Frank D. Upchurch

Frank D. Upchurch
Upchurch in 1943
Member of the Florida Senate from the 31st district
In office 1943
Preceded by	Jurant T. Shepherd
Succeeded by	Walter B. Fraser
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from Nassau County
In office 1921
Personal details
Born	(1894-02-25)February 25, 1894
Died	June 2, 1986(1986-06-02) (aged 92)
Political party	Democratic
Children	Judge Frank Upchurch Jr. Hamilton Upchurch
Relatives	Tracy W. Upchurch (grandson)
Residence	St. Augustine, Florida[1]

Frank Drew Upchurch (February 25, 1894 – June 2, 1986)[2] was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of both houses of the Florida Legislature.

Biography

Upchurch born February 25, 1894, and was raised in Racepond, Georgia. Upchurch was a veteran of World War I, serving in the United States Marine Corps.[3] He represented Nassau County in the Florida House of Representatives in 1921 alongside C. C. Fuqua.[4] before moving to St. Augustine. He then became the city's Mayor in 1928.[5] He served as a member for the 31st district of the Florida Senate in 1943.[2][6]

Upchurch ran for governor in 1944, but was defeated by Millard Caldwell.[5] Upchurch was a leader in the conservative bloc of the Florida Democratic Party and a rival of U.S. Senator Claude Pepper.[7] He led the movement to send unpledged delegates to the 1944 Democratic National Convention in order to oppose Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.[8] Four years later, he served as the chair of its delegation to the 1948 Democratic National Convention. After the embrace of a civil rights plank, Upchurch joined Dixiecratic revolt and was one of four slated electors for the campaign of Strom Thurmond.[1] He died on June 2, 1986.[5]

References

1. Pleasant, Julian M (1998). "Claude Pepper, Strom Thurmond, and the 1948 Presidential Election in Florida". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 76 (4): 439–473. JSTOR 30149933. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
2. "The People of Lawmaking Florida 1822 – 2019" (PDF), Florida Legislature, February 2019, retrieved February 18, 2024
3. "Frank Drew Upchurch, Sr". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. June 3, 1986. p. 19. Retrieved March 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. 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 November 24, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
5. "Frank Upchurch, Former Mayor, State Legislator". Orlando Sentinel. June 3, 1986. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
6. "Florida Senators 1845-2001". Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
7. Goodnough, Burt T. (1974). "The 1948 Presidential Election in the State of Florida" (PDF). Thesis Submissions to the College of Humanities. Boca Raton, Florida: Florida Atlantic University. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
8. Lavin, Michael Terrence (1972). "The Dixiecrat Movement of 1948: A Study in Political Conflict". Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. College of William & Mary. p. 84. Retrieved March 8, 2024.