Chiles died unexpectedly in December, three weeks short of retirement, at the end of a 40-year career in public service. Many state and national leaders attended his services in Tallahassee. But also in attendance, and lined up for miles along the funeral procession route, were hundreds of ordinary folk who came to pay homage to one of their own, a native son who had gone far but stayed close to his roots.
Chiles was a man who was comfortable in the halls of power, but he was equally comfortable among common people. In the words of U.S. Senator Bob Graham, Lawton Chiles was blessed with a "unique common touch, but he was an uncommon man, a father of ideas."
Recently, former Governor Reubin Askew and I reminisced together about Chiles. Askew and Chiles were friends and colleagues dating back to the 1950s, when they both served in the state Legislature. They were members of the same generation of reformers who were soon to lead the New South. They both were dark-horse candidates in 1970, given little chance of winning state offices. But "Walkin' Lawton" and "Reubin the Good" surprised the pundits: Chiles was elected to the U.S. Senate and Askew to the governor's mansion that year.
Askew recalled how he and Chiles had worked together on issues of open government, to keep secrecy and hidden agendas out of the process of lawmaking. Their work resulted in Florida's Sunshine Laws and in the U.S. Senate holding many of its committee meetings in public. "We were never competitors, always friends," said Askew. "Lawton had no ego problems. He never tooted his own horn."
At the funeral, I listened to the grandson of Lawton Chiles sing "The Walkin' Man," a song he composed in honor of his grandfather's common touch. I listened to my friend, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and Senate President Mallory Horne, praise Chiles' integrity as an attribute that no one ever questioned. I listened while the preacher described Chiles' "infectious enthusiasm for life."
As publisher of Florida Trend, I learned first hand of the governor's enthusiasm, as well as his great sense of humor. He was never too self-important that he couldn't poke a little fun at his own image. With a sense of light-heartedness, Chiles posed for some of our magazine's most memorable covers, two of which are reproduced on this page.
A gift that I cherish is a coonskin cap that Chiles gave me, a reference to the "he-coon" nickname he acquired for himself during the 1994 gubernatorial election. I wore the cap at his funeral to honor him.
If Chiles were alive today, I think he would agree that it's time now to put away the coonskin cap and to embrace the new administration. For it really is a new day.
Last month I attended the inaugural ball in Tampa for Florida's newly elected governor, Jeb Bush, and lieutenant governor, Frank Brogan. More than 5,000 people attended the event at the Tampa Convention Center, with its display of fireworks outside and the warmth of the new first family inside.
I was encouraged by our new governor's open manner and by his eagerness to seek out people's opinions and advice. Governor Bush is a good listener, able to absorb the gist of what others are saying and to use them as sounding boards. I'm confident he will be able to effectively balance the interests of business with those of all the citizens of Florida.
Bush said at his inaugural ball that the solutions to Florida's problems and issues won't come down from the government in Tallahassee, but rather up from the people. Many say he is a man who believes in grassroots wisdom.
Just as Lawton Chiles in his day represented a new generation of leaders, so too does Jeb Bush today represent the New Floridian. Like the majority of the state's citizens, Bush was born elsewhere and came to Florida as an adult. He brings a fresh style and outlook to the role of government in our lives. We at Florida Trend wish him well.
For those who wish to honor the legacy of Lawton Chiles, his family is establishing a new foundation, the Lawton Chiles Foundation, which will serve as a national resource on a range of children's issues. For more information, or to make a donation, contact: Lawton Chiles Foundation, P.O. Box 66, Tallahassee, FL, 32302