Robert A. Dressler
Encyclopedia
Robert A. Dressler is a lawyer and politician. His most prominent public office was mayor of Fort Lauderdale
, Florida
.
in 1967, cum laude
. From 1969 to 1972 he served in the United States Marine Corps
, rising to the rank of Captain. He received his J.D. from Harvard University Law School in 1973, cum laude
, and was admitted to the bar in Florida
, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U. S. Supreme Court in 1974, the U. S. District Court of Florida, Southern District
in 1979, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
in 1981.
revelry and mayhem reached a breaking point. Hundreds of thousands of college students visited the city every spring, destroying hotel rooms, despoiling the beach, and driving away local residents from the beach areas. In 1985, he appeared on Good Morning America
and announced that spring break college students were no longer welcome in the city. The city commission, under his leadership, passed laws forbidding open alcoholic containers on the beach side of State Road A1A
and overnight parking on the beach. MTV
was asked not to set up their operation on the beach, and a heavy enforcement of the new laws resulted in over 2500 arrests. The new zero-tolerance policy resulted in a sharp drop in college visitors, from an estimated 350,000 students in 1985 to an estimated 60,000 just three years later.
In 1986, Dressler resigned from office to pursue election to the Florida Senate
. He was unsuccessful, and returned to private practice as an attorney specializing in trusts and wills
; estates
; and probate
.
, and the Vietnam Veterans Association. He was named Florida Man of the Year by Florida Atlantic University
in 1993, and 2007 Distinguished Citizen by the Fort Lauderdale City Commission on 17 April 2007.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Early life
Dressler was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and received his A.B. from Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1967, cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
. From 1969 to 1972 he served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, rising to the rank of Captain. He received his J.D. from Harvard University Law School in 1973, cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
, and was admitted to the bar in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U. S. Supreme Court in 1974, the U. S. District Court of Florida, Southern District
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is the federal United States district court with jurisdiction over the southern part of the state of Florida....
in 1979, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...
in 1981.
Political career
Dressler was first elected mayor of Fort Lauderdale in 1982, as the first directly elected mayor in the city's history; up until his election, mayors had been appointed by the city commission from among their elected members. He was re-elected to a second three-year term in 1985.Spring break intervention
During his second term, the issue of Spring BreakSpring break
Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
revelry and mayhem reached a breaking point. Hundreds of thousands of college students visited the city every spring, destroying hotel rooms, despoiling the beach, and driving away local residents from the beach areas. In 1985, he appeared on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
and announced that spring break college students were no longer welcome in the city. The city commission, under his leadership, passed laws forbidding open alcoholic containers on the beach side of State Road A1A
Florida State Road A1A
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
and overnight parking on the beach. MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
was asked not to set up their operation on the beach, and a heavy enforcement of the new laws resulted in over 2500 arrests. The new zero-tolerance policy resulted in a sharp drop in college visitors, from an estimated 350,000 students in 1985 to an estimated 60,000 just three years later.
In 1986, Dressler resigned from office to pursue election to the Florida Senate
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
. He was unsuccessful, and returned to private practice as an attorney specializing in trusts and wills
Wills
Wills is a surname and may refer to:* Alfred Wills , English High Court judge and mountaineer* Andrew Wills , Australian rules footballer* Anneke Wills , British actress...
; estates
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
; and probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
.
Civic service and recognition
From 1982 to 1989, he served on the board of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, and from 1987 to 1993, he was a member of the Board of Regents of the State University System of Florida. He remains active in the community, with involvement in the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale, Leadership Florida, the Marine Corps LeagueMarine Corps League
The Marine Corps League is the only Congressionally chartered United States Marine Corps-related veterans organization in the United States. Its Congressional Charter was approved by the 75th U.S. Congress and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 4, 1937. The organization credits...
, and the Vietnam Veterans Association. He was named Florida Man of the Year by Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
in 1993, and 2007 Distinguished Citizen by the Fort Lauderdale City Commission on 17 April 2007.