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Millard Fillmore Caldwell was born at Beverly, near Knoxville, Tennessee, on February 6, 1897. He attended Carson Newman College, the University of Mississippi, and, after serving in the army during World War I, the University of Virginia. In 1924, Caldwell moved to Milton, Florida and worked as a prosecutor and county attorney. From 1929 to 1931, he represented Santa Rosa County in the Florida House of Representatives. From 1933 to 1941, he represented the Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. After retiring from Congress, he moved to Tallahassee, where he took up his private law practice.
Caldwell won the Democratic nomination for governor in 1944 and defeated Bert Acker in the general election. As governor, Caldwell revised the system of educational finance and enacted the Minimum Foundation Program for public schools. He expanded the Capitol Center and state services to meet the postwar population boom. After leaving office in 1949, he was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court in 1962 and served until 1969, having been elected Chief Justice in 1967. He retired to practice law in Tallahassee, where he died in 1984.
Summary:
This series contains photographs, newspaper clippings, audio recordings, and miscellaneous printed material regarding Millard Caldwell's political career in Florida and as a United States Congressman. The Photographs, arranged by subject, predominantly illustrate scenes of Caldwell serving as U.S. Congressman, Governor, and Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. There are also photographs of First Lady Mary Caldwell and the Caldwell daughters, in addition to several unidentified World War I era photographs. The newspaper clippings, arranged chronologically, originated in Florida and national newspapers. A significant amount of this printed material pertains to Caldwell's inauguration, service in political office, activity in Florida after leaving office, and death in 1984.
The collection also contains a large quantity of miscellaneous printed material. Notable documents include the program of Caldwell's inauguration as Governor, papers regarding the Hall of Fame for Great Americans program, honorary doctorates of law awarded to Caldwell by the University of Florida and Florida Southern College, and publications by Florida Highways and The Relief Society Magazine. Oversized material includes certificates of membership and recognition awarded to Caldwell, photographs, and maps. Audio recordings of Caldwell speaking cover such topics as farming, citrus, and employment.
Finding Aids:
Folder listing available. 0
Additional Physical Form:
Select images from this collection have been digitized and are available on the Florida Memory web site: https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/photographs/
Reproduction Note:
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
Associated Materials:
For additional material from Millard F. Caldwell's term as Governor of Florida, see Series S576, Governor Caldwell Correspondence, 1945-1949 (41.75 cubic feet), and Collection M82-9, Millard Fillmore Caldwell Papers, 1933-1975 (14.5 cubic feet).
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