Lawrence worked at the old New York Herald-Tribune in the late 1930s and then continued during the Second World War at the old New York Sun. He made his mark by covering politics and the profiteering connected with the war.
After the war, he and his family tried farming in upstate New York until the mid-1950s when he returned to newspapering, first as a reporter and later as a managing editor at the Sarasota News.
By the mid-1960s, he was back into political reporting as a political writer, bureau chief and later political columnist for the Orlando Sentinel.
He earned an enviable reputation as a political columnist and reporter due to his willingness to work and his deep concern for fairness and accuracy.
Upon his death in September 1983, the governor and cabinet of Florida stood in silent prayer to honor Lawrence as a consummate journalist whose commitment and contributions would be missed.
