[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 73 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DOYLE ELAM CARLTON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM DAVIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 15, 2003

  Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Doyle Elam 
Carlton, Jr., a sixth-generation Floridian whose love of our state, its 
people and its land made him one of Florida's finest public servants.
  Although Doyle was raised in Tampa, his heart was in Florida's 
countryside. A successful cattleman, Doyle held a deep respect for the 
land and was all cowboy through and through.
  However, most Floridians remember Doyle for his years in public 
service and the integrity with which he served. Doyle was a state 
senator for 10 years, and during that time he was repeatedly recognized 
for his leadership. His work in the Senate to secure funding for the 
eradication of the screwworm, which was devastating Florida's cattle, 
earned him his 1991 induction into the Florida Agriculture Hall of 
Fame.
  In 1957, he fought an attempt by the Legislature to close Florida's 
public schools rather than comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's order 
to integrate. In recognition of his efforts, the Florida Democratic 
party gave him the first LeRoy Collins Award for Political Courage.
  During Doyle's 1960 run for governor, he narrowly lost the Democratic 
runoff to Farris Bryant because he chose to face down segregationists 
rather than give into political pressures. Shortly before the runoff, 
Doyle publicly stated that he would not remove his children from a 
public school if it was integrated.
  Every Floridian who enjoys our annual Florida State Fair also owes a 
debt of gratitude to Doyle. In 1976, Doyle became a charter member of 
the Florida State Fair authority and served as chairman for more than a 
decade. Doyle and his wife helped create the Cracker Country exhibit at 
the Fair, a preserved collection of Florida's pioneer buildings. For 
his efforts the Tampa Historical Society presented him with the D.B. 
McKay Award for significant contributions to the cause of Florida's 
history.
  Doyle will also be remembered for his generosity to a host of 
charitable causes including the Hardee Memorial Hospital, Pioneer Park 
in Zolfo Springs and Tampa's Joshua House for unwed mothers. Doyle 
served on the Southern Baptist Convention's brotherhood Commission from 
1956 to 1963 and as Vice President of the Florida Baptist Convention in 
1960. He was an active member of Wauchula Baptist Church, where he was 
memorialized this week.
  Most of all, Doyle was a family man. A dedicated husband to his wife, 
Mildred, and father of three, Doyle always made time for family. On 
behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my deepest 
sympathies to Doyle's family and friends. Doyle's selfless, lifelong 
devotion to Florida and all its citizens made him a man for all seasons 
and a shining example for every Floridian he touched. Doyle encouraged 
and guided countless leaders throughout Florida and his example will 
continue to inspire the best in future generations of Floridians.

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