Changes

|preceded=[[Claude Pepper]]

|preceded=[[Claude Pepper]]

|succeeded=Edward John Gurney

|succeeded=Edward John Gurney

I office2=[[United States Representative]] for congressional district 4  

|office2=[[United States Representative]] for Congressional District 4  

|term_start2=January 3, 1947

|term_start2=January 3, 1947

|term_end2=January 3, 1951

|term_end2=January 3, 1951

|death_place=Indian Creek, Florida

|death_place=Indian Creek, Florida

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]

|spouse=(1) Rosemary Townley Smathers (married 1939-1971, divorced)<br>

|spouse=(1) Rosemary Townley Smathers (married 1939–1971, divorced)<br>

Carolyn Hyder Smathers (married 1972-2007, his death)

Carolyn Hyder Smathers (married 1972–2007, his death)

|children=John Townley Smathers<br>

|children=John Townley Smathers<br>

Bruce Armistead Smathers

Bruce Armistead Smathers

|battles=[[World War II]]<br>

|battles=[[World War II]]<br>

South Pacific Theater of Operations

South Pacific Theater of Operations

|rank=[[Colonel]]}}

|rank=[[Colonel]]

}}

'''George Armistead Smathers''' (November 14, 1913 &ndash; January 20, 2007) was  a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[United States Senator]] for [[Florida]] from 1951 to 1969 and a [[U.S. Representative]] from 1947 to 1951. He is probably most remembered for his close friendships with political giants [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], and [[Richard M. Nixon]]. Like Kennedy of [[Massachusetts]] and Nixon of [[California]], Smathers was elected to the House in 1946 and like Nixon the Senate in 1950. He was the only non-family member in Kennedy's wedding to [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis]]. In 1960, Smathers managed the Kennedy-Johnson campaign in Florida, but victory went to Nixon, who won Florida in all three of his presidential campaigns. Smathers sold vacation property in Key Biscayne to Nixon and introduced Nixon to his close confidant Bebe Rebozo]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thefloridasqueeze.com/2020/02/25/george-smathers-jfk-lbj-and-nixon/|title=George Smathers, JFK, LBJ, and Nixon|publisher=The Florida Squeeze|date=February 25, 2020|author=Kartik Krishnaiyer|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}</ref>

'''George Armistead Smathers''' (November 14, 1913 &ndash; January 20, 2007) was  a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[United States Senator]] for [[Florida]] from 1951 to 1969 and a [[U.S. Representative]] from 1947 to 1951. He is probably most remembered for his close friendships with political giants [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], and [[Richard M. Nixon]]. Like Kennedy of [[Massachusetts]] and Nixon of [[California]], Smathers was elected to the House in 1946 and like Nixon the Senate in 1950. He was the only non-family member in Kennedy's wedding to [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis]]. In 1960, Smathers managed the Kennedy-Johnson campaign in Florida, but victory went to Nixon, who won Florida in all three of his presidential campaigns. Smathers sold vacation property in Key Biscayne to Nixon and introduced Nixon to his close confidant Bebe Rebozo]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thefloridasqueeze.com/2020/02/25/george-smathers-jfk-lbj-and-nixon/|title=George Smathers, JFK, LBJ, and Nixon|publisher=The Florida Squeeze|date=February 25, 2020|author=Kartik Krishnaiyer|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}</ref>

As a senator, Smathers signed the 1954 [[Southern Manifesto]] opposing school [[Segregation|desegregation]] and voted a decade later against the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]].  

As a senator, Smathers signed the 1954 [[Southern Manifesto]] opposing school [[Segregation|desegregation]] and voted a decade later against the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]].  

In 1971, Smther's wife divorced him and he wed a former Senate staffer, Carolyn Hyder, the same age as his younger son, Bruce. When Smathers retired from politics, he became a lobbyist and successful [[business]]man. In 1991, he gave a $20 million gift to his alma mater, the University of Florida, which funded the university library system named for him. He later also gave a $10 million gift to the University of Miami.<ref name=findagraqve/>

In 1971, Smther's wife divorced him and he wed a former Senate staffer, Carolyn Hyder, the same age as his younger son, Bruce. When Smathers retired from politics, he became a lobbyist and successful [[business]]man. In 1991, he gave a $20 million gift to his alma mater, the University of Florida, which funded the university library system named for him. He later also gave a $10 million gift to the University of Miami.<ref name=findagrave/>

==References==

==References==