Florida Blue Key
Encyclopedia
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."
This organization was started at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree
Albert A. Murphree
Albert Alexander Murphree was an American college professor and university president. Murphree was a native of Alabama, and became a mathematics instructor after earning his bachelor's degree...
. Blue Key quickly spawned chapters across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, before the other chapters split with the original Florida chapter in the early 1930s. Their original charge was to plan a special weekend celebration for the university.
Today, the organization remains the powerful and politically active founding Blue Key chapter. A significant amount of Florida's famous politicians and business leaders became members of Florida Blue Key during their collegiate years and have followed that network for much of their careers. According to a 1997 lawsuit by Charles Grapski, Florida Blue Key maintains tight control over the Student Government and University of Florida.
The Beginning
In this respect, Blue Key was given the task of planning and executing Homecoming activities that year and has continued to lead this activity ever since. Also included in the 1923 Homecoming was Dad’s Day, a time for parents to visit and acquaint themselves with campus life. Dad’s Day and Homecoming were held concurrently until the 1930’s.
The organization quickly became so popular that Blue Key spread to colleges and universities across the country.
Initially, membership in the organization was ex-officio; a student automatically belonged to the organization if he held one of the major student organization positions on campus.
Separation with national chapters
The concept of a group of student leaders pooling their talents and interests to plan and promote a major event for their campus was a good idea. Through Dean Riley’s travels and professional contacts, similar organizations were developed on other campuses and itwasn’t long before it seemed appropriate to organize into a national group.For a variety of reasons, the University of Florida chapter decided not to be part of the national organization between 1932 and 1935. The Florida group thought the proposed Constitution of the national organization took too much control from the hands of the students; and it disagreed with some specific tenants of membership, including the requirement of a 2.5 grade point average. The Florida group believed the organization was not an academic one but, rather, a leadership and service group; thus, if one was progressing satisfactorily toward a degree (i.e. 2.0), one should be eligible for membership.
The Blue Key National Honor Society came into being and is a very respected national organization with chapters on many campuses throughout the country. Florida Blue Key was also formed as an organization only to be found at the University of Florida. The dispute was a clear indication that FBK did not intend to serve as a passive honor for University of Florida students, but rather as an active force in shaping the events of the university and state.
The parting of the ways between the parent chapter and other chapters forming the national organization left deep wounds on many Florida students. The perceptions of the conflict being a very important part of any subsequent discussions about the organization for years to come; including discussions of orientation of new members. The active members at that time wanted nothing to do with the national organization once it was founded, and, further, wanted to be sure that their successors would not become involved in it. Examples of such feelings are expressed in the last sentence of the Oath of Membership in Florida Blue Key and the Constitution. Through the 1940’s, the orientation of new members included hours on the discussion of this topic.
Today, it is still part of the orientation, but only for the purposes of relating its historical significance and for emphasizing that Florida Blue Key is the name of the organization that it has no relationship to, and is not part of, Florid Blue Key National Honor Society. A transfer student to the University of Florida often assumes his membership in a Blue Key National Honor Society chapter at another institution provides him with reciprocal membership in Florida Blue Key; only then to find out that is not the case. To this day, Florida Blue Key controls the use of all trademark and intellectual property rights related to Blue Key. Furthermore, Blue Key National Honor Society is prohibited from chartering or forming chapters at any institution within the State of Florida.
Uniqueness
Florida Blue Key is one of the most unique student organizations in American higher education. In the 1920’s, the University of Florida was the state’s only institution of higher learning where a male could continue his education. During the same time, the leadership of the state was male, predominantly those from Florida. If one of those leaders were college educated, it was most likely he went to the University of Florida and, to a large measure, it was consistent that student leaders at the University of Florida would likely remain in Florida and would assume roles of leadership within the professional, political, governmental, business, education cultural, religious, and social life of the state. The networking of those students with each other, and with other alumni of the institution, provided a powerful force and unique opportunity for service to the University of Florida. While Florida Blue Key membership offered many opportunities for service to the University, it also provided opportunities for personal enhancement and advancement. Many doors were opened to young college graduates whose resume included membership in Florida Blue Key.Current responsibilities
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
celebration and Gator Growl. These events are widely recognized as the largest Homecoming celebration in the country, which has grown to encompass dozens of events and community activities throughout the fall semester.
One of these events, Gator Growl
Gator Growl
Gator Growl, produced by Florida Blue Key, is a student-run pep rally at the University of Florida that was founded in 1932. It marks the culminating moment of Homecoming Week at the university. Designated the largest student-run pep rally in the world, the show is held annually in Ben Hill Griffin...
, is billed as the largest student-run pep rally
Pep rally
Pep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
in the world; an estimated 75,000 people have attended the event in past years. Gator Growl, (is not) nicknamed "Growl" by most students, usually features comedians such as Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
and Dane Cook
Dane Cook
Dane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
in addition to the school rallies, but occasionally a top-tier musical act headlines the show. The first Gator Growl occurred in 1932, and has been a tradition at the University of Florida for nearly 80 years.
The Blue Key Speech & Debate Tournament, sponsored by FBK since the early 1980s, is one of the largest and most prestigious high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
speech & debate tournaments in the country.
Other responsibilities include organizing UF's Legal Day, sponsoring the Miss University of Florida
Miss University of Florida
Miss University of Florida Pageant and the Miss Florida Gator Pageant is the University of Florida's official pageant competition that is part of the larger Miss Florida and Miss America pageants...
pageant, lobbying efforts on behalf of the university, and various community debates regarding issues concerning 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...
and UF.
Famous alumni
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Bill Nelson Bill Nelson Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida... |
Current U.S. Senator, Former U.S. Representative, and NASA NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research... Astronaut |
| Marco Rubio Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives .... |
Current U.S. Senator and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at... |
| Dean Cannon Dean Cannon Dean Cannon is a Representative in the House of Representatives of the Florida Legislature.He received his Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Florida in Journalism, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida as well... |
Current Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at... |
| Lawton Chiles Lawton Chiles Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of... |
41st Florida Governor and former U.S. Senator |
| Bob Graham Bob Graham Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005... |
38th Governor of Florida, former U.S. Senator, and Founder of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service Bob Graham Center for Public Service The Bob Graham Center for Public Service, housed at the University of Florida in Gainesville, is a community of students, scholars and citizens who share a commitment to training the next generation of public and private sector leaders for Florida, the United States and the international community.... |
| Buddy MacKay Buddy MacKay Kenneth Hood "Buddy" MacKay, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat from Florida. A Democrat, he was briefly the 42nd Governor of Florida following the death of Lawton Chiles on December 12, 1998. During his long public service career he was also state legislator, U.S. Representative, Lt... |
42nd Governor of Florida, Lt. Governor, U.S. Congressman, and later special envoy of President Bill Clinton's administration for the Americas. |
| Stephen N. Zack | President of the American Bar Association American Bar Association The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation... , attorney in Bush v. Gore Bush v. Gore Bush v. Gore, , is the landmark United States Supreme Court decision on December 12, 2000, that effectively resolved the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush. Only eight days earlier, the United States Supreme Court had unanimously decided the closely related case of Bush v... |
| Adam Putnam Adam Putnam Adam H. Putnam is the current Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2001 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:... |
Current Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Florida Commissioner of Agriculture The Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the head of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services . The position is elected by voters statewide and is one of four members in the Florida Cabinet... and former U.S. Congressman |
| Jeffrey Atwater Jeffrey Atwater Jeffrey "Jeff" Atwater, a fifth-generation Floridian, was elected Florida's Chief Financial Officer is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Florida... |
Current Chief Financial Officer of Florida Chief Financial Officer of Florida The Chief Financial Officer of Florida is a statewide constitutional officer of Florida. The office was created in 2002 following the 1998 reforms of the Florida Cabinet.... and former President of 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.... |
| Stephen C. O'Connell Stephen C. O'Connell Stephen Cornelius O'Connell was an American attorney, appellate judge and university president. O'Connell was a native of Florida, and earned bachelor's and law degrees before becoming a practicing attorney... |
Former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court Florida Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each... and former President of the University of Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
| Ben Hill Griffin | Citrus magnate, State legislator, and Benefactor for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly... |
| Wayne Mixson Wayne Mixson John Wayne Mixson, better known as Wayne Mixson was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida. He assumed the office in January 1987 after Bob Graham stepped down to take his seat in the United States Senate, and served only three days until the governor-elect, Bob Martinez, was sworn in... |
39th Governor of Florida |
| Edward L. Jennings Edward L. Jennings Edward L. Jennings, Jr. in Gainesville, Florida.Jennings served as a Representative in the House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Florida from 2000 to 2005... |
Former member of the Florida House of Representatives Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at... |
| Reubin O'Donovan Askew Reubin O'Donovan Askew Reubin O'Donovan Askew is an American politician, who served as the 37th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida from 1971 to 1979.-Early life and career:... |
Former Governor of Florida and United States Trade Representative Office of the United States Trade Representative The Office of the United States Trade Representative is the United States government agency responsible for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the president of the United States, conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinating trade... |
| Connie Mack III Connie Mack III Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy III , popularly known as Connie Mack, is a former Republican politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida from 1983 to 1989 and then as a Senator from 1989 to 2001. He served as chairman of the Senate Republican... |
Former U.S. Senator and U.S. Congressman |
| George Smathers George Smathers George Armistead Smathers was an American lawyer and politician who represented the state of Florida in the United States Senate for eighteen years, from 1951 until 1969, as a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life:... |
Former U.S. Senator, best man in wedding of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... |
| Bill McCollum Bill McCollum Ira William "Bill" McCollum, Jr. is a former Florida Attorney General. A Republican, he was Florida's 36th attorney general, taking office in 2007... |
Former U.S. Representative and Florida Attorney General Florida Attorney General The Florida Attorney General is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state.... |
| Ronald Saunders Ronald Saunders Ronald Saunders is an attorney and a Representative in the Florida House of Representatives. Saunders is currently the House Minority Leader, and will serve in that position until 2012.... |
Current member of the Florida House of Representatives Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at... |
| Steve Spurrier Steve Spurrier Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach... |
Former championship-winning coach for the Florida Gators Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams... and current head football coach for the University of South Carolina University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House... |
| Tim Tebow Tim Tebow Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft... |
2007 recipient of the Heisman Trophy Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial... |
| Fuller Warren Fuller Warren Fuller Warren was the 30th Governor of Florida.Born in Blountstown, Florida, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville. While at the University of Florida, he was one of the early members of Florida Blue Key and was a member of the Tau Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity... |
30th Governor of Florida |
| Phil Graham Phil Graham Philip Leslie Graham was an American publisher and businessman. He was the publisher and co-owner of The Washington Post... |
Former publisher and co-owner of The Washington Post The Washington Post The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation... |
| Daniel T. McCarty Daniel T. McCarty Daniel Thomas McCarty was an American politician and elected officeholder. McCarty was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, and served as its speaker, and was later elected the 31st Governor of Florida.... |
31st Governor of Florida |
| C. Farris Bryant C. Farris Bryant Cecil Farris Bryant was the 34th Governor of Florida. He also served on the United States National Security Council and in the Office of Emergency Planning during the administration of President Lyndon B... |
34th Governor of Florida |
Controversies
Florida Blue Key's control of politics has been compared to The MachineThe Machine
The Machine, the former Alpha Rho chapter of Theta Nu Epsilon at the University of Alabama, is a coalition of traditionally white fraternities and sororities which formed a secret society with some degree of influence over campus and Alabama state politics...
at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
and the Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
secret society of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
Although the university opened its doors to women in 1925 and to black students in 1958, FBK admitted primarily just white males until the early 1970s. The growing threat of lawsuits and increased national and state pressure caused the organization to change its policies. Today, FBK is fully integrated and is building a strong history of including persons of different gender and race.
FBK's power has weakened since the 1970s, because many more non-Greek students attended UF than in years past, and also after a lawsuit (see below) uncovered many secrets of the organization's legal and illegal involvement in campus politics. However, Greek chapters remain dominant in campus politics to this day, thanks mainly to their ability to mobilize votes within the FBK machine. The organization also maintains a steady flow of members from positions in the campus organization to places of prominent influence in Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
and Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
Grapski lawsuit
In 1995, Florida Blue Key was sued by graduate student Charles Grapski, who claimed that some of the organization's members had run a slanderous campaign against his candidacy for student body president.In his complaint, Grapski charged that several members of FBK conspired to alter Grapski's criminal record and post it around campus, containing a false charge of child molestation. One of the alleged conspirators, John McGovern, later became student body president himself.
Two years later, FBK was found guilty of defamation of character
Slander and libel
Defamation—also called calumny, vilification, traducement, slander , and libel —is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image...
and conspiracy to defame
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
, and held liable for damages of $250,000. Grapski and FBK eventually settled for $85,000, and FBK has since claimed no liability; McGovern was eventually ordered to pay about $80,000.