Warren, Fuller, 1905-1973

Thirteenth Governor of Florida, lawyer.

Fuller Warren was born in Blountstown, Florida, on October 3, 1905. He developed an early interest in politics, running for a page in the State Legislature at the age of 13. He attended the University of Florida. While still a student, he was elected to the House of Representatives from Calhoun County, Florida, at the age of 21. He received his law degree from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1929, and was admitted to the Florida Bar.

He began to practice law in Jacksonville, served on the City Council, and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1939. During World War II, he served 26 months as a Navy gunnery officer in Italy and North Africa. During his administration as Governor of Florida, Fuller Warren began planning for the Florida Turnpike, the Jacksonville Expressway and the Sunshine Skyway at St. Petersburg. After his term was up, Warren moved to Miami, where he practiced law until his death on September 23, 1973.

Fuller Warren was born on October 3, 1905, in Blountstown, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1926 and a Law Degree from Cumberland University in 1930. While a senior at the University of Florida, he was elected to represent Calhoun County in the State House of Representatives (1927). Returning to Jacksonville after law school, Fuller Warren was elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 1931 and served until 1937. He returned to the State House of Representatives in 1939 representing Duval County. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1940. He served as a Naval Gunnery Officer during World War II. He was elected governor of Florida in 1948 and served from 1949 to 1953.

As governor, Fuller Warren led the fight to end open (unfenced) ranging of cattle. The first state sales tax was passed during his administration. He was involved in two major controversies while in office. The first involved a lawsuit he filed against Collier's magazine for libel. The second was a conflict with U.S. Senator Kefauver's investigation into organized crime. He left office in 1953 and his later bid to be governor in 1956 was unsuccessful. After 1953 he lived in Miami where he practiced law. Fuller Warren was married three times: Sallie Mae Stegall, 1929-1937; Pat Pacetti, 1939-1942; and Barbara Manning, 1949-1954. He died September 23, 1973.