Arnett E. Girardeau
{{Short description|American dentist and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image = Portrait of Florida legislative senator Arnett Girardeau.jpg
|image_size=
|caption=Girardeau in 1988
|state_senate2=Florida
|term2=1983–1992
|district2=7th
|office=Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 16th distrist
|term_start =1976
|term_end =1982
|birth_name=Arnett Elysus Girardeau
|birth_date = {{birth date |1929|7|15}}
|birth_place =Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|2017|10|26|1929|7|15}}
|death_place =Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
|party = Democratic
|occupation=
|spouse =
|children =
|relations=
|alma_mater=Howard University
}}
Arnett Elysus Girardeau Sr. (July 15, 1929 – October 26, 2017) was an American dentist and politician in the state of Florida. He served in the Florida House of Representatives for the 16th district from 1976 to 1982 and in the Florida Senate for the 7th district from 1982 to 1992.
Early life
Girardeau was born on July 15, 1929, in Jacksonville, Florida. His great-uncle was Richard L. Brown, a member of the Florida Legislature during Reconstruction.{{Cite news |last=Kaczor |first=Bill |date=April 17, 1983 |title=Everything you always wanted to know about lawmakers... |pages=29 |work=Tallahassee Democrat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tallahassee-democrat/130329747/ |access-date=August 21, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} He graduated from Howard University, where he earned a bachelors of science degree in 1952 and a D.D.S. degree in 1962; he also attended graduate school at Wayne State University and Fisk University. He married Matilda Carolyn Lee and the couple had two children: Arnetta and Arnett Elysus Jr.{{Cite web |url=http://archive.flsenate.gov/data/Publications/Archive/SenateHandbooks/pdf/88-90%20Senate%20Handbook.pdf |title=The Florida Senate 1929-1989-Biographical Sketch of Arnett Girardeau, pg. 3 |access-date=2014-11-22 |archive-date=2017-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421160145/http://archive.flsenate.gov/data/Publications/Archive/SenateHandbooks/pdf/88-90 |url-status=dead }}
Political career
The first African-American elected outside of Miami since Reconstruction, Girardueau served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1976 to 1983.{{cite web|url=http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/FileStores/Web/HouseContent/Approved/Public%20Guide/Uploads/Documents/house_counties_final.pdf |title=Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County, 1845-2012 |author=Ward, Robert L. / Florida House of Representatives |year=2011 |publisher= |accessdate=December 11, 2011}} In 1982, he was elected to the Florida Senate for the 7th district and he served until 1992. He was president pro tempore of the senate in the later years of his term.{{cite web|url=http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/fefdl/florida/Senate18452001.html|title=Florida Senators|publisher=uflib.ufl.edu|accessdate=September 21, 2014}}
Death
Girardeau died on October 26, 2017, at the age of 88.[https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/former-state-sen-arnettgirardeau-dies-at88 Former State Sen. Arnett Girardeau dies at 88]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{C-SPAN|115908}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girardeau, Arnett}}
Category:African-American state legislators in Florida
Category:Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives
Category:Democratic Party Florida state senators
Category:Howard University alumni
Category:Wayne State University alumni
Category:Fisk University alumni
Category:Politicians from Jacksonville, Florida
Category:20th-century American dentists
Category:20th-century African-American politicians