Red Pepper October 7, 2011

The story of the 1950 US Senate campaign in Florida. It centers around the incumbent, Claude Pepper, his wife, Mildred, and George Smathers. Smathers was a young protégé of Pepper’s who wound up launching a “red smear” campaign against him in the 1950 race. This conflict is set against the backdrop of the “behind the scenes” Florida powerbroker, Ed Ball. Ball was the manager of the DuPont trust. This trust owned the St. Joe Paper Mill, the Florida National Bank and the Florida East Coast Railway. Ball was a stubborn and formidable opponent of Pepper’s and the two clashed for the better part of the 20th century.