Cary Augustus Hardee (November 13, 1876 – November 21, 1957) was an American educator, lawyer, legislator, and banker who served as the 23rd governor of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Biography

Early life and career

Born in

Taylor County, Florida Taylor County is a county located in the Big Bend region in the northern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,796. Its county seat is Perry. The county hosts the annual Florida Forest Festival and ...

, he spent most of his life in

Live Oak, Florida Live Oak is a city and the county seat of Suwannee County, Florida, United States. The city is midway between Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville. As of 2020, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Burea ...

. He was a teacher until 1900 when he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law. Additionally, he was a banker, establishing the First National Bank of Live Oak in 1902 and later serving as its president. He also organized the Mayo State Bank and was president of the Branford State Bank.

Political career

In 1905 he became the state's attorney for the Third Judicial District. He served as a member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

from 1915 to 1919, and was Speaker of the Florida House.

Gubernatorial campaign issues

Hardee identified his positions on the issues of better and more efficient government, taxation, waterways and roads, agriculture, and veterans' affairs in a 1920 newspaper article.

Governorship

He took office as governor on January 4, 1921. During his term, the state adopted constitutional amendments that reapportioned the legislature and prohibited the levying of state income and inheritance taxes along with starting the first state gasoline tax. Six counties were created during his tenure as governor. He also halted the practice of leasing state prisoners out to private businesses, following the death of Martin Tabert. During his term as governor,

electrocution Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coined ...

became a legal method of execution in Florida. Hardee was less willing to spend state funds than his predecessor, the populist

Sidney Johnston Catts Sidney Johnston Catts (July 31, 1863 – March 9, 1936) was an American politician, businessman, and anti-Catholic activist. He served as the 22nd governor of Florida from 1917 to 1921 as a member of the Prohibition Party, despite being a Demo ...

. During his tenure, the state cut the budgets of all three of Florida's state universities - the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

, the

Florida State College for Women Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, and

Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. ...

. Hardee particularly targeted Florida A&M, which due to

segregation Segregation may refer to: Separation of people * Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space * School segregation * Housing segregation * Racial segregation, separation of human ...

only served

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

students. Since he believed a more educated black populace would be more likely to leave the state in search of better opportunities, he instructed his appointees to the

Florida Board of Control The Florida Board of Control (1905–1965) was the statewide governing body for the State University System of Florida, which included all public universities in the state of Florida. It was replaced by the Florida Board of Regents in 1965.< ...

to abolish the liberal arts program at the school and convert it into a purely vocational college. FAMU president Nathan B. Young resisted these efforts, but was eventually forced to resign; in response, students at FAMU staged a violent strike that led to the destruction of multiple campus buildings. He offered to send in National Guard troops in response to the

Rosewood Massacre The Rosewood massacre was a racially motivated massacre of black people and the destruction of a black town that took place during the first week of January 1923 in rural Levy County, Florida, United States. At least six black people were kille ...

but the local sheriff refused the offer.

Post-governorship

Hardee left office on January 6, 1925. He ran for governor again in 1932, but lost the Democratic

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...

. He was a banker in Live Oak until his death in 1957.

Honors and memorials

Hardee County, Florida Hardee County is a County (United States), county located in the Florida Heartland of the Central Florida region in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,327. Its county seat is Wauch ...

is named in his honor.

Electoral history

References

External links

Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida
*
A photograph of Cary A. Hardee and his cabinet
from

Florida Memory Florida Memory or the Florida Memory Program (formerly known as the Florida Photographic Digital Imaging Project and Florida Memory Project) is a Library Services and Technology Act-funded internet-based digital outreach program providing free on ...

ran by the Florida State Library and Archives of Florida. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardee, Cary A. 1876 births 1957 deaths Democratic Party governors of Florida Speakers of the Florida House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives People from Taylor County, Florida People from Live Oak, Florida 20th-century members of the Florida Legislature