J. Thomas Watson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 27th Florida Attorney General | |
| In office January 7, 1941 – January 4, 1949 | |
| Governor | Spessard Holland Millard Caldwell |
| Preceded by | George Couper Gibbs |
| Succeeded by | Richard Ervin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1885-11-20)November 20, 1885 Danville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | October 24, 1954(1954-10-24) (aged 68) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (before 1954) Republican (after 1954) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Washington and Lee University (LLB) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
John Thomas Watson (November 20, 1885 – October 24, 1954) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 27thFlorida attorney general from 1941 to 1949.[1]
Watson was born inDanville, Virginia, on November 2, 1885. In 1903, he became superintendent of the Havana-American Cigar Company inTampa, Florida. He served in this position until 1908, when he returned to Virginia to attendWashington and Lee University, where he received hisBachelor of Laws in 1911. Upon graduation, Watson was admitted to theVirginia Bar and theFlorida Bar.
Watson served as a municipal judge in Tampa from 1913 until 1915. In 1931, he represented part ofHillsborough County in theFlorida House of Representatives.[2] In 1932, he ran forGovernor of Florida. Facing a tough competition, including former GovernorsJohn W. Martin andCary A. Hardee, Watson finished last in theDemocratic primary out of eight candidates, receiving just 1.42% of the vote.[3]
In 1935 Watson was appointed as aUnited States Special Attorney by theU.S. Department of Justice, a position he served in until 1938.
Watson won election in 1940 to become the 27th Attorney General of Florida. As Attorney General, Watson was very strict in his opposition tolabor unions. Watson instituted legal action in order to outlawclosed shops, believing they violated public policy. This was a result of a controversial closed shop agreement between the Tampa Shipbuilding Corporation and theAmerican Federation of Labor. Watson also supported theTaft–Hartley Act and institutedright-to-work laws.[4] Watson served as Florida Attorney General until 1948.
In 1948, Watson became a practicing attorney in Tampa. He ran again for governor in 1948, finishing fifth out of nine in the Democratic primary, receiving 9% of the vote.[5] He then ran for theU.S. House of Representatives, running in District 1, which included Hillsborough County. Watson lost in the Democratic primary runoff, losing 59% to 41% to State AttorneyChester B. McMullen.[6]
In 1954, Watson changed his party affiliation toRepublican in order to run for a special election following the death of GovernorDan McCarty. Watson defeated Charles E. Compton in the Republican primary, and facedState SenatorLeRoy Collins, a staunchsegregationist, in the general election.[7] However, Watson died just two weeks before the election. Despite his death, he still received 20% of the vote.[8]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harry S. Swan | Republican nominee forGovernor of Florida 1954 (died) | Succeeded by William A. Washburne Jr. |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Florida Attorney General 1941–1949 | Succeeded by |
