| Birth name | Howell Eugene Lancaster |
|---|---|
| Birth date | July 31, 1911 |
| Birth place | Eugene, Florida, U.S. |
| Death date | January 5, 1972 (aged 60) |
| Death place | Columbia County, Florida, U.S. |
| Office 1 | Member of the Florida House of Representatives from Gilchrist County |
| Term start 1 | 1949 |
| Term end 1 | 1966 |
| Office 2 | Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 15th district |
| Term start 2 | 1968 |
| Term end 2 | 1972 |
| Preceded 2 | Leon N. McDonald Sr. |
| Succeeded 2 | Leon N. McDonald Sr.[1] |
| Party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | University of Florida |
Howell Eugene Lancaster (July 31, 1911 – January 5, 1972) was an American politician.[2] A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1949 to 1966 and again from 1968 to 1972.[1]
Life and career
Lancaster was born in Eugene, Florida, the son of Raleigh and Lollie Lancaster.[3] He attended and graduated from the University of Florida.[4] After graduating, he served in the armed forces during World War II, which after his discharge,[5] he worked as a farmer.[6]
Lancaster served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1949 to 1966 and again from 1968 to 1972.[1][7] During his service in the House, in the 1950s, he served as leader of the Pork Chop Gang,[8] a group of legislators from rural areas that dominated the state legislature due to malapportionment and used their power to engage in McCarthyist tactics.[9]
Death
Lancaster died on January 5, 1972, of an apparent heart attack while on a hunting trip in Columbia County, Florida, at the age of 60.[4]
References
- ^ "House of Representatives". Archived January 13, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 13, 2022. – via Wayback Machine
- ^ "Other Big Bend". Tallahassee Democrat. November 13, 1968. p. 21. Retrieved November 13, 2022. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Howell Lancaster". 1930 United States Federal Census. Retrieved June 28, 2025. – via Ancestry.com (subscription required)
- ^ "'Pork Chop' Leader Dies". Tampa Bay Times. January 6, 1972. p. 36. Retrieved November 30, 2022. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Howell Eugene Lancaster". U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Retrieved June 28, 2025. – via Ancestry.com (subscription required)
- ^ "The Florida Handbook", Peninsular Publishing Company, 1965, p. 404
- ^ Ward, Robert (August 3, 2011). "Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County 1845–2012". Florida House of Representatives. Archived March 16, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 13, 2022. – via Wayback Machine
- ^ "Rep. Howell Lancaster, Led 'Pork Chop Gang'". The Miami Herald. January 6, 1972. p. 80. Retrieved June 28, 2025. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Weitz, Seth (March 1, 2009). "Defending the Old South: The Myth of the Lost Cause and Political Immorality in Florida, 1865–1968". The Historian. 71 (1): 79–92. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6563.2008.00232.x. ISSN 0018-2370. Retrieved June 28, 2025. – via Taylor & Francis (subscription required)