F. Eugene Tubbs

F. Eugene Tubbs
Tubbs in 1970
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 72nd district
In office 1970–1972
Preceded by	Richard J. Tillman
Succeeded by	John P. Harllee
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 45th district
In office 1972–1974
Preceded by	William L. Gibson
Succeeded by	Clark Maxwell Jr.
Personal details
Born	(1935-07-31)July 31, 1935 Dania Beach, Florida, U.S.
Died	July 4, 1978(1978-07-04) (aged 42) Lake City, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Caroline Tubbs[1]

F. Eugene Tubbs (July 31, 1935 – July 4, 1978) was an American politician. He served as a Republican member for the 45th and 72nd district of the Florida House of Representatives.[2][3]

Tubbs was born in Dania Beach, Florida, the son of Margaret Tubbs.[4] Tubbs served as a flight surgeon on NASA’s Project Gemini.[1][4] He was a doctor in Brevard County, Florida,[4] and worked in the emergency department at the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.[1] He was credited as one of the creators of the sports drink Gatorade, along with four other people at the University of Florida.[1][5]

In 1970, Tubbs was elected for the 72nd district of the Florida House of Representatives.[2] He then represented the 45th district from 1972 to 1974.[2] In the same year, he moved to Tallahassee, Florida.[4]

In 1970 Tubbs sued the Stokely-Van Camp Company for $2 million as his share of the royalties from the development of Gatorade.[6] The claim was later reduced to $9,000.[7]

Tubbs died in July 1978 in a plane crash in Lake City, Florida, at the age of 42,[1] along with his wife, Caroline.[1][5]

References

1. "Former State Rep. Tubbs, Wife Die In Plane Crash". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. July 5, 1978. p. 45. Retrieved June 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "House of Representatives". Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
3. Ward, Robert (August 3, 2011). "Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County 1845-2012" (PDF). Florida House of Representatives. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
4. "Frederick Eugene Tubbs". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. July 6, 1978. p. 44. Retrieved June 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Rovell, Darren (2006). First in Thirst: How Gatorade Turned the Science of Sweat Into a Cultural Phenomenon. American Management Association. p. 213. ISBN 9780814472996 – via Google Books.
6. White, Nick (April 7, 1970). "Doctor Sues For 'Share' In Gatorade". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 2B. Retrieved June 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Gatorade Suit Falls To $9,000". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. May 21, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved June 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.