Dorothy Sample

Dorothy Eaton Sample (May 1, 1911 – September 1, 2002) was a Republican politician from Florida who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1976 to 1988.

Early life

Sample was born in Nyack, New York. Her mother was Olive B. Eaton, a teacher. She had a brother, Ted, and a sister, Mary. She was a descendant of John Eaton, a territorial governor, and two of her cousins, Dan and John McCarty, were also Florida politicians. Sample received her undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University and her law degree from Duke Law School. She received a license to practice law in North Carolina.

Sample founded the Alliance for Conservation of Natural Resources, served as a president of Save Our Bays and was a vice president and regional director for the Florida Wildlife Federation. She led a legal effort to halt construction of Interstate 275 in St. Petersburg until an environmental impact statement was commissioned. She defeated Laurent Belanger for the Republican nomination. In the 1980 legislative session, Sample opposed a bill to criminalize marital rape, the only female representative to do so.

Sample became a representative for the 54th district in 1982. She ran for a seat on the St. Petersburg City Council in 1995 but was not elected.