US Congressman, US Senator. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the US House of Representatives from Florida's 11th congressional district for two consecutive terms from January 1963 until January 1967, then from Florida's 5th congressional district for one term from January 1967 until January 1969, and in the US Senate for one term from January 1969 until December 1974. Born Edward John Gurney, he received his law degree from Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1938, passed the bar, and practiced law in New York City, New York. After the US entered World War II in December 1941, he enlisted in the US Army and served in the European Theater of Operations, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel before being honorably discharged in 1946. Following the war, he returned to the US and attended Duke Law School at Durham, North Carolina and received an additional law degree in 1948, and moved to Winter Park, Florida and established a law practice. In 1952 he entered politics, serving in various local offices until 1962, when he was first elected the US House of Representatives. In 1968 he ran for the US Senate seat of retiring Democrat George Smathers and defeated former Democratic Governor Leroy Collins. During his senatorial term, he served on the committee that investigated the President Richard Nixon Watergate scandal. In 1974 he was indicted in an influence peddling scandal and did not seek re-election to his Senate seat. In 1978 he ran for Congress again but was defeated. He then retired from politics and resumed his law practice. He died at the age of 82.
US Congressman, US Senator. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the US House of Representatives from Florida's 11th congressional district for two consecutive terms from January 1963 until January 1967, then from Florida's 5th congressional district for one term from January 1967 until January 1969, and in the US Senate for one term from January 1969 until December 1974. Born Edward John Gurney, he received his law degree from Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1938, passed the bar, and practiced law in New York City, New York. After the US entered World War II in December 1941, he enlisted in the US Army and served in the European Theater of Operations, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel before being honorably discharged in 1946. Following the war, he returned to the US and attended Duke Law School at Durham, North Carolina and received an additional law degree in 1948, and moved to Winter Park, Florida and established a law practice. In 1952 he entered politics, serving in various local offices until 1962, when he was first elected the US House of Representatives. In 1968 he ran for the US Senate seat of retiring Democrat George Smathers and defeated former Democratic Governor Leroy Collins. During his senatorial term, he served on the committee that investigated the President Richard Nixon Watergate scandal. In 1974 he was indicted in an influence peddling scandal and did not seek re-election to his Senate seat. In 1978 he ran for Congress again but was defeated. He then retired from politics and resumed his law practice. He died at the age of 82.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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U.S. SENATOR
PATRIOT-STATESMAN
MAN OF HONOR AND INTEGRITY
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Edward John Gurney, Jr.
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