Changes

==Background==

==Background==

Smathers was born in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]], [[New Jersey]], the son of Benjamin Franklin Smathers and the former Lura Frances Jones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/11033.html|title=The Political Graveyard: Smathers family of Miami, Florida|author=Lawrence Kestenbaum|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=February 26, 2021}}</ref> The Smathers family moved to New Jersey from western [[North Carolina]]. Frank Smathers served as a state judge in New Jersey and his brother, William Howell Smathers (1891-1955), represented New Jersey in the U. S. Senate as a Democrat from 1937 to 1943.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7803071/william-howell-smathers|title=William Howell Smathers|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=February 26, 2021}}</ref> Frank Smathers moved his family to [[Miami]], Florida, when George Smathers was six years of age. there he attended Miami High School before earning his bachelor's and law degrees from the [[University of Florida]] at Gainesville. Smathers captained the Florida Gators [[basketball]] team, ran track, and was the lead member of the university debate team.  In 1936, he was elected without opposition as the student body president. Smathers was inducted into both the University’s Student Hall of Fame and the University of  Florida Athletic Hall of Fame].<ref>''The Gainesville Sun, April 4, 1991, p. 8C</ref>  

Smathers was born in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]], [[New Jersey]], the son of Benjamin Franklin Smathers and the former Lura Frances Jones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/11033.html|title=The Political Graveyard: Smathers family of Miami, Florida|author=Lawrence Kestenbaum|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=February 26, 2021}}</ref> The Smathers family moved to New Jersey from western [[North Carolina]]. Frank Smathers served as a state judge in New Jersey and his brother, William Howell Smathers (1891–1955), represented New Jersey in the U. S. Senate as a Democrat from 1937 to 1943.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7803071/william-howell-smathers|title=William Howell Smathers|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=February 26, 2021}}</ref> Frank Smathers moved his family to [[Miami]], Florida, when George Smathers was six years of age. there he attended Miami High School before earning his bachelor's and law degrees from the [[University of Florida]] at Gainesville. Smathers captained the Florida Gators [[basketball]] team, ran track, and was the lead member of the university debate team.  In 1936, he was elected without opposition as the student body president. Smathers was inducted into both the University’s Student Hall of Fame and the University of  Florida Athletic Hall of Fame].<ref>''The Gainesville Sun, April 4, 1991, p. 8C</ref>  

After completing his law degree in 1939, Smathers married the former Rosemary Townley (1914-2002), a native of Miami, who also lived in several nearby state<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114681196/rosemary-smathers#:~:text=Rosemary Townley Smathers  Birth  ,ID  114681196 · View Source|title=Rosemary Townley Smathers|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}</ref> The couple settled in Miami, where Smathers was for three years an assistant United States Attorney.  The couple had two sons, John Townley Smathers and Bruce Armistead Smathers, who was a Florida state senator and a Florida secretary of state. In 1942, as the United States entered  [[World War II]], he volunteered for the [[United States Marine Corps]] and served for nineteen months with the Marine Light Bomber Squadron 413  in the South Pacific Theater of Operations. He surviveda crash when his light bomber was damaged in war. Smathers returned to Miami after the war and quickly launched his political career.<ref>Florida, Department of State, Great Floridian Series, – ''George A. Smathers – the Uncommon Man:  Attorney – Statesman - Benefactor'') (1994).</ref>

After completing his law degree in 1939, Smathers married the former Rosemary Townley (1914–2002), a native of Miami, who also lived in several nearby state<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114681196/rosemary-smathers#:~:text=Rosemary Townley Smathers  Birth  ,ID  114681196 · View Source|title=Rosemary Townley Smathers|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}</ref> The couple settled in Miami, where Smathers was for three years an assistant United States Attorney.  The couple had two sons, John Townley Smathers and Bruce Armistead Smathers, who was a Florida state senator and a Florida secretary of state. In 1942, as the United States entered  [[World War II]], he volunteered for the [[United States Marine Corps]] and served for nineteen months with the Marine Light Bomber Squadron 413  in the South Pacific Theater of Operations. He surviveda crash when his light bomber was damaged in war. Smathers returned to Miami after the war and quickly launched his political career.<ref>Florida, Department of State, Great Floridian Series, – ''George A. Smathers – the Uncommon Man:  Attorney – Statesman - Benefactor'') (1994).</ref>

==Career==

==Career==