Governor Park Trammell

PARK TRAMMELL, Florida’s 21st governor, was born in Macon County, Alabama, on April 9, 1876. He attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and graduated from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, earning a law degree in 1899. Besides establishing a law practice in Lakeland, Florida, Trammell attained a career as a citrus grower and as an editor. He also served during the Spanish-American War in Tampa’s quartermaster’s duty. Trammell entered politics in 1900 as mayor of Lakeland, a position he was reelected to in 1901. He also served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1902, was a member of the Florida State Senate in 1904, serving as president of the senate in 1905, and was attorney general of Florida from 1909 to 1913. Trammell won the 1912 Democratic gubernatorial nomination and was elected Governor of Florida. During his tenure, he advocated for a state tax commission to balance property assessments among counties, and he endorsed legislation that would manage money used during election campaigns. Trammell also was a proponent of creating a labor commission, he sponsored stricter statutes on all railroad charges, and he endorsed racial segregation, overlooking the lynching of blacks, and causing more atrocious acts throughout the state. After leaving office, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1916, and served until his death. Governor Park Trammell died on May 8, 1936, and he is buried at the Roselawn Cemetery in Lakeland, Florida.