Levin College of Law
Welcome to UF LAW

Lawton M. Chiles Jr.

Return to Heritage of Leadership

(1930-1998)

Lawton M. Chiles Jr.

Fourth generation Florida native who became an extraordinary public servant and basically gave his entire life to the people of the state. Selfdescribed “he-coon” (biggest and craftiest raccoon) of political strategy and a Florida political icon known for his folksy demeanor. He first made his mark in state politics (serving in both House and Senate for combined 12 years), became a noted U.S. Senator (18 years), and returned home to accomplish even more for Florida as Governor during the last eight years of his life. Famous for his advocacy for children, the environment and his fight against the tobacco industry. Upon his death, Chiles was recognized by President Bill Clinton as “an indefatigable champion of Florida’s children and families, steadfast protector of the environment, a statesman, role model and one of the most successful and respected public officials in the latter half of the 20th Century.”

Born 1930 in Lakeland. Married Rhea Grafton, and they had four children: Tandy Chiles Barrett, Lawton (Bud) Chiles III, Ed Chiles and Rhea Gay Chiles. He is survived by his wife and children.

College Education / Achievements

  • B.A. 1952; J. D. 1955, University of Florida. Blue Key, Alpha Tau Omega, Phi Delta Phi
  • College of Law announces, 2002, expanded law library to be known as Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center
  • Designated Distinguished Alumnus, University of Florida, 1972

Legal Experience

  • Practiced law in Lakeland (Carr Chiles & Ellsworth) starting in 1955
  • Chairman, Florida Law Revision Commission, 1968-70

Non-Legal Achievements

  • U.S. Army artillery officer, Korean Conflict, 1953-1954
  • Florida House of Representatives, 1959-66
  • Florida Senate, 1966-70
  • Became known as ‘Walkin’ Lawton’ in ’70 U.S. Senate campaign (1,003 miles across state in 91 days, Pensacola to Dade County)
  • U.S. Senate, 1971-89, succeeding boyhood idol Sen. Spessard Holland
    • Introduced in ’71 first measure to create Big Cypress National Preserve in Everglades. Proposal for open congressional and federal agency meetings passed in ’75
    • Successfully opens Florida House in Washington after campaign with wife for donations. Established, chaired National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality. Special Committee on Aging, Chairman of Committee on the Budget and used consensus building/bipartisanship to control budget deficit.
  • Governor of Florida, 1991-98 (During ’90 campaign, set $100 contribution limit)
    • Initially faced crises of state mired in recession, Hurricane Andrew and tourist murders.
    • Accomplishments included privatizing Florida Department of Commerce (replacing with Enterprise Florida, national model for publicprivate partnership); appointing more African- American, Hispanic and female judges than any governor; ‘Champion of Children’ and their causes, including implementation of Healthy Start healthcare. Won multi-billion dollar suit against tobacco industry
Associations / Organizations / Honors
  • Multiple Florida schools named in his honor, including one in Gainesville (2525 Schoolhouse Road) and one in Orlando (11001 Bloomfield Drive). Nickname of Orlando’s Lawton Chiles Elementary School athletic and competitive teams: The Walkin’ Lawtons.

Published: June 26th, 2014

Category: Alumni

Comments are closed.

Recent News

News Archive

University of Florida Levin College of Law
309 Village Drive
PO Box 117620
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 273-0804
Text-Only Version

Tools

Website

Quick Links

The Florida Constitutional Law Endowment in memory of Justice Ben F. Overton was created by Judge Karen Miller in 2013. This fund supports lectures and presentations by Justices of the Florida Supreme Court at the Fredric G. Levin College of Law.

HISTORY

Justice Overton, who earned his B.S. in 1951 and his Juris Doctor in 1952 from the University of Florida, was the first merit appointment to the Florida Supreme Court. Throughout his career he was active in legal education and served as an Adjunct Professor at the Levin College of Law through December 2012, the month of his death. Although he resided at Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, a continuing care retirement community developed in cooperation with UF, he also considered the Florida Supreme Court “home.” Among the high points of his later years was hosting Justices of the Florida Supreme Court in Gainesville and taking his class to Tallahassee to hear oral arguments at the Florida Supreme Court.
Judge Miller, who earned her B.S. cum laude from New York University in 1974 and her Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 1977, served as Chief Administrative Law Judge of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, New York City’s business regulatory agency, before she retired to Oak Hammock at the University of Florida. Having accompanied Justice Overton on his excursions to Tallahassee and joined him in welcoming guests to Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, she created the endowment in memory of Justice Overton to ensure that the Levin College of Law continues to have the funding necessary to continue and enhance the interaction between its students and the Florida Supreme Court.

 

Judge Miller remembered the event that motivated the endowment.

 

Prior to a dinner at the home of Dean Robert Jerry and Lisa Jerry shortly after Justice Overton’s death, Justice Barbara Pariente and I were discussing a suitable memorial. Justice Pariente, who had been Justice Overton’s colleague on the Florida Supreme Court and who understood the importance to him of the interaction between his students and the Court, suggested the outline of what has become the Overton lectures. Dean Jerry, who has since retired, as has Dean Emeritus Jon Mills, who assumed responsibility for implementing the Overton lectures, were very supportive from the beginning. Since Dean Mills’ retirement, Professor Timothy McClendon, who assisted both Justice Overton and Dean Mills teaching Florida Constitutional Law and who co-authored the recent Florida Constitutional Law casebook, has continued the Overton lectures with the support of Interim Dean Merritt McAlister and CGR director, Professor Danaya Wright.

Justice Overton was a devoted jurist, educator, and ethical leader of the Florida legal profession. The Overton Lecture Series brings Florida Supreme Court Justices to the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and serves to introduce students to the inner workings of the Court. CGR and the students of the College of Law extend our deepest gratitude to Judge Karen Miller for making the Overton Lectures possible in perpetuity.

You can watch an interview for the Florida Historical Society by Mary Adkins, professor emeritus of the UF Levin College of Law, with Justice Overton here.

Justice Overton was also interviewed for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Project and a transcript of his interview is available at the Smathers Library, and here.
Justice Overton sat on the Constitution Revision Commission of 1977-78 that proposed a right to privacy in the Florida Constitution. Although it failed as part of the Constitution Revision Commission recommendations, it passed in 1980 when proposed by the legislature. The bill was co-sponsored by our very own Jon Mills. The privacy provision prevailed by greater than 60%. Justice Overton then wrote a concurrence in a critical reproductive rights case in 1989 affirming that the privacy provision of the Florida Constitution included the right to obtain an abortion. That decision was overruled in Planned Parenthood of SW and Central Florida v. Florida. You can read about the role of Justice Overton, Jon Mills – director emeritus of CGR, and the history of the 1989 case here.