George Franklin Drew

George Franklin Drew (August 6, 1827 – September 26, 1900) was the 12th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida. He was a Democrat.

Early life and career

George Franklin Drew was born on August 6, 1827, in Alton, New Hampshire.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Drew had a grammar school level education<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref> and quit going to school when he was 12 because of his family's financial problems and ended up working on the family farm. Drew moved to Lowell, Massachusetts in 1841 to become an apprentice.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>

He moved to the South in 1847 where he opened a machine shop in Columbus, Georgia. During the American Civil War, Drew was loyal to the Union despite living in the Confederacy.<ref name=":1" /> After the Civil War ended, he moved to Ellaville, Florida in 1865 where he opened the largest sawmill in Florida.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Drew was a supporter of Ulysses S. Grant's presidential run in 1868.<ref name=":3" /> During Reconstruction in Florida,<ref name=":2">Template:Cite journal</ref> he became the chairman of the Madison County's commissioners in 1870.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Drew was a candidate for the Florida State Senate in 1872.<ref name=":3" />

Governorship

In 1876, Drew was elected as the Governor of Florida. His candidacy drew support from African Americans and former Southern Unionists.<ref name=":2" /> He was inaugurated on January 2, 1877.<ref name=":0" />

As governor, Drew attempted to eliminate the state's budget deficit from the state's previous administration. His legislative program followed the economic orthodoxy of the Bourbon Democrats. Drew proposed cutting expenditures to eliminate Florida's budget deficit. He closed the state prison at Chattahoochee and introduced a system of convict leasing.<ref name=":2" />

With regards to education, Drew said it was “cheaper to build schoolhouses and maintain schools than to build poorhouses and jails and support paupers and criminals.” He believed that the state had a responsibility to support the education of African Americans. Minor improvements were made to public school system at the elementary level, such as encouragement of rural education and standardization of textbooks. Drew's support did not extent to public high schools which he advocated eliminating. During Drew's administration he decided to abandon the Florida Agriculture College which was set to open in Eau Gallie.<ref name=":2" />

Drew opted to not seek a second term in 1880.<ref name=":2" />

Later life and death

He left office on January 4, 1881, returning to the lumber business. Later in life, he settled in Jacksonville serving as the president of the city's trade board. Drew died on September 26, 1900, in Jacksonville.<ref name=":0" />

External links

• Official Governor's portrait and biography from the State of Florida Template:Webarchive
• Last Letter of Governor George Franklin Drew From the State Library & Archives of Florida.
• Template:Find a Grave