Judge George C Young

Senior United States District Court Judge George C. (Cressler) Young, of Orlando, Florida, passed away Friday, April 24, 2015, at age 98, after a short illness, but a long and distinguished life and career. Judge Young will be personally remembered for his unfailing devotion to his family, including his extended court family. He will be officially remembered for his public service record and his reputation as one of the most respected and honored federal judges in the United States. His tenure on the bench is a testament to his love, dedication, sense of duty, and commitment to his country and the rule of law. Lawyers who appeared before him knew that he would be thoroughly prepared in court and that he inspired them to become better lawyers.

Historically, Judge Young will be remembered for his enforcement of decisions in cases ranging from school desegregation, civil rights, the space program, construction of major roadways in the area, racketeering, gambling, drug and alcohol importation, bribery and corruption. His most active service on the bench came at a time when he was the only federal judge in the Orlando area during a volatile period in history including the Vietnam war, and the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King assassinations, but which was also a period of major corporate growth and technological advancement. Locally those events impacted our area by the development of the Kennedy Space Center, Lockheed Martin Defense Plant and Walt Disney World, all of which changed the face of Central Florida and brought tremendous growth. That growth came with litigation in the federal court.

Judge Young was born August 4, 1916 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to George Phillip Young and Gladys Cressler Young. At that time the family last name was spelled “Jung”, but was later legally changed to “Young”. At an early age, Judge Young’s parents moved their family of three sons (George, Robert & Lawrence) to Daytona Beach, Florida where they were educated in local public schools. During his high school years, Judge Young was editor of the Seabreeze High School newspaper, and editor of the annual. He was also active in plays, speaking tours and won oratory contests several years in a row. Having won scholarships to Rollins College in Winter Park, Judge Young started his college life at Rollins and was very active in debating. Before leaving Rollins, he participated in forty intercollegiate debates around the country. He also acted in several plays at the Annie Russell Theater. Judge Young left Rollins in order to go to law school at the University of Florida.

Judge Young received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1938 and LLB from the University of Florida College of Law in 1940. During his law school years he was President and political representative of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, President of the Florida Blue Key, Chairman of Homecoming, and President of the University of Florida Debate team.

During those same years, Judge Young met and made lifetime friendships with many men who would become leaders in politics, law, business and scholastic fields throughout Florida and the nation, including Delbridge Gibbs, Alan Poucher, Billy Arnold, George Smathers, Phillip Graham, Steven O’Connell and many more. Steven O’Connell went on to be named President of the University of Florida, and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida, as well as the owner of a major bank in Tallahassee. Phillip Graham with his wife, Katherine Graham, owned and published the Washington Post which would become, and remain, one of the most prominent newspapers in the country.

Following graduation from law school, Young practiced law in Winter Haven, Florida from 1941 to 1942 with Henry Sinclair, who was then the City Attorney for Winter Haven, and Young acted as Assistant City Attorney. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Young enlisted in the United States Navy where he served as a Lieutenant until 1946. He began his Navy service in Key West and then served in the Gulf Sea Frontier in its headquarters in the DuPont Building in Miami. He later served in the Grand Cayman Islands, Nassau and the Philippines. While serving in Manila, Judge Young was assigned by the Port Director as the Chief of Communications for the Port. While in Nassau, Young met and socialized with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The Duke was at the time Governor of the Bahamas by appointment of the British Crown, but had been King Edward VIII, the first monarch in British history to voluntarily abdicate the throne of England to marry a commoner, Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.

After his war years, Young entered private practice in Miami for one year before serving two years, [1948 to 1951], as an Administrative Assistant in Washington to then U. S. Representative, and later U. S. Senator George A. Smathers. During this period, Young met and befriended then Senator John F. Kennedy. While visiting Senator Kennedy at his office one day, Kennedy autographed and wrote a personal note in a copy of his book, Profiles in Courage and gave it to Judge Young.

While working in Washington, Judge Young met and married the love of his life, Iris Hart Young, from Sebring, Florida. Iris was working for Congressman J. Hardin Peterson from Lakeland, Florida. In 1951 John F. Kennedy attended the Youngs’ farewell dinner hosted by Senator George Smathers at his home in Washington.

Judge Young then moved to Jacksonville, Florida and practiced law from 1951 to 1961, as a partner in the firm of Knight, Kincaid, Young and Harris, during which time he and Iris had two children, George C. Jr. and Barbara Ann. Young served as President of the Jacksonville Bar Association, and Chairman of a group that sponsored the creation of the first Jacksonville chapter of the United Cerebral Palsy organization, which during his tenure hosted several telethons attended by national celebrities. Young also hosted a radio talk show in Jacksonville discussing relevant legal issues of interest. He was very active in the community and in the various events sponsored by the Florida Bar Association.

In 1961 Young was recommended by Senator G. George Smathers and Senator C. Spessard Holland to a federal judgeship position, and was later nominated by then President John F. Kennedy to the United States District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of Florida. His federal judicial commission, and lifetime appointment, was signed on September 18, 1961 by both President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Judge Young was reassigned to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on October 29, 1962 and has served in that district ever since.

Judge Young was Chief Judge of the Middle District of Florida from 1973 to 1981 and assumed senior status on October 19, 1981. On June 1993 the federal courthouse in Orlando was officially named the George C. Young United States Courthouse and Federal Building. Also in 2007, the Orlando chapter of the American Inns of Court renamed their chapter in his honor, The George C. Young First Central Florida American Inns of Court.

Judge Young is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Iris June Hart Young, and his daughter Barbara Ann Young Smallback (son-in-law Bob), of Oakland, FL; grandson Scott Smallback of Orlando, FL; daughter-in-law Linda Lee Young, and granddaughters, Kelly and Kimberlee Young, of Gainesville, FL. Judge Young was predeceased in death by his son, George C. Young, Jr. He is also survived by his nephews, Terry and Phillip Young, and nieces, Dianne Davila and Christie Hebert.