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Pepper was born on a farm near Dudleyville in Chambers County, [[Alabama]], and graduate in 1917 from Camp Hill High School. For a time, he operated a hat cleaning and repair business, taught school in Dothan in southeastern Alabama, and worked in a steel mill before he began his studies at the [[University of Alabama]]. He served in the [[United States Army]] in [[World War I]], and in 1921 received a bachelor's degree from the [[University of Alabama]] at [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa]]. He taught law at the [[University of Arkansas]] at Fayetteville, where one of his students was later senatorial colleague [[J. William Fulbright]], subsequently the UA president. In 1924, he graduated from [[Harvard Law School]] in Cambridge, [[Massachusetts]], and later opened his legal practice in Perry in Taylor County in northern Florida.<ref>Ric A. Kabat, "From Camp Hill to Harvard Yard : The early years of Claude D. Pepper,"  ''The Florida Historical Quarterly,'' October 1, 1993, pp. 153=179.</ref>

Pepper was born on a farm near Dudleyville in Chambers County, [[Alabama]], and graduate in 1917 from Camp Hill High School. For a time, he operated a hat cleaning and repair business, taught school in Dothan in southeastern Alabama, and worked in a steel mill before he began his studies at the [[University of Alabama]]. He served in the [[United States Army]] in [[World War I]], and in 1921 received a bachelor's degree from the [[University of Alabama]] at [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa]]. He taught law at the [[University of Arkansas]] at Fayetteville, where one of his students was later senatorial colleague [[J. William Fulbright]], subsequently the UA president. In 1924, he graduated from [[Harvard Law School]] in Cambridge, [[Massachusetts]], and later opened his legal practice in Perry in Taylor County in northern Florida.<ref>Ric A. Kabat, "From Camp Hill to Harvard Yard : The early years of Claude D. Pepper,"  ''The Florida Historical Quarterly,'' October 1, 1993, pp. 153=179.</ref>

After one term as a state representative, Pepper won the 1936 [[special election]] to succeed Senator Duncan U. Fletcher. Pepper was a strong advocate for the [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] administration and backed the passage of the [[Fair Labor Standards Act]] of 1938, the last of the major [[New Deal]] legislation. He also opposed anti-lynching legislation to appease Southern racists, vowing for maintaining [[white supremacy]] following the [[Supreme Court]] ruling in ''Smith v. Allwright'' that banned [[white primary]] elections.<ref>Mormino, Gar R. (October 30, 2020). [https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2020/10/30/the-strange-career-of-claude-pepper-column/ The strange career of Claude Pepper | Column]. ''Tampa Bay Times''. Retrieved February 25, 2021.</ref>  [[Edward Fitzgerald (Soviet spy)|Edward Fitzgerald]], a [[KGB]] agent and member of the [[Perlo group]] of Soviet spies, served on his staff.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/FBISilvermasterFile/FBI%20File%20Silvermaster%20Part%201%20November%201945 FBI Silvermaster file], pgs. 135, 144, 144, 146, 147, 169, 178, 182, 198, 207, 434, 447 in original.</ref>

After one term as a state representative, Pepper won the 1936 [[special election]] to succeed Senator Duncan U. Fletcher. Pepper was a strong advocate for the [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] administration and backed the passage of the [[Fair Labor Standards Act]] of 1938, the last of the major [[New Deal]] legislation. He also opposed anti-lynching legislation to appease Southern racists, vowing for maintaining [[white supremacy]] following the [[Supreme Court]] ruling in ''Smith v. Allwright'' that banned [[white primary]] elections.<ref>Mormino, Gar R. (October 30, 2020). [https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2020/10/30/the-strange-career-of-claude-pepper-column/ The strange career of Claude Pepper | Column]. ''Tampa Bay Times''. Retrieved February 25, 2021.</ref>  [[Edward Fitzgerald (Soviet spy)|Edward Fitzgerald]], a [[KGB]] agent and member of the [[Perlo group]] of Soviet spies, served on his staff.<ref>[https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/publication/White_Notebook_No.3_Translated.pdf White Notebook #3], Translation of original notes from KGB archival files by Alexander Vassiliev between 1993-1996. Translated by Steve Shabad, reviewed and edited by Alexander Vassiliev and John Earl Haynes (2007). wilsoncenter.org</ref>

After [[World War II]] ended, Pepper was conciliatory toward [[Joseph Stalin]] and the former [[Soviet Union]]. He even opposed the 1948 nomination of  [[Harry Truman]]. Pepper was unseated in the regular 1950 Senate election by the more [[conservative]] [[George Smathers]], then a two-term U.S. Representative from House District 4. Pepper returned to his law practice in 1951, this time in the capital city of [[Tallahassee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fsuspecialcollections.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/claude-peppers-time-in-tallahassee/|author=Mallary Rawls|title=Claude Pepper's Time in Tallahassee|publisher=Florida State University Special Collections |date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=February 25, 2021}}</ref>

After [[World War II]] ended, Pepper was conciliatory toward [[Joseph Stalin]] and the former [[Soviet Union]]. He even opposed the 1948 nomination of  [[Harry Truman]]. Pepper was unseated in the regular 1950 Senate election by the more [[conservative]] [[George Smathers]], then a two-term U.S. Representative from House District 4. Pepper returned to his law practice in 1951, this time in the capital city of [[Tallahassee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fsuspecialcollections.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/claude-peppers-time-in-tallahassee/|author=Mallary Rawls|title=Claude Pepper's Time in Tallahassee|publisher=Florida State University Special Collections |date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=February 25, 2021}}</ref>