Edward H. Armstrong (July 23, 1880 – January 2, 1938) won the Daytona Beach, Florida mayor's office five times during the 1920s and 1930s where Jim Crow laws, racial segregation, poll taxes and the Great Depression complicated social, political and economic conditions. He controversially gained the support of black voters in exchange for community aid and infrastructure improvements. Today, he is remembered as the legendary political boss of Daytona Beach who indisputably found a way to gets things done and was one of the most colorful and headstrong figures in the city's history.
Early life
Edward H. Armstrong was born in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Daytona, Florida in 1900 to work as a salesman for the Ralston Purina Company Flour Mill. He later opened up a grocery store called the Armstrong Grocery Company. By 1927, he owned several grocery stores throughout the east central Florida area.
Political career
On October 6, 1925, the soon to be consolidated city of Daytona Beach held its first municipal election and H. F. Brass was elected mayor. In 1926, the city of Daytona Beach was officially created from the merger of the city of Daytona and the towns of Daytona Beach and Seabreeze. Armstrong entered the Daytona Beach municipal election in 1927 as a candidate for mayor and had competition from three other candidates. With a local reputation as a successful businessman, and a well organized campaign, where he was able to gain the support of black voters via a biracial political coalition, he won the election. He was sworn into office in 1928 for his first term which lasted until 1929. He was defeated for re-election in 1929. In 1930, he made a political comeback by winning the mayor's office with 43% of the white vote and 82% of the black vote. During the 1933 election black voters were being purposely delayed at polls, preventing them from voting. Armstrong managed to convince Florida's Governor David Sholtz to mobilize the National Guard and keep the polls open until 9:30pm. This enabled about 550 black voters to vote later than the original poll closing time of 6:00pm, which assisted Armstrong in winning the 1933 "military election". In 1935, Daytona Beach created polling places in black neighborhoods which reduced the obstruction of black voters that had occurred during the previous election. Armstrong obtained a landslide victory with 91% of the black vote and 54% of the white vote, securing the mayor's office once again. In 1937, he was as politically strong as ever during his career as he won the election by a five-to-one margin with 91% of the black vote and 54% of the white vote.
Political opposition and legacy
During Armstrong's political career as Mayor his political opponents, critics and the area's largest newspaper the Daytona Beach News-Journal, often accused him of corruption that included buying votes, squandering and misappropriating funds, political favoritism and tampering with elections. His administration required city employees to kick back 10% of their pay and as a result he was sometimes referred to as "10-cent Ed". However, his administration (called "The Armstrong Machine") was able to accomplish many positive changes, including the award of New Deal funding for municipal projects that included upgrading city waterworks, public docks, the bus system, the municipal airport, and the building of the Oceanfront Park complex (which originally included a large beachfront park that had several small rectangular pavilions, octagonal kiosks, a bathhouse, coquina rock veneered shops and stores, concessions and game rooms, and two coquina rock veneered pedestrian underpasses). The surviving parts of the original park are the Daytona Beach Coquina Clock Tower, Daytona Beach Bandshell and the Edward H. Armstrong Monument. He maintained the almost unanimous support of black voters throughout his career and was able to gain the support of white voters in increasing numbers, as he was credited for improving the local economy and public services during the hard times of the Great Depression.
Praise from Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary McLeod Bethune praised Armstrong in a December 31, 1929 letter as she confirmed the appreciation of his accomplishments by many of his contemporaries as she wrote:
His Honor, Mayor E. H. Armstrong, of Daytona Beach, Florida.
Greetings,