Reubin Askew
| Reubin Askew | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 7th United States Trade Representative | |
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In office October 1, 1979 – December 31, 1980 |
|
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Robert Strauss |
| Succeeded by | Bill Brock |
| 37th Governor of Florida | |
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In office January 5, 1971 – January 2, 1979 |
|
| Lieutenant |
Tom Adams Jim Williams |
| Preceded by | Claude Kirk |
| Succeeded by | Bob Graham |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 2nd district |
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In office November 6, 1962 – November 3, 1970 |
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| Preceded by | Philip D. Beall |
| Succeeded by | W. D. Childers |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the Escambia County district |
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In office November 4, 1958 – November 6, 1962 |
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| Preceded by | J.B. Hopkins |
| Succeeded by | Gordon W. Wells |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Reubin O'Donovan Askew September 11, 1928 Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | March 13, 2014 (aged 85) Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Donna Lou Harper |
| Education |
Florida State University (BA) University of Florida (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1946–1948 |
| Rank |
 Sergeant• Paratrooper |
Reubin O'Donovan Askew (September 11, 1928 – March 13, 2014) was an American politician, who served as the 37th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida from 1971 to 1979. He led on tax reform, civil rights, and financial transparency for public officials, maintaining an outstanding reputation for personal integrity. Askew is widely thought to have been one of the state's best governors; in 2014 the Tampa Bay Times ranked him the second best governor in Florida history and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University rated him one of the country's top ten governors of the 20th century.
Askew was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, one of the six children of Leon G. Askew and Alberta (O'Donovan) Askew. His parents divorced, in part because of what Askew said was his father's "serious drinking problem." Two of his brothers later had similar problems. Askew chose to be a lifelong teetotaller and non-smoker.
In 1937, his mother moved with Reubin to Pensacola, Florida. Askew’s middle name, O’Donovan, was his mother’s maiden name. His signature used the double initial (O’D.) in her honor.
In 1944, Askew was initiated as a member of Escambia Chapter Order of DeMolay, an organization of young men based on the Knights Templar. He graduated from Pensacola High School in 1946. Later that year, Askew entered the Army as a paratrooper, serving for two years; in 1948 he was discharged in the rank of Sergeant.
Askew next attended Florida State University, where he was a brother of Delta Tau Delta and Alpha Phi Omega. At FSU, Askew was elected as Student Body President, beginning his long career in politics. He graduated from Florida State University in 1951 with a B.S. degree in Public Administration. He later completed law school at the University of Florida Levin College of Law.
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