Floyd Spence

Floyd Spence
Spence in 1976
Chair of the House National Security Committee
In office
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2001
SpeakerNewt Gingrich
Dennis Hastert
Preceded byRon Dellums
Succeeded byBob Stump
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1971 – August 16, 2001
Preceded byAlbert William Watson
Succeeded byJoe Wilson
Member of the South Carolina Senate
from the 7th district
In office
January 14, 1969 – December 15, 1970
Serving with Michael Lukens Laughlin, Gilbert Edward McMillen
Preceded byFrank Laney Roddey
Succeeded byAlbert John Dooley
Member of the South Carolina Senate
from the 22nd district
In office
January 10, 1967 – January 14, 1969
Serving with Eugene Cannon Griffith
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Lexington County
In office
January 8, 1957 – January 8, 1963
Serving with Pat Lindler, Ryan C. Shealy, Albert John Dooley[1][2][3]
Preceded byJack Reel Callison[4]
Succeeded byPat Lindler[5]
Personal details
Born
Floyd Davidson Spence

(1928-04-09)April 9, 1928
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedAugust 16, 2001(2001-08-16) (aged 73)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting placeSaint Peter's Lutheran Cemetery, Lexington, South Carolina
Political partyDemocratic (c. 1946–1962)
Republican (1962–2001)
Spouses
Lula Hancock Drake
(m. 1952; died 1978)
Deborah E. Williams
(m. 1988)
Children4
Alma materUniversity of South Carolina (BA)
University of South Carolina School of Law (JD)
ProfessionAttorney
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy Reserve
Years of service1947–1988
RankCaptain
Battles/warsKorean War
Vietnam War

Floyd Davidson Spence (April 9, 1928 – August 16, 2001) was an American attorney and a politician from the U.S. state of South Carolina. Elected for three terms to the South Carolina House of Representatives from Lexington County as a Democrat, in 1962 Spence announced his decision to switch to the Republican Party, as he was unhappy with shifts in the national party.

He lost a contested seat that year for United States Representative from South Carolina's 2nd congressional district to Democrat Albert W. Watson, who had the support of powerful senator Strom Thurmond. Watson shifted to the Republican Party in 1965 and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1970. That year Spence won the congressional seat, and was re-elected for fourteen terms after this. He became ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee in 1993 and chairman in 1995. Spence died in office from cerebral thrombosis in Washington, D.C., in 2001.

  1. ^ "South Carolina During the 1900s - the 92nd General Assembly (1957-1958)".
  2. ^ "South Carolina During the 1900s - the 93rd General Assembly (1959-1960)".
  3. ^ "South Carolina During the 1900s - the 94th General Assembly (1961-1962)".
  4. ^ "South Carolina During the 1900s - the 91st General Assembly (1955-1956)".
  5. ^ "South Carolina During the 1900s - the 95th General Assembly (1963-1964)".