Chester Bartow McMullen

Chester Bartow McMullen (December 6, 1902 – November 3, 1953) was an American lawyer, banker, and Democratic politician from the state of Florida who served one term in the United States House of Representatives from 1951 to 1953. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Florida’s 1st congressional district during the 82nd Congress and contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents.

McMullen was born in Largo, Florida, to Eli and Emma Cox McMullen. He came from a family deeply rooted in the early development of the Largo area. His paternal grandfather, Daniel McMullen, one of Largo’s first homesteaders, died in 1908, and his father, Eli McMullen, became the first tax collector of Pinellas County when it was created from Hillsborough County in 1912. Chester McMullen attended Largo High School, where he received his early education in the community that had shaped his family’s public service legacy.

After completing his secondary education, McMullen enrolled at the University of Florida College of Law. While still a student at the University of Florida, he married Veda E. Ulmer in 1923. She was the daughter of M. W. Ulmer, a prominent Largo planter and banker, further linking McMullen to influential civic and business circles in the region. The couple had two children, Chester Jr. and Elizabeth. McMullen graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1924, was admitted to the bar that same year, and immediately entered private legal practice in Clearwater, Florida.

McMullen’s public career began at the local level. He served as prosecuting attorney of Pinellas County from 1927 to 1928, gaining early experience in criminal law and public prosecution. In 1930 he was elected state attorney for Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit, a position of substantial responsibility that covered multiple counties on Florida’s Gulf Coast. He held this office for two decades, serving as state attorney for 20 years. During this long tenure, he built a reputation as a capable prosecutor and an established figure in Florida’s legal and political communities.

In addition to his legal and prosecutorial work, McMullen was active in the business life of Clearwater. He served as a director of the First National Bank of Clearwater, reflecting his involvement in local financial affairs and his standing in the community’s commercial sector. This combination of legal, political, and business experience helped position him for higher office as Florida’s population and political influence grew in the mid-twentieth century.

McMullen was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives in the 1950 election, representing Florida’s 1st congressional district. He took office on January 3, 1951, serving in the 82nd Congress. His term in Congress, from January 3, 1951, to January 3, 1953, coincided with the early years of the Cold War and the Korean War, a significant period in American history in which domestic policy, defense, and foreign affairs were closely intertwined. During his single term, he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Florida constituents in the national legislature. McMullen chose not to seek reelection in 1952, thus concluding his congressional service after one term.

After leaving Congress in January 1953, McMullen returned to Clearwater, Florida. His post-congressional life was brief, as he died later that year on November 3, 1953, in Clearwater. He was interred in Sylvan Abbey in Clearwater. His career, spanning local prosecution, long service as a state attorney, leadership in local banking, and a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, reflected a lifetime of engagement in the legal, civic, and political life of Florida.