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Record Group Number: 900000
Series/Collection Number: M75- 74
Creator: Johnson, Beth McCullough, 1909-1973
Title, Dates: Beth Johnson papers, 1957-1970.
Amount: 8.00 cubic ft.
Medium Included:
Organization/Arrangement: By record type.
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Biographical/Historical:     Beth Johnson was a Democratic representative of the 19th District (Orange County) in the Florida House of Representatives from 1957 to 1962 and the Florida Senate from 1962 to 1967. She was the second woman elected to the Florida House and the first female state senator in Florida history.

    She was born Beth McCullough in 1909 in Butler, Pennsylvania; graduated from Vassar College in 1930; and after her marriage to George W. Johnson she moved to Florida in 1934. Once her children were grown, she entered public service and began to gain notoriety in 1950 when William Beardall, then-mayor of Orlando, appointed her to the city planning and zoning board. In time, she became chair of the board.

    Johnson was successively elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention (1952), member of the Florida House of Representatives (1957, 1958, 1960), and state senator (1962, 1964). Her major activities in the Legislature concerned the fields of public and higher education, finance and taxation, mental health, conservation and the citrus industry. Johnson's first defeat occurred in March 1967 when the state held a Federal court-ordered special general election due to legislative reapportionment.

Summary:     The collection contains the papers of Beth Johnson from the beginning of her term as State Representative in 1957 until 1970 and comprises the following record types: campaign and election records, senate records, subject files, personal records, and publications and other printed matter. Also included are her files from the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. The diverse subject files show Johnson's interest in a variety of issues, especially mental health. Of interest are files dealing with legislative reapportionment.

Finding Aids: Folder listing available. 0
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Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields: Florida Constitution Revision Commission.
Apportionment (Election law) Florida
Constitution revisions.
Election districts Florida
Legislators Florida
Mental health Florida
Reapportionment.
Universities and colleges Florida
Women History 20th century Florida
Women legislators Florida
Florida Constitution
Orange County (Fla.)
Added Entries