The 41st Justice of the Court, Buford arguably was one of the most colorful to serve in this century. For one thing he served as Justice without ever receiving a college degree, yet he was praised as one of the Court's finest minds. In 23 years of service on the Court, Buford wrote 2,657 opinions. Born in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1878, Buford later moved to Wewahitchka, Florida, in his childhood. He "read the law" in the office of a Tallahassee lawyer and was admitted to practice in 1900.

Buford also was widely admired for his skill as a public speaker. There is one report that, in the fall of 1934, he was present in Marianna, Florida, when a mob of thousands attempted to conduct a lynching. Taking to the Jackson County Courthouse steps, Buford gave such a stirring speech that the crowd changed its mind. Buford had prevented a lynching.

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