Cary A. Hardee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 23rd Governor of Florida | |
| In office January 4, 1921 – January 6, 1925 | |
| Preceded by | Sidney J. Catts |
| Succeeded by | John W. Martin |
| Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives | |
| In office 1915–1917 | |
| Preceded by | Ion Farris |
| Succeeded by | George H. Wilder |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives | |
| In office 1915–1919 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1876-11-13)November 13, 1876 Taylor County, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | November 21, 1957(1957-11-21) (aged 81) Live Oak, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Maude Randell Hardee |
Cary Augustus Hardee (November 13, 1876 – November 21, 1957) was an American educator, lawyer, legislator, and banker who served as the23rd governor ofFlorida.
Born inTaylor County, Florida, he spent most of his life inLive Oak, Florida. He was a teacher until 1900 when he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law.[1] 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.[2]
In 1905 he became the state's attorney for the Third Judicial District. He served as a member of theFlorida House of Representatives from 1915 to 1919, and wasSpeaker of the Florida House.[2][3]
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.[4]
He took office as governor on January 4, 1921.[2] 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.[3] Six counties were created during his tenure as governor.[5] He also halted the practice ofleasing state prisoners out to private businesses, following the death ofMartin Tabert.[3] During his term as governor,electrocution became a legal method of execution in Florida.[citation needed]
Hardee was less willing to spend state funds than his predecessor, the populistSidney Johnston Catts. During his tenure, the state cut the budgets of all three of Florida's state universities - theUniversity of Florida, theFlorida State College for Women, andFlorida A&M University. Hardee particularly targeted Florida A&M, which due tosegregation only servedAfrican-American students. Since he believed a more educated black populace would be more likely toleave the state in search of better opportunities, he instructed his appointees to theFlorida Board of Control to abolish the liberal arts program at the school and convert it into a purely vocational college. FAMU presidentNathan 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.[6][7][8]
He offered to send in National Guard troops in response to theRosewood Massacre but the local sheriff refused the offer.[9]
Hardee left office on January 6, 1925.[2] He ran for governor again in 1932, but lost theDemocraticprimary.[10]
He was a banker in Live Oak until his death in 1957.[10]
Hardee County, Florida is named in his honor.[11]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John W. Martin | 66,940 | 24.19 | |
| Democratic | David Sholtz | 55,406 | 20.02 | |
| Democratic | Cary A. Hardee | 50,427 | 18.22 | |
| Democratic | Stafford Caldwell | 44,938 | 16.24 | |
| Democratic | Charles W. Durrance | 36,291 | 13.12 | |
| Democratic | T. S. Hart | 9,525 | 3.44 | |
| Democratic | Arthur Gomez | 9,244 | 3.34 | |
| Democratic | J. Thomas Watson | 3,949 | 1.43 | |
| Total votes | 276,720 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cary A. Hardee | 103,407 | 77.94% | ||
| Republican | George E. Gay | 23,788 | 17.93% | ||
| Socialist | F.C. Whitaker | 2,823 | 2.13% | ||
| Independent | W.L. VanDuzer | 2,654 | 2.00% | ||
| Majority | 79,619 | ||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cary A. Hardee | 52,591 | 59.48 | |
| Democratic | Van C. Swearingen | 30,240 | 34.20 | |
| Democratic | Lincoln Hulley | 5,591 | 6.32 | |
| Total votes | 88,422 | 100.00 | ||
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Florida 1920 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Florida January 4, 1921 – January 6, 1925 | Succeeded by |
| Military(1821) |  | |
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| Territorial(1822–1845) | ||
| State(since 1845) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
