Cary Augustus Hardee (November 13, 1876 – November 21, 1957) was an American educator, lawyer, legislator, and banker who served as the 23rd Governor of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Biography

Early life and career

Born in

Taylor County, Florida Taylor County is a county located in the Big Bend region in the northern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,796. Its county seat is Perry. The county hosts the annual Florida Forest Festival and h ...

, he spent most of his life in

Live Oak, Florida Live Oak is a city in northern Florida and it is the county seat of Suwannee County, Florida, United States. The city is the county seat of Suwannee County and is located east of Tallahassee. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census ...

. He was a teacher until 1900 when he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law. Additionally, he was a banker, establishing the First National Bank of Live Oak in 1902 and later serving as its president. He also organized the Mayo State Bank and was president of the Branford State Bank.

Political career

In 1905 he became the state's attorney for the Third Judicial District. He served as a member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

from 1915 to 1919, and was speaker of the Florida House.

Gubernatorial campaign issues

Hardee identified his positions on the issues of better and more efficient government, taxation, waterways and roads, agriculture, and veterans' affairs in a 1920 newspaper article.

Governorship

He took office as governor on January 4, 1921. During his term, the state adopted constitutional amendments that reapportioned the legislature and prohibited the levying of state income and inheritance taxes along with starting the first state gasoline tax. Six counties would be created during his tenure as governor. He also halted the practice of leasing state prisoners out to private businesses. During his term as governor,

electrocution Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coined ...

became a legal method of execution in Florida. He offered to send in National Guard troops in response to the

Rosewood Massacre The Rosewood massacre was a racially motivated massacre of black people and the destruction of a black town that took place during the first week of January 1923 in rural Levy County, Florida, United States. At least six black people and two whit ...

but the local sheriff refused the offer.

Post-governorship

Hardee left office on January 6, 1925. He ran for governor again in 1932, but lost the Democratic

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

. He was a banker in Live Oak until his death in 1957.

Honors and memorials

Hardee County, Florida Hardee County is a county located in the Florida Heartland, Central Florida region U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,327. Its county seat is Wauchula. Hardee County comprises the Wauchula, FL Micropolitan St ...

is named in his honor.

Electoral history

References

External links

Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida
*
A photograph of Cary A. Hardee and his cabinet
from

Florida Memory Florida Memory or the Florida Memory Program (formerly known as Florida Photographic Digital Imaging Project and Florida Memory Project) is an LSTA-funded internet-based digital outreach program providing free online access to primary source mate ...

ran by the Florida State Library and Archives of Florida. 1876 births 1957 deaths Democratic Party governors of Florida Speakers of the Florida House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives People from Taylor County, Florida People from Live Oak, Florida {{Florida-politician-stub