Floyd Hicks

Floyd Verne Hicks (May 29, 1915-December 1, 1992) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He served as a Democrat from the state of Washington.

Hicks was born in Prosser, Washington on a Paiute-Shoshone Reservation. He attended Central Washington State College from which he earned an education degree. Hicks became a high school teacher and football coach. He continued his education at Washington State University, from which he earned certification as an education administrator.

When World War II broke out, Hicks joined the U.S. Army in 1942. He rose to the rank of captain in his four years in the military. Following his discharge, Hicks enrolled in the University of Washington, from which he earned a law degree in 1948. Soon afterward, he set up a small private practice in Pierce County, Washington. In 1961, Hicks was chosen as a superior court judge for his county.

In 1964, Hicks was elected to Congress, where he served on the House Committee on Armed Services. He served five terms, leaving Congress in 1975. Hicks did not run for reelection in 1974, in part due to a minor scandal. A Shoshone Indian, Hicks was accused of being part of a group of hunters who illegally killed a big-horn sheep. This minor incident received much negative publicity due to the Indian Rights' protests of the day. The more significant reason is that he was appointed to the State Supreme Court by Governor John Spellman, a Republican.