Thomas Allen McPherson

1935 - 2020

Former Florida State Senator Tom McPherson died on December 15, 2020, in Tallahassee, Florida at the age of 85. He was born on March 26, 1935 in Decatur, Illinois, and moved with his parents to Broward County in 1950 where he graduated from South Broward High School. McPherson attended Stetson University where he was president of the Delta Sigma Pi fraternity. After graduating in 1958, he later served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant, infantry.

He owned and operated The Happy Cackle Egg Ranch from 1958 to 1972 in western Broward County. In 1963, McPherson began his career in public office at the age 27 when elected the first mayor of Cooper City. McPherson was one of the longest-serving state legislators in Broward County history. His career spanned 20 years, from 1964 to 1965 in the House, again from 1972 to 1982 in the House, and from 1982 to 1990 in the Senate.

In 1978 President Jimmy Carter appointed him to serve on the National Commission on Air Quality. He was elected vice-chairman of the commission, with U.S. Senator Gary Hart of Colorado serving as the chairman. The staffed commission spent three years making recommendations to improve the U.S. Clean Air Act in a report titled To Breathe Clean Air, in 1981.

While representing Broward County in the Florida legislature, McPherson encouraged county leaders to establish a county-wide library system in the 1970s, and later secured state funding to expand the system, including the development of the Main Library in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. He was also active with other leaders in encouraging the redevelopment of downtown Ft. Lauderdale with a focus on celebrating the aesthetics of the New River. McPherson was instrumental in the state's acquisition of Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (John U. Lloyd State Park) in Dania, and was pivotal in saving one of the Seven Islands of Sam Jones through the state purchase of Tree Tops Park in Davie, now managed by the Broward County Division of Parks and Recreation.

During the 1980s, McPherson was one of the central forces in bringing home the funding for The Broward Center for the Performing Arts. After befriending Evelyn Fortune Bartlett, he helped navigate the gift of The Bonnet House to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation-while steering additional assistance from the state to sustain the historic home and gardens. McPherson was also an avid supporter of the acquisition and restoration of The Old Davie School Historical Museum.

On the statewide level, as chairman of The House Select Committee on Standards and Conduct, and a strong believer in instilling confidence in government after Watergate, McPherson helped champion Governor Rubin Askew's commitment to establish prominent financial disclosure rules in the 1970s. As chairman of the House Community Affairs Committee, he was also proud of his role in helping to pass the Housing Finance Act-which later evolved into The Sadowski Act.

One of McPherson's important accomplishments was his sponsorship of the bill raising the drinking age in Florida from 18 to 19, which was the first step to raising it to 21. The bill was controversial at the time because the annual invasion of college students during Spring Break was considered a vital part of the Broward economy.

Still, McPherson's commitment to Florida's natural and cultural resources were the hallmark of his political career. From being a stalwart supporter of Florida's State Parks (and lifelong camper therein!), to sponsoring the bill to create the State Manatee Trust Fund financed by the sale of the state's first specialty license plate.

McPherson was forward thinking in his early support of the state regulation of the bottled water industry, and an advocate for a fee on bottles to help protect the environment and reduce litter.

He was steadfast supporter of environmental education programs in the public and private schools, and created the Florida Advisory Council on Environmental Education in 1990. And as chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, he was honored to be involved in helping to establish Preservation 2000--which later became Florida Forever.

For decades, visitors to the Capitol would see McPherson's pictures among hundreds of key moments in the colorful history of the Florida Legislature: One photo shows McPherson and troubadour Jimmy Buffett on the Capitol steps, unveiling the new Save the Manatee specialty license tag in 1989-while another showed Senator McPherson polishing the shoes of House Speaker Herb Morgan in a comically humble attempt to convince Morgan to fund the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

After his legislative career ended in 1990, McPherson worked as planning manager of the state energy office in the administration of Governor Lawton Chiles.

In retirement, McPherson served as the board chair for Commuter Services of North Florida in the 1990s, and as a board member of the Tallahassee Museum in the 2000s.

His lifelong joy of camping, especially in "the real Florida," continued until his death and even included a cross-country tour of the National Park System in 2016 to celebrate its 100th anniversary. He also enjoyed fine tuning his woodworking skills and became quite an artistic craftsman-designing fine furniture, elegant cypress porch swings, striking wooden canoes and stunning plantation shutters.

Tom McPherson is survived by his wife, Janet Stephen McPherson of Tallahassee; his daughter Margaret (Peg) McPherson (William Gray Stone, III) of Tallahassee; his step-son Dirk S. Sensanbaugher (Dottie) of Flowery Branch, Georgia; and, his half-brother Kelly McPherson of Ft. White, Florida.

He is preceded in death by his son, Thomas Allen McPherson, Jr.; his father, A.T. McPherson; and, his mother, Doris Luttrell McPherson.

In lieu of memorial donations, "Big Tom" would have liked for you to purchase a Florida State Parks Annual Pass and to get out and enjoy all of the natural and cultural resources we all have in common.