The 57 Club

My Four Decades in Florida Politics

Frederick B. Karl

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Year: 2010
• eBook ISBN: 9780813059280
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The 57 Club was the self-assigned name of the thirty-nine legislators first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1956. Karl's fascinating autobiography not only recalls those years, when Florida was in the midst of a transformation away from its rural, racially segregated, Deep South roots, but also offers intimate details into a half century of public service.

By sharing his own experiences and reactions, describing what he witnessed or heard along the way, and telling stories about friends and colleagues, Karl gives readers a front row seat to some of the most captivating and turbulent moments in twentieth-century Florida politics. His insights into how the legislature functions--from the politics of committee assignments to the usefulness of lobbyists, from the savvy use of rules on the floor to debating skills, from polite ways of punishing unethical colleagues to the use of humor to calm angry exchanges, and much more--all make for an absorbing tale.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Part 1. The Club, the People, and the Environment
• Part 2. The Issues
• Part 3. Governors, the Media, and Campaigns
• Part 4. The Operators
• Appendix A The 1957 Freshmen in the Florida House of Representatives
• Appendix B Jack Orr’s Speech
• Appendix C Toby Simon’s Case
• Appendix D Governor Collins Veto Message of the Last Resort Bill
• Appendix E Interposition Resolution in Response to Brown v. Board of Education, 1957
• Acknowledgments
• Index