Verle A. Pope

Verle A. Pope
Senator Pope on the floor, 1971
President of the Florida Senate
In office
April 4, 1967 – November 12, 1968
Preceded byJames E. Connor
Succeeded byJohn E. Mathews
President Pro Tempore of the Florida Senate
In office
April 6, 1965 – April 4, 1967
Preceded byHarry O. Stratton
Succeeded byDempsey J. Barron
Member of the Florida Senate
In office
April 5, 1949 – November 21, 1972
Preceded byWalter B. Fraser
Succeeded byCurtis Peterson
Constituency31st (1948–1967)
12th (1967–1972)
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the St. Johns County district
In office
1943
Personal details
Born(1903-12-12)December 12, 1903
Jacksonville, Florida
DiedJuly 18, 1973(1973-07-18) (aged 69)
St. Augustine, Florida
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Edith Taylor
(m. 1933; died 1961)
Alma materUniversity of Florida

Verle Allyn Pope (December 12, 1903 – July 18, 1973), nicknamed The Lion of St. Johns, was a prominent Florida legislator, serving for 24 years in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate.

Born in Jacksonville to deaf parents, he attended high school, and was prominent in athletics and speech. He enlisted in the Air Corps in 1928 but was forced out of service due to a previously sustained knee injury. Seeking political office in 1934, he became county commissioner of St. Johns County. Eight years later, he successfully ran for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives, but later resigned due to acceptance into the U.S. Army. Shortly upon his return from oversees that saw him win awards for his service, in 1948, he ran, again successfully, as a senator for St. Augustine in the Florida Senate. Among the 24 years he served, he was involved in many important issues and held positions like President pro tempore and President of the Senate. He was forced into retirement in 1972 by bone cancer and died of it the year after.