Richard William Ervin Jr. (born Richard Reehorse Ervin, January 26, 1905 – August 24, 2004) was the Florida Attorney General from 1949 to 1964 and served as chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court from 1969 to 1971.[1] He is credited with guiding the state from segregation (based on the brief he wrote to the United States Supreme Court's request from each state's Attorney General on how to rule regarding Brown v. Board of Education), and desegregating its schools. His son, Richard W. Ervin III, was a judge of the First District Court of Appeal for 30 years and retired at the end of 2006.

Richard Ervin
Florida Attorney General
In office
1949–1964
GovernorFuller Warren
Daniel T. McCarty
Charley Eugene Johns
LeRoy Collins
C. Farris Bryant
Preceded byJ. Thomas Watson
Succeeded byJames W. Kynes
Personal details
Born
Richard Reehorse Ervin

January 26, 1905
Carrabelle, Florida
DiedAugust 24, 2004(2004-08-24) (aged 99)
Tallahassee, Florida
Political partyDemocratic
ProfessionLawyer

Ervin was a graduate of the University of Florida where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and earned his law degree at the University of Florida College of Law in 1928.[1] Following his retirement, he was of counsel to the law firm founded by his brother Robert Ervin, in Tallahassee. He received an honorary degree from Florida State University. From 1954 to 1975, Ervin was a national director of the fraternal organization Woodmen of the World.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Justice Richard William Ervin". Supreme Court. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Florida
1948, 1952, 1956, 1960
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Florida Attorney General
1949–1964
Succeeded by