George Firestone

George Firestone
20th Secretary of State of Florida
In office 1979 – August 5, 1987
Governor	Bob Graham
Preceded by	Jesse J. McCrary, Jr.
Succeeded by	James C. Smith
Member of the Florida Senate
In office 1972–1978
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
In office 1966–1972
Succeeded by	Carey Matthews
Personal details
Born	May 13, 1931 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	March 2, 2012 (aged 80) Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army

George Firestone (May 13, 1931 – March 2, 2012) was an American politician and businessman from the U.S. state of Florida. A Democrat, he served as the 20th Florida Secretary of State from 1979 to 1987.

Early life

Firestone was born in New York City in 1931. He moved to Miami, Florida with his family as a child in 1936. Firestone served in the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1952.

Career

After leaving the Army, Firestone returned to Miami, where he established a security firm and cleaning business.

Firestone was elected to the Florida House of Representatives from Dade and Monroe counties in 1966. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 1972, where he served until 1978. He was elected Secretary of State of Florida in 1978 and was reelected twice, serving until he resigned on August 5, 1987.

He used the Secretary of State's position as chief cultural officer to promoted the arts, He also helped update the Florida seal to include the sabal palm. During his tenure, he also traveled a great deal to promote foreign investment in Florida, and was a supporter for Free Trade Zones in the state.

Personal life

Later in life, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. On March 2, 2012, he died in a Hollywood, Florida assisted living facility at the age of 80.