Syd Herlong | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Florida | |
| In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Joe Hendricks |
| Succeeded by | Bill Chappell |
| Constituency | 5th district (1949–1967) 4th district (1967–1969) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Albert Sydney Herlong Jr. February 14, 1909 |
| Died | December 27, 1995(1995-12-27) (aged 86) |
| Political party | Democratic (1937–1985) |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (1985–1995) |
| Alma mater | University of Florida |
Albert Sydney Herlong Jr. (February 14, 1909 – December 27, 1995) was an American lawyer and politician fromFlorida who served ten terms in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1969. He was a member of theDemocratic Party.
Herlong was born in the small community ofManistee, Alabama in 1909, and moved with his parents toMarion County, Florida in 1912. He attended the public schools ofSumter andLake counties and graduated fromLeesburg High School inLeesburg, Florida. Herlong attended theUniversity of Florida inGainesville, Florida, where he was a member ofPi Kappa Phi fraternity (Alpha Epsilon Chapter), and graduated in 1930. He wasadmitted toThe Florida Bar in 1930 and started his law practice in Leesburg.
Herlong was elected county judge ofLake County, Florida, and served from 1937 to 1949. He served ascity attorney of Leesburg from 1946 to 1948. He held a reserve commission ascaptain in theU.S. Army and was called to active duty in theJudge Advocate General's Department in August 1941. He was discharged in 1942 due to physical disability. He served two enlistments in the Florida State Guard. He served as president of the Florida State Baseball League in 1947 and 1948.[1]
Herlong was elected as aDemocrat to theEighty-first and to the nine succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1969).
In Congress, Herlong was noted for hisanti-communist advocacy. In 1959, Herlong introduced a bill to establish a federally funded Freedom Academy that would counter-act foreign countries' Communist propaganda.[2][3][4] On January 10, 1963, at the request of constituent Patricia Nordman, Herlong read into theCongressional Record a list of 45 goals of communism from the bookThe Naked Communist byW. Cleon Skousen.[5]
Herlong was a signatory to the 1956Southern Manifesto[6] that opposed the desegregation of public schools ordered by the Supreme Court inBrown v. Board of Education. Herlong voted against theCivil Rights Acts of 1957,[7] theCivil Rights Acts of 1960,[8] theCivil Rights Acts of 1964,[9] and theCivil Rights Acts of 1968[10] as well as the24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution[11] and theVoting Rights Act of 1965.[12]
He was not a candidate for reelection in 1968 to theNinety-first Congress. He supported Nixon’s campaign for president in 1968.[13]
He resumed his practice of law. Appointed in 1969 by PresidentRichard Nixon,[14] Herlong served in theSecurities and Exchange Commission until 1973.
In 1985, Herlong formally changed his party affiliation toRepublican.[13]
In 1967, while Herlong was still a Congressman, his portrait was painted by renowned portraitistEverett Raymond Kinstler.
Herlong died December 27, 1995, at his home inLeesburg, Florida. He was married and had four daughters, Sydney, Dorothy, Mary Alice, and Margaret.[13][15][16]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 5th congressional district January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1967 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 4th congressional district January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1969 | Succeeded by |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
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