George G. McWhorter

George G. McWhorter was a Florida lawyer and Democratic politician who served on the Florida Supreme Court from 1885 to 1887. He was born onFebruary 27, 1833. He died May 21, 1891.

McWhorter was born in Coosada, Alabama in Autauga County, the son of Alwyn Amzi and Sarah Hamlin. As a child, he was more interested in other pursuits than study. He never the less went to university in Alabama and Georgia. He married Mary Louise Roche from Columbia, South Carolina in 1856, a year before moving to Santa Rosa County in western Florida near Milton. The McWhorters breifly moved to Birmingham, where he read law, and returned to Milton in 1859 and was admitted to the Bar. Be built a solid reputation as an attorney working for the railroad and local timber companies and arguing cases before the Florida Supreme Court.

Civil War and Reconstruction experiences galvanized McWhorter's political views. He became a leader of the Florida Democratic party and staunchly resisted Reconstruction. In 1876, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he became Speaker of the House. He served in the House for two years. He left office and campaigned around the state for other candidates in the 1880 elections. In 1884, he served as an elector for President Grover Cleveland.

He also supported Edward A. Perry's campaign for governor, and was appointed on January 13, 1885 by Governor Perry to replace Chief Justice Randall, who had retired in January of 1885. His salary was $3,000 per year. He served on the Bench until July 1, 1887, to become chair of the Florida Railroad Commission. He served on the Commission from August 17, 1887 until ill health forced his retirement on April 30, 1891. He died at his home in Santa Rosa County on May 21, 1891.

References

* [http://books.google.com/books?id=FUcoAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA300&lpg=PA300&dq=%22George+G.+McWhorter%22&source=web&ots=JMj1mLFpNa&sig=4GHDe2b3yZh0qwnxHwrH7UhqFFQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result "Appletons' Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events". Page 300. D. Appleton and company. 1892. Online. Google Books. July 1, 2008.]

* [http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:9--gKvlOjAkJ:www.psc.state.fl.us/publications/pdf/about/commissioner_history_05_07.pdf+%22George+G.+McWhorter%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us&lr=lang_en Florida Public Service Commissioner History. Online. July 1, 2008.]

*Manley, Walter W., Brown, E. Canter. and Rise, Eric W. "The Supreme Court of Florida and Its Predecessor Courts, 1821-1917." pp 275 - 278. University Press of Florida. Gainesville, Florida. 1997. eBook ISBN: 9780813022987. ISBN: 9780813015408. at [http://www.netlibrary.com/Reader/ Netlbrary] . Online. April 23, 2008.

* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mcredmond-meachem.html The Political Graveyard]

* [http://books.google.com/books?id=tWw3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=An+American+almanac+and+treasury+of+facts,+statistical,+financial,+and+political,+for+the+year+1878.&source=web&ots=fDkDMEhbRf&sig=KzqPfm2PAmAbYEnUjRv1gQ8HRyI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA179,M1Spofford, Ainsworth Rand. "An American almanac and treasury of facts, statistical, financial, and political, for the year 1878." Page 179. American News Company. 1887. Online. Google Books. July 1, 2008.]

* [http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:nvu8l12jV0YJ:www.floridasupremecourt.org/pub_info/documents/appointed.pdf+%22Benjamin+D.+Wright%22+florida+%2Bcourt&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us Thursby, Mary Agnes. "Succession of Justices of Supreme Court of Florida." Online. July 1, 2008.]