Frank Drew Upchurch (February 25, 1894 – June 2, 1986)[2] was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of both houses of the Florida Legislature.
Frank D. Upchurch | |
|---|---|
 Upchurch in 1943 | |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 31st district | |
| In office 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Jurant T. Shepherd |
| Succeeded by | Walter B. Fraser |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from Nassau County | |
| In office 1921 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 25, 1894 |
| Died | June 2, 1986 (aged 92) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Judge Frank Upchurch Jr. Hamilton Upchurch |
| Relatives | Tracy W. Upchurch (grandson) |
| Residence | St. Augustine, Florida[1] |
Biography
editUpchurch born February 25, 1894, and was raised in Racepond, Georgia. Upchurch was a veteran of World War I, serving in the United States Marine Corps.[3] He represented Nassau County in the Florida House of Representatives in 1921 alongside C. C. Fuqua.[4] before moving to St. Augustine. He then became the city's Mayor in 1928.[5] He served as a member for the 31st district of the Florida Senate in 1943.[2][6]
Upchurch ran for governor in 1944, but was defeated by Millard Caldwell.[5] Upchurch was a leader in the conservative bloc of the Florida Democratic Party and a rival of U.S. Senator Claude Pepper.[7] He led the movement to send unpledged delegates to the 1944 Democratic National Convention in order to oppose Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.[8] Four years later, he served as the chair of its delegation to the 1948 Democratic National Convention. After the embrace of a civil rights plank, Upchurch joined Dixiecratic revolt and was one of four slated electors for the campaign of Strom Thurmond.[1] He died on June 2, 1986.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Pleasant, Julian M (1998). "Claude Pepper, Strom Thurmond, and the 1948 Presidential Election in Florida". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 76 (4): 439–473. JSTOR 30149933. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "The People of Lawmaking Florida 1822 – 2019" (PDF), Florida Legislature, February 2019, retrieved February 18, 2024
- ^ "Frank Drew Upchurch, Sr". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. June 3, 1986. p. 19. Retrieved March 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ward, Robert (August 3, 2011). "Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County 1845-2012" (PDF). Florida House of Representatives. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b c "Frank Upchurch, Former Mayor, State Legislator". Orlando Sentinel. June 3, 1986. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ "Florida Senators 1845-2001". Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Goodnough, Burt T. (1974). "The 1948 Presidential Election in the State of Florida" (PDF). Thesis Submissions to the College of Humanities. Boca Raton, Florida: Florida Atlantic University. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ Lavin, Michael Terrence (1972). "The Dixiecrat Movement of 1948: A Study in Political Conflict". Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. College of William & Mary. p. 84. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
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