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=35942 Our Campaigns - FL US President - D Primary Race - May 24, 1960 ] ] .

Chairman of the 1960 Democratic National Convention

Collins served as a chairman of the 1960 Democratic National Convention, which nominated Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts for President and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas for Vice President [ [http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/library/library-admin/collins.asp LEON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY - Governor Thomas LeRoy Collins ] ] . Although touted as a racial "moderate" LeRoy Collins was an avowed segregationist and vocal proponent of "Separate, but Equal"but he did nothing to promote racial equality while serving as governor of the "Sunshine State".

Post-governorship

Upon completion of six years as governor, he became president of the National Association of Broadcasters. He resigned this at the request of President Lyndon B. Johnson to become the first Director of the Community Relations Service under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Also by Presidential appointment, he became Under Secretary of Commerce on July 7, 1965. He resigned this position effective October 1, 1966 to return to Florida and become a partner in a Tampa law firm.

He was successful in obtaining the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in the primary elections of 1968 but was defeated in the general election. In the general election campaign against Edward Gurney, a photograph of Collins walking alongside Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Selma march was widely distributed to Florida voters by Gurney's supporters. The photograph contained no caption or other explanation of what Collins was doing in Selma leaving that open to the imagination of the voter. In fact, Collins had not been participating the march, but was shuttling back and forth between the marchers and the Alabama authorities to attempt to craft a compromise which would avoid violence. He conducted these negotiations as a part of his job as head of the Community Relations Service. He was successful in these negotiations as violence was averted when the marchers crossed the bridge, prayed, and then returned back to the other side.

After his defeat, he left his law firm in Tampa and returned to "The Grove" in Tallahassee until his death from cancer in 1991. He was called many times by Florida governors Reubin Askew, Bob Graham, and Jeb Bush the greatest Governor that Florida ever had. A tribute was entered in the official record of the United States House of Representatives on March 19, 1991 by Florida Representatives James Bacchus and Charles E. Bennett.

Family

His son, LeRoy Collins, Jr., a retired US Navy Rear Admiral, unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for United States Senate from Florida in 2006, losing to Katherine Harris, who was in turn defeated by Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson.

References

External links

* [http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum/collections/governors/about.cfm?id=40 Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida]
* [http://www.floridamemory.com/FloridaHighlights/collins/ A scan and transcript of the Interposition Resolution in Response to Brown v. Board of Education, made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida.]
###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
before= Charles Eugene Johns
title=Governor of Florida
years=January 4, 1955 - January 3, 1961
after=C. Farris Bryantsuccession box
before= Daniel T. McCarty
title=Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Florida
years=1954, 1956
after=C. Farris Bryantsuccession box
before= Sam Rayburn
title=Permanent Chairman of the Democratic National Convention
years=1960
after=John W. McCormacksuccession box
before= George Smathers
title=Democratic Party nominee for United States Senator from Florida
(Class 3)
years=1968
after=Richard Stone