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Charley Eugene Johns
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Charley Eugene Johns
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Charley Eugene Johns (February 27, 1905 – January 23, 1990) was an American politician. Johns was the 32nd Governor of Florida for fifteen months from 1953 to 1955. With the exception of those months, he served in the Florida Senate from 1937 to 1966. From 1956 to 1965, he chaired a Senate committee, commonly known as the Johns Committee, that attempted to link civil rights organizations to communists and conducted a witch hunt against homosexuals in higher education.

Key Information

Biography

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Johns was born in Starke, Florida, on February 27, 1905.[1] He attended the University of Florida briefly, and then worked for ten years as a railroad brakeman and conductor. He set up an insurance agency that would operate for 40 years, occasionally profiting from selling policies to state agencies.[2][3] He married Thelma Brinson in 1927 and they soon had a son.[2]

He founded and served as president of the Community State Bank in Starke.[4][when?]

He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives and took office for the 1935 session. He was elected to the State Senate as a Democrat to serve in the 1937 session. Johns was a member of the "Pork Chop Gang",[a] a group of 20 conservative legislators from North Florida who favored racial segregation and consolidated political power and money in the northern, more rural parts of the state. A gerrymandered voting system allowed them to control the legislature for decades.[2]

Early in his career as a state senator he promoted, without success, the construction of a portable electric chair that could be transported by truck with an electric generator and set up in the jail or courthouse where a convicted person was sentenced.[5]

Johns became the President of the Senate in April 1953.[b] Upon the death of Governor Dan McCarty on September 28, 1953, Johns became the Acting Governor[3] under the provisions of the state constitution. Commonly referred to as "Governor", his proper title was "Acting Governor".[3][6] As Acting Governor, Johns promoted highway construction and the elimination of tolls on the Overseas Highway between Miami and Key West.[1] He also failed during the 1953 legislative session in his first attempt to establish "a joint legislative committee to investigate criminal and subversive activities".[2]

In 1954, Johns ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for the election to complete the remaining two years of McCarty's term,[4] losing the Democratic primary on a vote of 380,323 to 314,198 to LeRoy Collins on May 25.[3][c] He ended his service as governor on January 4, 1955. He took his seat in the Senate once more and that year he introduced and won passage of legislation prohibiting hotels from discriminating on the basis of religion in their advertising.[7] He served in the Senate until 1966. Throughout his Senate career he promoted prison reform.[1]

Johns is most remembered for his support and chairmanship of the infamous Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, nicknamed the "Johns Committee" because of Johns' chairmanship. This committee participated in the Red Scare and Lavender scare by investigating communists, homosexuals, and civil rights advocates among the students and faculty of Florida's university system. They were responsible for revoking teachers' certificates and firing university professors. By 1963, the committee had forced the dismissal or resignation of over 100 professors and deans at the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of South Florida.[citation needed] The state legislature ended funding for the committee in 1964 after it released a report called Homosexuality and Citizenship in Florida, which infamously became known as the "Purple Pamphlet". Its photographs depicting homosexual acts outraged legislators and prosecutors threatened action against its authors for distributing pornography.[citation needed]

Johns remained proud of the Committee's work. In 1972 he told an interviewer: "I don't get no love out of hurting people. But that situation in Gainesville, my Lord have mercy. I never saw nothing like it in my life. If we saved one boy from being made homosexual, it was justified."[2]

Johns died in a Gainesville hospital on January 23, 1990, after a long illness.[4]

Notes

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References

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Charley Eugene Johns

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Charley Eugene Johns (February 27, 1905 – January 23, 1990) was an American Democratic politician who served as acting of from September 28, 1953, to January 4, 1955, succeeding Dan McCarty upon his death while in office. Born in , and educated in the state's public schools, Johns worked as a railroad conductor before entering politics, representing Bradford County in the from 1935 to 1937 and then in the from 1937 to 1966, where he rose to Senate President in 1953. During his brief governorship, Johns prioritized infrastructure development, promoting highway construction and eliminating tolls on the connecting to to improve accessibility and economic ties. He unsuccessfully sought election to complete McCarty's term in , losing to . A vocal defender of segregation in the wake of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, Johns opposed federal mandates for school integration and advocated policies to maintain racial separation in public facilities. Returning to the Senate after his acting term, Johns championed prison reforms aimed at improving conditions and management within Florida's correctional system. He chaired the , commonly known as the Johns Committee, established in to examine alleged subversive influences in state institutions, initially targeting the NAACP's role in challenging segregation and later expanding to investigations of communist activities and homosexual conduct among educators and students. The committee's probes resulted in numerous dismissals from and schools, drawing for overreach and infringement on , though supporters viewed it as safeguarding against ideological threats during the era.

Early Life and Background

Birth, Family, and Education

Charley Eugene Johns was born on February 27, 1905, in Starke, . His father, Everette Eugene Johns (1870–1905), died shortly after his birth, leaving his mother, Annie Elizabeth Markley (1876–1953), to raise him and his siblings, including brother Markley Johns. Annie later remarried Algernon Mordant Pettit, who became Johns's stepfather. Johns married Thelma Brinson in 1927, and the couple had two children: son Charley Jerome Johns and daughter Markleyann Johns (later Cash). The family resided primarily in Starke, where Johns maintained lifelong ties to the community. Johns received his early education in Florida's public school system before attending the . He left the university without earning a degree to pursue business opportunities.

Pre-Political Career

Business and Professional Activities

Prior to entering politics, Charley Eugene Johns worked as a conductor for the , based in his hometown of . This role marked the early phase of his professional life after completing public schooling in the state. Johns transitioned into by owning and operating the Starke , a local enterprise that provided ice production and distribution services in County. He also established the Charley E. Johns Agency at 986 North Temple Avenue in Starke, where he sold policies, including to state entities during his later political tenure, though the agency originated in his pre-political years. In addition to these ventures, Johns founded the Community State Bank in Starke and served as its president, contributing to local amid the rural economy of northern during the 1920s and early 1930s. These activities reflected his engagement in small-scale business operations typical of Starke's agricultural and rail-dependent community, predating his election to the in 1935.

Entry into Politics

Initial Electoral Success and State Senate Role

Johns first achieved electoral success in 1935, when he was elected as a Democrat to the from County, serving one term until 1937. In 1937, he transitioned to the Florida State Senate after winning election to represent rural districts, including and Union counties, and held the seat continuously through 1966. As a senator, Johns aligned with the "Porkchop" faction of legislators from smaller, agrarian counties, which wielded disproportionate influence in the one-party Democratic to protect rural interests against urban and southern growth. His seniority and factional support culminated in election as Senate President for the 1953 legislative session, a leadership role that granted him authority to preside over debates, appoint committees, and set the agenda amid debates over and state expansion.

Acting Governorship

Ascension to Office and Key Decisions

Upon the death of Daniel T. McCarty on September 28, 1953, from complications following a heart attack he suffered earlier that year, Charley E. Johns, who was then serving as President of the , ascended to the role of acting governor under the provisions of the state constitution. Johns took the that same day in Tallahassee, assuming executive duties for the remainder of McCarty's term pending a special election. The Florida Supreme Court subsequently ruled that Johns held the formal title of acting governor while discharging these responsibilities. Johns pledged to maintain continuity with McCarty's agenda, emphasizing administrative harmony and a strict enforcement policy against illegal gambling and bootlegging. Among his notable decisions, Johns advanced state highway construction initiatives and oversaw the elimination of tolls on the Overseas Highway spanning Miami to Key West; on April 15, 1954, he dissolved the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge District, thereby removing the longstanding toll requirements and facilitating greater public access to the route. These infrastructure measures built on prior road-building efforts while addressing economic barriers for Florida residents and visitors. Johns served in this capacity until January 4, 1955, when newly elected Governor LeRoy Collins assumed office following the special election.

1954 Gubernatorial Campaign

The 1954 Florida gubernatorial special election was convened to fill the remaining approximately two years of Dan McCarty's term following his death on September 28, 1953. As Senate president, Charley E. Johns had ascended to acting governor on that date and subsequently entered the Democratic primary on May 4, 1954, seeking election to complete the term. Johns, backed by the rural-dominated "Porkchop" of the , emphasized continuity in conservative , including staunch opposition to federal mandates on school integration in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on May 17, 1954. His platform highlighted , resistance to perceived judicial overreach, and criticism of urban political machines, positioning him as a defender of traditional Southern social structures against encroaching federal authority. In the first Democratic primary, Johns led the field, outperforming state Senator LeRoy Collins and publisher Brailey Odham, but failed to secure a majority, necessitating a runoff against Collins on May 25, 1954. Campaign rhetoric centered on segregation, with Johns affirming his commitment to maintaining racial separation in public schools and institutions, a stance reinforced at his Starke kickoff rally where allies invoked historical resistance to federal interference. Collins, appealing to urban and moderate voters, attacked Johns' patronage appointments and advocated for legislative reapportionment to dilute rural influence, while questioning Johns' effectiveness on issues like highway development and fiscal management. A pioneering televised debate between the two candidates, broadcast statewide, amplified these divides, with Johns defending his acting administration's record on law enforcement and economic stability amid post-Brown tensions. Opponents, including Miami Herald editorials, also linked Johns to broader concerns over crime and moral decay, leveraging sensationalized reports on sex offenses to undermine his law-and-order image. Collins prevailed in the runoff, securing the Democratic nomination with endorsements from Odham's supporters, who viewed Johns as emblematic of entrenched rural . Voter turnout reflected urban-rural splits, with Collins carrying populous counties while Johns dominated agrarian districts. Collins then defeated Republican J. Tom Watson in the November 2 general election, assuming office on January 4, 1955, and ending Johns' acting tenure. The campaign underscored deepening fissures within Florida's Democratic Party between conservative segregationists and emerging moderates, foreshadowing Johns' later role in legislative probes into subversion and integration efforts.

Major Legislative Efforts

Prison Reform Advocacy

Throughout his service in the Florida State Senate from 1947 to 1953 and again from 1955 to 1966, Charley Eugene Johns advocated for reforms to the state's . His efforts focused on improving conditions and management within Florida's penal institutions, which at the time included notorious road camps and labor-intensive facilities prone to documented abuses such as overcrowding and inadequate medical care. Johns' advocacy contributed to broader discussions on penal modernization during the mid-20th century, aligning with national trends toward professionalizing away from punitive labor systems. Official state records highlight these initiatives as a sustained priority in his legislative work, though specific bills sponsored by Johns on matters are not detailed in primary gubernatorial biographies. His reform stance contrasted with the era's emphasis on segregation enforcement, positioning him as a proponent of administrative improvements amid fiscal constraints on state budgets for .

Florida Legislative Investigation Committee

The , established by the in 1956 through Chapter 31498 of the Laws of Florida, was empowered to investigate organizations operating within the state that advocated or engaged in activities involving the overthrow of the national or state government by force or violence, violations of law, or threats to citizens' well-being. Charley E. Johns, who had recently served as acting and represented rural interests as a leader among legislators from , was appointed chairman and guided the committee's operations from its inception through much of its existence until 1965. Initial investigations targeted potential communist subversion, particularly in civil rights groups amid heightened concerns over integration following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision; the committee subpoenaed National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) records, including membership lists from branches like Miami, to probe alleged ties to revolutionary organizations. These efforts, led by Johns, resulted in legal confrontations, including state court rulings and appeals that affirmed the committee's authority while limiting some disclosures, though they yielded limited evidence of direct communist control. From 1958 onward, under Johns' direction, the committee expanded scrutiny to homosexual conduct in public educational institutions, commencing with interrogations at the involving faculty, staff, and students suspected of such activities, often conducted with cooperation from university police who recorded sessions and monitored private areas like restrooms. This phase prompted resignations or dismissals across Florida's universities, with at least 15 professors and more than 50 students departing the alone due to the probes. In November 1964, the committee issued its report —derisively called the "Purple Pamphlet" for its cover—detailing over 100 pages of evidence on alleged homosexual networks in academia, but the publication's graphic photographs and content provoked backlash for indecency, accelerating legislative opposition. The dissolved the committee in 1965, effectively ending its mandate after nearly a decade of operations that had amassed extensive files on thousands of individuals but faced growing scrutiny over methods and overreach.

Positions on Segregation and Federal Overreach

Response to Brown v. Board of Education

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education on May 17, 1954, declaring state-mandated racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, Acting Governor Charley E. Johns immediately expressed opposition and pledged to call a special session of the Florida Legislature to address the ruling. Johns, serving as acting governor since February 1953 following Governor Dan McCarty's death, framed the decision as federal judicial overreach into state educational sovereignty, aligning with sentiments among Southern leaders advocating resistance to integration. Johns' proposed special session aimed to enact maintaining segregated schooling, potentially through mechanisms like pupil assignment laws allowing local boards based on non-racial criteria such as or . Although doubts arose regarding his to convene the session without full gubernatorial powers, his stance reflected broader political dynamics, where rural legislators dominated and prioritized preserving de jure segregation amid public school enrollment of approximately 700,000 students in 1954, the vast majority in segregated facilities. Johns also committed to dismissing state educators supporting the , signaling intolerance for desegregation advocacy within public institutions. This response contributed to Florida's delayed implementation of , with no statewide desegregation until federal mandates in the 1960s and 1970s; Johns' actions during his acting tenure (ending January 1955 upon ' inauguration) underscored his alignment with "" strategies employed by other Southern states, though Florida avoided outright school closures seen elsewhere. In the 1954 gubernatorial runoff against Collins, Johns campaigned explicitly on upholding segregation, leveraging the ruling to rally support from rural, conservative voters despite ultimately losing the election.

Advocacy for States' Rights and Massive Resistance

Johns championed as a bulwark against federal judicial encroachment on local educational authority, particularly in the wake of the 1954 ruling that mandated desegregation of public schools. As President, he endorsed the 1956 special legislative session's Interposition resolution, which asserted that the U.S. Supreme Court held no sovereignty to impose racial policies on the state, invoking the doctrine of interposition to position as a mediator between federal overreach and its citizens' established customs. This stance reflected a commitment to the Tenth Amendment's reservation of powers to the states, framing desegregation orders as an unconstitutional disruption of in matters of education and social order. Central to Johns' strategy of was the creation and leadership of the , established by the on July 2, 1956, under his chairmanship until 1965. The committee, often dubbed the Johns Committee, conducted probes into purported subversive activities, focusing on civil rights groups such as the , which it sought to discredit by alleging ties to and infiltration aimed at undermining state sovereignty. Through subpoenas, surveillance, and public hearings—such as those examining meetings and university curricula—the panel generated reports like the 1963 "," which extended scrutiny to perceived moral threats exacerbating federal pressures for change. These efforts aimed to equip lawmakers with evidence to enact barriers against integration, including pupil placement laws that allowed states to assign students based on non-racial criteria while effectively maintaining separation, thereby circumventing Brown without outright school closures seen in other Southern states. Johns' advocacy aligned with the Southern Manifesto of March 12, 1956, a congressional declaration signed by 19 U.S. senators and 82 representatives condemning Brown as an abuse of judicial power that trampled states' rights, though as a state legislator he contributed through parallel state-level actions rather than federal endorsement. His leadership within the Pork Chop Gang—a bloc of rural North Florida legislators—amplified this resistance by blocking funding for integrated facilities and prioritizing investigations over compliance, reflecting a causal prioritization of local empirical traditions over uniform national edicts. By 1960, the committee's work had led to the expulsion or resignation of over 100 educators and the harassment of civil rights activists, sustaining segregation in Florida public schools where only minimal token integration occurred amid widespread evasion.

Later Political Involvement and Personal Life

Return to the Florida Senate

Following the end of his acting governorship on January 4, 1955, Charley E. Johns returned to the , resuming his seat representing and Union counties. Johns continued his legislative service uninterrupted from 1955 through 1966, during which he maintained influence on state policy matters including prison conditions and institutional oversight. As a senior legislator, Johns focused on safeguarding Florida's social and educational systems against perceived subversive influences, aligning with his prior stances on and local control.

Family, Death, and Post-Political Reflections

Johns was born on February 27, 1905, in , to Everette Eugene Johns, a local sheriff who died shortly after his son's birth, and Annie Elizabeth Markley Johns. He had a brother, Everett Markley Johns, who also served as a state . On April 21, 1927, Johns married Thelma Brinson in ; the couple had two children, a son named Charley who resided in Starke and a daughter, Markleyann Johns Cash, who lived in Orlando. Following his defeat in the 1954 Democratic primary runoff for governor and his subsequent return to the until 1966, Johns retired from public office and resided in his hometown of Starke, where he maintained ties to local business and community affairs, including his earlier work as a railroad conductor and insurance agent. Limited public records indicate he offered few formal reflections on his career in later years, though contemporaries noted his enduring commitment to rural interests and principles amid the state's mid-century political shifts. Johns died of unspecified illness on January 23, 1990, at age 84, at Alachua County Hospital in . He was buried in Crosby Lake in Starke. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Thelma, their two children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Legacy

Supporters' Perspectives on Achievements

Supporters of Charley Eugene Johns, particularly rural legislators aligned with the Pork Chop Gang, praised his focus on infrastructure improvements that bolstered Florida's economic connectivity during a period of postwar growth. As acting from September 28, 1953, to January 4, 1955, Johns prioritized highway construction expansions, which enhanced road networks across the state and facilitated commerce in underdeveloped regions. A notable policy success in this domain was the removal of tolls on the linking to , a measure that reduced travel costs for residents and tourists while promoting accessibility to the without imposing long-term fiscal burdens. Johns' longstanding advocacy for , pursued across his Senate tenure from 1947 to 1966, earned commendation from those emphasizing practical enhancements to penal facilities, including efforts to mitigate overcrowding and upgrade conditions in state institutions. Conservative backers also valued his leadership in defending against perceived federal encroachments, viewing initiatives like support for legislative interposition as essential safeguards of local autonomy and traditional social structures in the face of national court rulings.

Critics' Assessments and Controversies

Critics have primarily focused on Johns' chairmanship of the (known as the Johns Committee), which operated from 1956 to 1965 and expanded its initial mandate to investigate communist infiltration into organizations like the to probing among educators and students in Florida's public schools and universities. The committee's tactics, including secretive interrogations and reliance on informants, resulted in the identification of over 100 suspected homosexuals at institutions such as the and the , leading to resignations, dismissals, and professional blacklisting that critics described as a "terror campaign" violating and . A pivotal point of contention was the committee's 1964 report, (derisively called the "Purple Pamphlet" for its cover), which graphically detailed alleged homosexual acts and argued they posed a threat to youth, but faced immediate backlash for its sensationalism and irrelevance to subversion; only about 100 copies were printed before the legislature suppressed distribution amid public and academic outcry, contributing to the panel's defunding in 1965. Historians and contemporary observers, such as those in analyses, have likened the inquiry to McCarthyism, accusing it of conflating personal sexual behavior with political disloyalty to purge perceived "immorality" from public institutions, with Johns personally involved in crude questioning during hearings. Johns' staunch segregationist positions, including his support for "massive resistance" to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling and efforts to dismantle NAACP chapters under the guise of anti-communist probes, drew rebukes from civil rights advocates who viewed them as deliberate obstructions to integration, framing federal court orders as unconstitutional overreach while prioritizing state autonomy in education. In 2019, Florida Senator José Javier Rodríguez sponsored resolutions for a legislative apology, arguing the committee "ruined lives" by targeting individuals based on race, sexuality, and activism, reflecting ongoing assessments that Johns' leadership exemplified mid-century Southern defensiveness against social change. These critiques portray Johns' tenure as emblematic of institutional overreach, though defenders contend the committee addressed genuine Cold War-era security concerns rather than mere prejudice.

References

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  2. https://www.nga.org/governor/charley-eugene-johns/
  3. https://florida.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5744/florida/9780813039824.001.0001/upso-9780813039824-chapter-2
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  5. https://www.spectrumsouth.com/historians-of-the-queer-south-stacy-braukman/
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  7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28214101/charley_eugene-johns
  8. https://www.geni.com/people/Charley-Eugene-Johns-Governor/6000000022903005320
  9. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/25/obituaries/charley-e-johns-ex-florida-official-84.html
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  11. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/timesunion/name/charley-johns-obituary?id=7468454
  12. https://www.mapquest.com/us/florida/charley-e-johns-agency-inc-456896848
  13. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1990/01/24/charley-johns-florida-s-acting-governor-in-1950s/
  14. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/18998
  15. https://www.flsenate.gov/UserContent/Publications/SenateHandbooks/pdf/1966-68_Senate_Handbook.pdf
  16. https://dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/florida-history/florida-governors/daniel-thomas-mccarty/
  17. https://floridamemory.com/items/show/128202
  18. https://www.nytimes.com/1953/10/11/archives/mcarty-policies-go-on-in-florida-johns-acting-governor-sets-harmony.html
  19. https://www.newspapers.com/article/panama-city-news-tough-policy-with-gambl/141787712/
  20. https://keywestmaritime.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/v21-2_2010-11winter.pdf
  21. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/05/26/archives/collins-wins-in-florida-named-democratic-candidate-for-governor-in.html
  22. https://www.theledger.com/story/news/history/2019/11/30/florida-time-colorful-lives-of-states-former-governors/2182624007/
  23. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2018/11/27/florida-time-floridas-famous-governors/2199804007/
  24. https://findingaids.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1630
  25. https://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/exhibits/altufjohns.htm
  26. https://www.floridatimeline.org/timeline/1954-florida-resists-the-brown-v-the-board-of-education-decision/
  27. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3265&context=fhq
  28. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3994&context=fac_publications
  29. https://fcit.usf.edu/coedu/faculty_histories/johns-committee.html
  30. https://www.nndb.com/people/043/000210410/
  31. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4038&context=fac_publications
  32. https://www.vox.com/2019/11/4/20947565/florida-committee-terrorize-gay-people
  33. https://thegabber.com/floridas-homophobic-johns-committee/
  34. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4048&context=fac_publications
  35. https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-inquisition
  36. https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/lawmaker-advances-a-state-apology-for-the-johns-committee-that-targeted-civil-rights-leaders-and-lgbtq-floridians/
  37. https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/03/22/florida-lawmakers-push-apology-lives-ruined-johns-committee/3244097002/
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