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Born in Miami in 1943, Bruce A. Smathers attended the St. Alban's School in Washington, D.C., before graduating with honors from Yale and receiving his law degree from the University of Florida College of Law. He served in the U.S. Navy as an Intelligence Officer with the elite Underwater Demolition Team (1965-1967). For his service in Vietnam, he earned several honors, including the National Defense Medal. He also served in the Naval Reserve. Before entering politics, Smathers moved from Miami to Jacksonville, where he joined the Duval County's State Attorney's Office and, subsequently, the firm Moss, Mitchell, and Smathers.
Smathers represented the Ninth District (Jacksonville) in the Florida Senate from 1972 to 1974. He resigned to seek the office of Secretary of State, which he held from 1975 to 1978. As a State Senator, Smathers helped restore the death penalty to the state's criminal laws and he was instrumental in reorganizing the state's educational funding. He served on three Committees: Education, Governmental Operations, and Ways and Means.
Summary:
The collection contains the papers that Bruce A. Smathers created and maintained prior to and during his time as State Senator. The types of records include personal papers, legislative materials and subject files. The collection documents Smathers commitment to government service and his involvement in a wide variety of economic, social, educational, and political issues.
The personal papers include biographical, family and financial information, correspondence, awards and certificates, photographs and campaign files. The campaign files include outlines of strategy, speeches, lists of contributors and correspondence. The Duval and Jacksonville records contain legislative materials, correspondence and reference files on activities, agencies and organizations in the City of Jacksonville and Duval County. The subject files contain materials on various state and national topics, agencies and organizations. The State Senate records include issues files, which contain draft bills and pre-legislative data, and bill files by numbered bills and committee substitutes. The Senate records also include constituent correspondence regarding various bills, reference materials for the committees on which Smathers served, and press (clippings, editorials, news releases, etc.) regarding the various issues and interests.
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Subject Access Fields:
Smathers, Bruce A.
Education, Senate Committee on. Governmental Operations, Senate Committee on. Ways and Means, Senate Committee on.
Budget Florida Education Florida Electioneering Florida Legislation Florida Legislators Florida
Duval County (Fla.) Jacksonville (Fla.)
for detailed listing.