Ed Price (Florida politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Price
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former Florida Senator Ed Price
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| Born | January 1, 1918 |
| Died | December 1, 2012 (aged 94) |
| Alma mater | University of Florida |
| Occupation | Pilot, Legislator, Citrus Executive, Community leader |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Elise Ingram (1947-2009) |
| Children | Jerry |
Edgar Hilleary Price, Jr. (1918–2012) was an important person from Florida. He was a brave pilot in World War II. He also served in the Florida government. Ed Price was a community leader and worked in agriculture. He strongly supported civil rights and public education.
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Who Was Ed Price?
Early Life and Education
Ed Price was born in Jacksonville, Florida. His family moved a lot when he was young. They lived in Louisiana, Texas, and New York. Finally, they settled back in Florida.
He went to Sarasota High School. Ed was a great athlete there, playing football, basketball, and tennis. He was also the student body president. After high school, he studied at the University of Florida.
World War II Hero
Price joined the Army almost a year before the United States entered World War II. He first worked in the Medical Corps. He then passed a test to join the United States Army Air Corps.
In 1943, he became a pilot. He trained crews to fly the huge Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress planes. In 1945, Price and his nine-person crew flew 26 missions. Their plane was part of the 381st Bomber Group. They were based at Ridgewell Air Base in Essex, England.
The Eighth Air Force flew missions over Germany during the day. These missions had very high casualty rates. Ed Price's experiences in the war deeply influenced his life.
Family Life
Ed Price married Elise Ingram on May 24, 1947. They had one son, Jerald Stevens Price. Their wedding was at the First Baptist Church of Bradenton. They were members there for their whole lives.
Both Ed and Elise taught Sunday school. Ed was also chairman of the church's deacons twice. Their marriage lasted over 62 years. Ed took care of Elise every day for the last 18 months of her life. Elise passed away on July 22, 2009.
Working in Agriculture
After the war, Price managed a large flower farm. In 1955, Anthony T. Rossi hired him. Ed became a top executive at Tropicana Products.
While at Tropicana, he also got involved in politics. He served on the Florida Citrus Commission. In 1972, he left Tropicana to start his own company. It was called the Price Company. This was a nonprofit consulting firm in Bradenton. He stayed on Tropicana's board until 1983. He retired from his own company in 2001.
A Career in Politics
The governor appointed Price to the Florida Board of Control. This group managed Florida's state universities. Later, he ran for office and was elected. He became a state senator for Florida's 36th District in 1958. He was re-elected in 1962.
He became chairman of the senate's higher education committee. He also joined the senate appropriations committee. He helped create Manatee Junior College. This college was in his home district. For many years, he helped students from minority or low-income families attend.
Price also fought against unfair housing rules. He was on the board of a local bank. He found out that some neighborhoods were being redlined. This meant people in those areas couldn't get loans. Price threatened to quit unless the bank stopped this policy.
He led a special group from 1963-1965. This group studied whether to end the death penalty. He also served on many other important boards.
As his second term ended, people wanted him to run for governor. Reubin Askew, who later became governor, said he even offered to be Price's lieutenant governor. But Ed Price chose to focus on his family and his job at Tropicana.
Askew also said, "He was one of the closest friends I've ever had. He was also... one of the warmest, nicest human beings I have ever known. I had enormous personal respect for him."
Community Involvement
In 1971, Governor Askew asked Price to lead the Florida Citrus Commission. For two years, he worked to make the agency fair.
He was honored in the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1992. He also joined the Manatee Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Price was a former chairman of the Manatee County School District board. He was also president of both the Manatee Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He led the committee that chose the Chancellor for the Florida Board of Regents.
In 1977, the Tampa Bay Times newspaper named Ed Price as one of Florida's 10 most powerful people.
Awards and Honors
The Edgar H. Price Humanitarian Award is given every year. It is presented by the Palmetto Youth Center.
In 2006, the Manatee County Rural Health Services Foundation honored Price. They gave him the first Edgar H. Price Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. Each year, they give this award to another deserving person.
The Manatee County Branch of the NAACP created an award to honor Ed Price. It is called the Statesmanship in Human Affairs Award.
