| The Governor of Florida John Pearson Calvin | |
|---|---|
| |
| 38th Governor of Florida | |
| Assumed office January 20, 1979 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Reubin Askew |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 12, 1947 (age 32) Miami, Florida |
| Citizenship | American |
| Political party |  Democratic
|
| Spouse(s) | Valerie Rhodes |
| Children | Edward Calvin |
| Parent(s) | Joseph Calvin Clara Underwood |
| Alma mater | Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Religion | non-Denominational Protestant |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | Cal |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Years of service | 1965 — 1969 |
| Rank |  Corporal
|
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |  Silver Star Purple Heart
|
| Vessel | USS Gridley |
John Pearson Calvin (born June 12, 1947) is an American politician and lawyer, who is serving as the Governor of Florida since 1979, and is currently running for re-election. And is one of the youngest governors in the country. He previously served as a lawyer, and a corporal in the Vietnam War.
Early life and education[]
John Pearson Calvin was born in Miami, Florida, the first, and only child of Joseph Calvin (1917-1998), and Caroline Calvin (1919-1989).
Calvin wanted to attend Harvard university in 1965, but decided to fight in Vietnam instead, where he would be there until 1969.
Military service[]
Upon enlistment, Calvin served on board the USS Gridley, rising to become corporal during the war, Calvin was a decorated soldier receiving the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. Honourably discharged in 1969, Calvin returned to civilian life and attended Harvard Law School, to become a lawyer, and graduated in 1975.
Entry into Politics[]
After being a lawyer for 3 years, Calvin decided to run for office on his home state of Florida. He decided to run for Governor of the state, but was considered a minor candidate due to his youth. But his campaigning ability, charisma, charm, and grassroots campaign won many over, and he won a plurality in the primary with 38.8%, and won the runoff with 54.8%.
Calvin ran against Republican Jack Eckerd, and won with 55.2% of the vote, compared to Eckerd's 44.1%. Calvin became one of the youngest Governors in the country at 31 years old.
Policies[]
During his campaign, he promised the following policies to the people of Florida :
- The Creation of new jobs
- An Increase in Social Security Benefits
- An Increase in Retirement benefits
- An Increase in funding for education
- Increased Environmental Protections
- Lowering some Taxes
- And Increasing Interest rates