Collins established himself as one of the most popular governors in Florida 's history , a fact vindicated by his reelection in 1956 , making him the first sitting governor ever to win a gubernatorial election in the state . He was named chairman of both the Southern Governors ' Conference and the National Governors ' Conference . During his governorship , Collins became embroiled in the debate over integration sparked by the US Supreme Court 's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education . Like many southern states , the Florida State Legislature moved to issue a resolution of interposition in opposition to the court 's ruling . Collins resolutely decried this stance , which he considered tantamount to treason , and took a firm stand against the legislature . Collins ' role as a southern moderate attracted the attention of national Democratic Party leaders . He was selected as Honorary Chairman of the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles and later took positions in the Lyndon B. Johnson administration as Under Secretary of Commerce and head of the newly created Community Relations Service ( CRS ) . As director of the CRS , Collins served as the intermediary between the Southern Christian Leadership Conference , the State of Alabama , and the United States government during the tense Civil Rights marches in Selma , Alabama , in 1965 . Photographs showing his involvement with Selma circulated back in Florida shortly afterwards and effectively killed his political career after he tried unsuccessfully to run for Senate in 1968
1960 Democratic National Convention
1960 Democratic National Convention
The Grove Plantation