List of Great Floridians
Encyclopedia
Great Floridian
Great Floridians
Great Floridian is a title bestowed upon citizens in the state of Florida by the Florida Department of State. There were actually two formal programs...

 is a title bestowed upon citizens in the state of 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...

 by the Florida Department of State. There were two formal programs.

Great Floridians 2000

The Florida Department of State and the Florida League of Cities created the program in 1998 to help celebrate the approaching end of the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....

. The process dedicated a special series of commemorative panels in cities throughout the state recognizing deceased individuals who made significant contributions to the history and culture of Florida. A total of 385 persons were honored.

Great Floridians Program

In 2007, the legislature resurrected, revised and formalized Great Floridians in Florida law
Florida law
The Florida law is based on the Florida Constitution , which defines how the statutes must be passed into law, and defines the limits of authority and basic law that the Florida Statutes must be complied with...

. A defined committee consisting of the top members of the Executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...

 and Legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...

 branches of government meets each year to nominate citizens for designation. The Florida Secretary of State
Secretary of State of Florida
The Secretary of State of Florida is a constitutional officer of the state government of the U.S. state of Florida, established by the original 1838 state constitution....

 then selects at least two nominees for the honor. As of 2010, 49 persons have been so honored.

Great Floridians Program (on-going)
Full Name Last Name Attribute Year
Sandy D'Alemberte D’Alemberte American Bar Assn president & Florida State University president (1994–2003) 2010
Paula Hawkins
Paula Hawkins
Paula Hawkins was an U.S. politician from Florida. She is to date the only woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida. She was the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate without a family connection....

Hawkins Consumer Advocate and US Senator from Florida 1981-1987 2010
Joseph Patrick Hurley
Joseph Patrick Hurley
Joseph Patrick Hurley was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of St. Augustine from 1940 until his death in 1967. He also held diplomatic posts in Europe and Asia....

Hurley Roman Catholic Archbishop 2010
Tony Jannus
Tony Jannus
Antony Habersack Jannus, more familiarly known as Tony Jannus , was an early American pilot whose aerial exploits were widely publicized in aviation's pre-World War I period. He flew the first airplane from which a parachute jump was made, in 1912. Jannus was also the first airline pilot, having...

Jannus First commercial airline pilot & parachutist 2010
David McCampbell
David McCampbell
Captain David McCampbell was an American naval aviator, who became the US Navy’s all-time leading ace with 34 aerial victories during World War II. The third-highest scoring US flying ace of World War II, he was the highest-scoring to survive the war.McCampbell was born in Bessemer, Alabama, and...

McCampbell World War II Ace Navy Pilot 2010
Sarah D. McKay McKay Lakeland Philanthropist 2010
Eddie Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...

Rickenbacker World War I Ace Pilot & Medal of Honor recipient 2010
Pedro Menendez de Aviles
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...

Menendez Spanish Admiral and explorer 2009
Bob Martinez
Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :...

Martinez Florida's 40th Governor 1987-1991 2009
Mae McMillan
Pine Crest School
Pine Crest School is a private college preparatory school with campuses in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was founded in Fort Lauderdale in 1934 by Mae McMillan who began as a tutor to children of families spending the winter in South Florida, USA. In 1995, Dr. Lourdes Cowgill became...

McMillan Educator 2009
Eugene Patterson Patterson Newspaperman & Civil Rights Advocate 2009
Charles W. Pierce Pierce Early Florida Settler 2009
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an American author who lived in rural Florida and wrote novels with rural themes and settings. Her best known work, The Yearling, about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn, won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1939 and was later made into a movie, also known as The...

Rawlings Author 2009
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Shaw US Representative 1981-2007 2008
May Mann Jennings
May Mann Jennings
May Austin Elizabeth Mann Jennings was the First Lady of Florida as wife of Florida Governor William Sherman Jennings. She was one of Florida's most powerful and influential women.-Early years:...

Jennings Women’s Rights activist, Environmentalist & children's welfare advocate 2008
Harry T. Moore
Harry T. Moore
Harry Tyson Moore was an African-American teacher, and founder of the first branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Brevard County, Florida....

Moore Civil rights activist 2007
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...

Mack US Senator 1989-2001 & US Representative 1983–1989 2007
Richard Keith Call Call Florida’s 3rd & 5th Territorial Governor 2006
Julia DeForest Sturtevant Tuttle
Julia Tuttle
Julia DeForest Tuttle, was an entrepreneur, citrus farmer and businesswoman who was largely responsible for, and the original owner of, the land upon which Miami, Florida, was built...

Tuttle "Mother of Miami" 2006
William Pope DuVal
William Pope Duval
William Pope Duval was the first civilian governor of Florida Territory, serving from April 17, 1822 until April 24, 1834.-Early life:...

DuVal Florida's 1st Territorial Governor 1822-1834 2005
Al Hoffman
Al Hoffman
Al Hoffman , a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame since 1984, was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number one hits through each decade, many of which are still sung and recorded today...

Hoffman Philanthropist & Civic Leader 2005
Spessard Holland
Spessard Holland
Spessard Lindsey Holland was an American lawyer, politician and elected officeholder. He was the 28th Governor of Florida from 1941 until 1945, during World War II. After finishing his term as governor, he was a United States Senator from Florida from 1946 until 1971...

Holland Florida's 28th Governor 1941-1945 2004
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...

Warren Florida's 30th Governor 1949-1953 2004
Mary Call Darby Collins
Mary Call Darby Collins
Mary Call Darby Collins was the widow of Governor LeRoy Collins and First Lady of Florida from 1955-1961.- Early years :...

Collins Lifelong Preservationist 2003
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler was an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway...

Flagler Industrialist and Developer 2003
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance...

Hurston Writer and Folklorist 2003
Henry Plant Plant Industrialist and Developer 2003
James Alward Van Fleet
James Van Fleet
James Alward Van Fleet was a U.S. Army officer during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. He served as a regimental, divisional and corps commander during World War II and as...

Van Fleet Combat Commander & Four-Star General 2002
Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was an American educator and civil rights leader best known for starting a school for African American students in Daytona Beach, Florida, that eventually became Bethune-Cookman University and for being an advisor to President Franklin D...

Bethune Educator and Activist 2002
John Gorrie
John Gorrie
John Gorrie , physician, scientist, inventor, and humanitarian, is considered the father of refrigeration and air conditioning. He was born on the Island of Nevis to Scottish parents on October 3, 1802, and spent his childhood in South Carolina...

Gorrie Physician, Scientist and Inventor 2002
William Henry Getty (Bill) France France NASCAR Founder and Motor Sports Promoter 2002
Richard (Dick) Pope Pope Cypress Gardens Founder & Tourism Promoter 2002
Mallory E. Horne
Mallory Horne
Mallory E. Horne was the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and President of the Florida Senate.- Background :Horne was an United States Army Air Force pilot during World War II...

Horne Florida House Speaker and Senate President 2002
Horacio Aguirre Aguirre Publisher, Journalist & Editor of Diario Las Americas 2001
Lawton M. Chiles Chiles Florida's 41st Governor 1991-1998 & US Senator 1971-1989 2001
Reubin O'D. Askew Askew Florida's 37th Governor 1971-1979 1998
William Patrick Foster
William P. Foster
William Patrick Foster , also known as The Law and The Maestro, was the creator of the noted Florida A&M University Marching "100". He served as the band's director from 1946 to his retirement in 1998. His innovations revolutionized college marching band technique and the perceptions of the...

Foster Bandleader, Florida A&M "Marching 100" 1998
Chesterfield Smith
Chesterfield Smith
Chesterfield Smith was an American lawyer. He founded the law firm Holland & Knight and served as president of the American Bar Association in 1973-1974, during the Watergate scandal.-Early life and education:...

Smith Justice Advocate & Florida's First American Bar Association President 1997
E. T. York
E. T. York
E. Travis "E.T." York, Jr. was an American agronomist, professor, university administrator, agricultural extension administrator, and U.S. presidential adviser. York was a native of Alabama, and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in agricultural sciences...

York Florida University System Chancellor & IFAS Founder 1997
Cecil Farris Bryant Bryant Florida's 34th Governor 1961-1965 1994
George A. Smathers Smathers US Senator 1951-1969 1994
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...

O'Connell Florida Supreme Court Justice 1966-1967 & UF President 1967-1973 1993
B. K. Roberts Roberts Three-Time Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court 1990
Chester Howell Ferguson Ferguson Attorney, Business & Civic Leader 1988
Claude Denson Pepper Pepper US Senator 1936-1951 & US Representative 1963-1989 1988
Ben Hill Griffin, Jr.
Ben Hill Griffin, Jr.
Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. was a prominent American businessman, citrus grower, politician and philanthropist who was a native and resident of Florida. Griffin was an alumnus of the University of Florida, a former state legislator, a one-time candidate for governor and a patron of college sports and...

Griffin Citrus Baron, Civic Leader & Benefactor 1987
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Marjory Stoneman Douglas was an American journalist, writer, feminist, and environmentalist known for her staunch defense of the Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development...

Douglas Writer and Environmental Activist 1987
Alonzo "Jake" Gaither
Jake Gaither
Alonzo Smith "Jake" Gaither was the head football coach at Florida A&M University for 25 years, and amassed one of the best winning records of any college football coach....

Gaither Head Football Coach, Florida A&M University 1984
Thomas LeRoy Collins Collins Florida's 33rd Governor 1955-1961 1981


Great Floridians 2000
Great Floridians
Great Floridian is a title bestowed upon citizens in the state of Florida by the Florida Department of State. There were actually two formal programs...

 (program ended in 2000)

Full Name Last Name Attribute Sponsoring City Plaque Location
Alvan Wentworth Chapman
Alvan Wentworth Chapman
Alvan Wentworth Chapman was an American physician and botanist who wrote Flora of the Southern United States, the first comprehensive description of US plants in any region beyond the northeastern states.-Education:...

Chapman Physician and Botanist; author of Flora of the Southern United States Apalachicola
John Gorrie
John Gorrie
John Gorrie , physician, scientist, inventor, and humanitarian, is considered the father of refrigeration and air conditioning. He was born on the Island of Nevis to Scottish parents on October 3, 1802, and spent his childhood in South Carolina...

Gorrie Physician, Scientist and Inventor Apalachicola
Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier Carrier Teacher and first black Principal in Florida, Rosewood Survivor Archer
William Emory (Hitup) Maddox Maddox founder of Maddox Foundry & Machine Works and photographer/historian Archer
Ephriam Mikell Baynard
Ephriam M. Baynard House
The Ephriam M. Baynard House is a historic home in Auburndale, Florida, located at 208 West Lake Avenue. On November 10, 2001, it was added to the U.S...

Baynard Landowner, Cattle Rancher, Farmer, Financier, Real Estate Developer Auburndale
Albert H. Blanding
Albert H. Blanding
Albert Hazen Blanding was an United States Army soldier. Among the most distinguished military figures in Florida's history, he was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal.-Biography:...

Blanding Distinguished Soldier, National Guardsman & Civic leader Bartow
Lawrence Bernard (L.B.) Brown Brown Former Slave, Bible Salesman, Furniture maker, Church founder Bartow
Lillian Carpenter Carpenter Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library founder, Researcher & Civic leader, Historian & Librarian Bartow
E.W. Codington Codington Banker, Landowner, Mayor, Ice Plant builder, Home Building & Loan Association founder, Board of Trade organizer Bartow
Bruce Barkley Downs, Sr Downs Florida Department of Transportation Director & Hillsborough director of Public Works Bartow
Louise Kelley Frisbie Frisbie Newspaper Columnist, Author and local Historian Bartow
Roy Trent Gallemore Gallemore 40-year Navy man, 10 years U.S. Department of Interior in Micronesia, owner of Benjamin Franklin Holland House
Benjamin Franklin Holland House
The Benjamin Franklin Holland House is a historic home in Bartow, Florida. It is located at 590 East Stanford Street. Benjamin Franklin Holland was the father of Spessard Holland, one of Florida's governors as well as a United States senator representing the state. On April 3, 1975, the house was...

Bartow
George Gause Gause Mortician, First black City Commissioner, Mayor, School Board member Bartow
Samuel Sharpless Green Green Public library volunteer & supporter Bartow
Jeremiah M. Hayman Hayman Baptist Minister & Missionary; Polk County Clerk of Court Bartow
Spessard Holland
Spessard Holland
Spessard Lindsey Holland was an American lawyer, politician and elected officeholder. He was the 28th Governor of Florida from 1941 until 1945, during World War II. After finishing his term as governor, he was a United States Senator from Florida from 1946 until 1971...

Holland Florida's 28th Governor 1941-1945 Bartow
Evander McIvor Law Law Author, Teacher, and Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 general in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

Bartow
E. Louise Marquis Marquis Assistant to 5 city managers of 40+ years while earning Bachelors, Masters & Juris Doctor degrees Bartow
Mary Stewart McLeod McLeod established & funded bible study program in Bartow schools for almost 50 years Bartow
William Franklin Peacock Peacock physician & surgeon, hospital chief of staff and civic leader Bartow
George E. Pittas Pittas restaurateur for 40 years, youth baseball president & national director and civic leader Bartow
Edward Crosland Stuart Stuart phosphate land owner, bank director and church founder Bartow
Jacob Summerlin
Jacob Summerlin
Jacob Summerlin , aka the King of the Crackers and King of the Cracker Cow Hunters, was reputed to be the first child born in Florida after the land was ceded by Spain...

Summerlin King of the Crackers, Cattle Baron; wealthiest man in Florida prior to Civil War Bartow
James Alward Van Fleet
James Van Fleet
James Alward Van Fleet was a U.S. Army officer during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. He served as a regimental, divisional and corps commander during World War II and as...

Van Fleet Combat Commander & Four-Star General Bartow
Charles Cooper Wilson Wilson lawyer, Florida Constitution framer, prosecuting attorney and state senator Bartow
Thomas Farrar Fleming, Jr. Fleming bank founder, campaigned for bond issue for higher education and establishment of 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...

Boca Raton
Charles W. Pierce Pierce Barefoot Mailman, hunting/fishing guide & explorer of SE FL interior; postmaster Boynton Beach
Bernard Preston Thomas Thomas Artist and painter of Western scenes Boynton Beach
Beulah Rebecca Hooks Hannah Tingley
Beulah Rebecca Hooks Hannah Tingley
Beulah Rebecca Hooks Hannah Tingley was born in 1894 in Clermont, Florida. She was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Hooks, who served in the Florida Legislature from 1893 to 1895. Tingley was a member of the Democratic National Committee and Chair of the Democratic Party of Florida and a member of...

Tingley Democratic National Committee member, Florida Democratic Party chairperson, Bradenton Beach Library benefactor Boynton Beach
Eldridge F. McLane McLane Educator, Administrator and Teaching advocate Brandon
John Law Ayers Ayers Rancher, Citrus & Timber grower; county commission chairman, state representative, chairman of Livestock Commission & Citrus Commission; district supervisor for Soil Conservation District; bank director Brooksville
James E. "Nick" Connor Connor City & County Clerk, State Senator, County Judge; obtained land & funding for local government, health & education Brooksville
Lena Culver Hawkins Hawkins first woman mayor and woman’s club president Brooksville
May Mann Jennings
May Mann Jennings
May Austin Elizabeth Mann Jennings was the First Lady of Florida as wife of Florida Governor William Sherman Jennings. She was one of Florida's most powerful and influential women.-Early years:...

Jennings Women’s Rights activist, Environmentalist & advocate for the welfare of children Brooksville
William Sherman Jennings Jennings Florida's 18th Governor 1901-1905 Brooksville
Frank Elmore Saxon Saxon Civil war veteran, tax assessor, postmaster, police chief, clerk of the court and state representative Brooksville
St. Clair Whitman Whitman musician, inventor, artifact collector and historian Cedar Key
Solomon Smith (S.S.) Coachman Coachman Citrus grower & sawmill operator, mercantile business & packing house, first county commission chairman, helped Pinellas County form from Hillsborough county Clearwater
Marie Ringo Holderman Holderman Cocoa Tribune founder and publisher for 50 years Cocoa
Gus Callaway Edwards Edwards lawyer, city attorney, mayor and founder of first community church Cocoa Beach
Phillip Randolph Randolph organized and was first President of the International Brotherhood of Sleeping Car porters, organized 2 marches on Washington, first black International Vice President of the AFL-CIO Crescent City
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an American author who lived in rural Florida and wrote novels with rural themes and settings. Her best known work, The Yearling, about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn, won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1939 and was later made into a movie, also known as The...

Rawlings Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...

 winning Author for fiction in 1939
Cross Creek
Ripley Bullen Bullen Archaeologist Crystal River
Francis L. Dade
Francis L. Dade
Francis Langhorne Dade was a Major in the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment, United States Army, during the Second Seminole War. Dade was killed in a battle with Seminole Indians that came to be known as the "Dade Massacre"...

Dade Military Major in Florida Territory Dade City
William M. Larkin Larkin Lawyer, prosecutor, cattleman Dade City
Frank "Tootie" Adler Adler city commissioner, mayor, county commissioner and city attorney Dania Beach
Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was an American educator and civil rights leader best known for starting a school for African American students in Daytona Beach, Florida, that eventually became Bethune-Cookman University and for being an advisor to President Franklin D...

Bethune co-founder of Bethune-Cookman College
Bethune-Cookman College
Bethune-Cookman University or B-CU is a private historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida.- History :Mary McLeod Bethune founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School in 1904...

, director of federal Office of Minority Affairs, VP of NAACP
Daytona Beach
Charles Grover Burgoyne Burgoyne wealthy NY printer, Philanthropist Daytona Beach
Matthias Day, Jr. Day founder of Daytona Beach Daytona Beach
George W. Engram, Sr. Engram electrical engineer, founder of electric company, general manager of African-American Bethune Beach Daytona Beach
William (H.G.) France & Annie B. France France NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 founders
Daytona Beach
Jeanne M. Goddard Goddard co-founder & trustee of Daytona Beach Community College, school board chairman and volunteer extraordinaire Daytona Beach
J. Griffen Greene Greene president of African-American Volusia County Community College, dean of Daytona Beach Junior College Daytona Beach
Lorenzo Dow Huston Huston first mayor of Daytona, justice of the peace, school superintendent & county commissioner Daytona Beach
Dr. Richard Vernon Moore, Sr. Moore Civic leader Daytona Beach
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...

Robinson first African-American to integrate modern organized baseball, MVP Daytona Beach
David Dunham Rogers Rogers co-founder and first surveyor of Daytona, built the first ice plant and first bridge across the Halifax River Daytona Beach
Dr. Josie Rogers Rogers first female doctor, chairman of Florida State Health Department, commissioner & only female mayor Daytona Beach
Chapman Shaw Root Root largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, artifact collector and philantrhopist Daytona Beach
Dr. Joseph Taylor Taylor Professor of History, chairman of the Daytona Beach Historic Preservation Board Daytona Beach
Dr. Howard W. Thurman
Howard Thurman
Howard Thurman was an influential American author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader. He was Dean of Theology and the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, wrote 21 books, and in 1944 helped found a multicultural church.-Early life...

Thurman author and college dean at Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....

, Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...

 & Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

Daytona Beach
Frederick deBary deBary Wine merchant who built DeBary Hall, hunting & fishing estate on the St. Johns River; planted 10,000 citrus trees on 4000 acres (16.2 km²); his steamships transported fruit and travellers north to Jacksonville DeBarry
George Emory Butler Butler Mayor, Judge, helped establish "Deerfield Locks" for transport via Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic; helped found Irrigation Association co-op and owned Butler Packing House Deerfield Beach
James Dallas Butler Butler Mercantile store owner, then Butler Brothers Farms owner; children's program supporter Deerfield Beach
Emily Mildred Olson Dietrich Dietrich Teacher, library supporter and historic preservationist Deerfield Beach
Branhilda Knowles Knowles Midwife and advocate for Migrant workers Deerfield Beach
Odas Lee Tanner Tanner Construction company owner, city commissioner, vice mayor, expanded parks and implemented beach renourishment Deerfield Beach
John Bartow Wiles, Jr. Wiles city commissioner who promoted irrigation control, road building & improvement, medical services, historical society founding member Deerfield Beach
Earl W. Brown Brown Hotel operator, citrus producer & cattle rancher; city manager & mayor; Stephen Foster Memorial Commission chairman & Florida State Chamber of Commerce president Deland
Charles H. Campbell, Jr. Campbell Mayor, fire chief, Rotary Club and auto racing supporter Deland
Hawtense Conrad Conrad Philanthropist and museum founder Deland
Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the 1965 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, in which he played the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West, and his portrayal of World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep...

Conrad Philanthropist Deland
Dr. George Augustus Davis Davis City and county health officer, physician for the Florida East Coast and Atlantic Coast Line Railways, chamber of commerce president Deland
Henry Addison DeLand
Henry Addison DeLand
Henry Addison Deland was a baking soda manufacturer from Fairport, New York. The Henry DeLand House he built there is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...

DeLand founded Deland, established DeLand Academy which became Stetson University
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...

, founded Lake Helen
Deland
Bert Fish Fish lawyer, school superintendent, county solicitor, judge; US diplomat to Egypt, Saudi Arabia & Portugal Deland
Arthur George Hamlin Hamlin Prominent attorney, represented Henry Flagler, citrus grower who developed the Hamlin Orange Deland
Lue Gim Gong
Lue Gim Gong
Lue Gim Gong was a Chinese—American horticulturalist...

Gong AKA "The Citrus Wizard", created sweet & frost resistant variety of Valencia orange
Valencia orange
The Valencia Orange is a sweet orange first hybridized by California pioneer agronomist and land developer William Wolfskill, on his farm in Santa Ana in southern California in the United States. -History:...

Deland
John B. Stetson Stetson Hatmaker, created practical, durable hats for Western settlers & cowboys Deland
William Amory Underhill
William Amory Underhill
William Amory Underhill was a public servant, lobbyist, and philanthropist prominent in his native Florida and in Washington, D.C.....

Underhill Lawyer, public servant, lobbyist and philanthropist Deland
Calhoun Yancey "C.Y." Byrd Byrd Lawyer, City Councilman, City Attorney, County Commissioner and Bar Association President Delray Beach
Dr. John Robert Cason, Jr. Cason Minister who founded the Methodist Children’s Home, School Board member and Municipal Judge Delray Beach
Marshall DeWitt DeWitt farmer, agricultural leader, City Councilman, mayor, member, then Board Chairman of the First National Bank, Delray Beach Historical Society founder Delray Beach
Barbara Dodge Smith Smith Chamber of Commerce president, City Commissioner, supported city’s After School Program and Sandoway Nature Center, was president of the Delray Beach Community Child Care Center Delray Beach
Solomon David Spady Spady School teacher and principal for 34 years who inspired children to learn and go to college Delray Beach
Myrtle Scharrer Betz Betz Fisherwoman for 40 years, conservationist, and writer. Dunedin
Bronson Cushing Skinner Skinner Developed the first acceptable process to make concentrated Orange Juice Dunedin
Martin A. "Marty" Kellner Kellner Councilman, Mayor & Civic leader Eagle Lake
Ora Belle Starling Starling Volunteer & Civic leader Eagle Lake
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance...

Hurston Writer and Folklorist Eatonville
Dr. John Milton Hawks Hawks Physician, Author, Historian, Teacher, Newspaper Publisher, Army Officer, Orange Grower, first superintendent of Volusia County Schools and founder of Hawks Park—renamed Edgewater Edgewater
Cyrus Teed
Cyrus Teed
Cyrus Reed Teed was a U.S. eclectic physician and alchemist turned religious leader and messiah. In 1869, claiming divine inspiration, Dr...

Teed Originated Hollow Earth theory and founded Koreshan Unity
Koreshan Unity
The Koreshan Unity was a communal utopia formed by Cyrus Teed, who took the name "Koresh", the Hebrew version of his name Cyrus . The Koreshans followed Teed's beliefs, called Koreshanity....

Estero
S.T.E. Pinkney Pinkney School Administrator & City Commissioner/Mayor Eustis
Deaconess Harriet Bedell Bedell Episcopalian missionary to Everglades Indians Everglades City
David Graham Copeland Copeland Manager of 40 Barron Collier
Barron Collier
Barron Gift Collier was an American advertising entrepreneur, who became the largest landowner and developer in the U.S. state of Florida, as well as, the owner of a chain of hotels, bus lines, several banks, and newspapers. He also owned a telephone company and a steamship line.Collier was born...

 businesses & County Commissioner
Everglades City
Gilbert Edward Barkoski Barkoski Rancher, imported English cattle to crossbreed Spanish cows; school board member, county commissioner, WWII Ration Board and Drainage Board member; cattlemen's association president Fellsmere
Liberty Billings Billings Civil war veteran, conducted the U.S. Census in Nassau County, president pro-tempore of the state senater Fernandina Beach
Emma B. Delaney Delaney first African-American female missionary sent to Africa Fernandina Beach
George Rainsford Fairbanks Fairbanks lawyer, Clerk of the Circuit Court, state Senator, president of Florida Fruit Growers Association and the Florida Fruit Exchange; editor of the Florida Mirror, authored book on Florida history used in schools, founder and president of Florida Historical Society Fernandina Beach
Louis G. Hirth Hirth founder and proprietor of Palace Saloon, open since 1901 Fernandina Beach
Amos Latham Latham lighthouse keeper at Amelia Island Fernandina Beach
Chloe Merrick Merrick opened a Freedmen’s School on Amelia Island; married governor Harrison M. Reed Fernandina Beach
William Henderson Peck Peck Principal of Nassau Colored School Number 1 for 50 years; expanded curriculum to a full high school Fernandina Beach
Solicito "Mike" Salvador Salvador leader and innovator in the Florida shrimping industry Fernandina Beach
Sisters of St. Joseph
Sisters of St. Joseph
The title Sisters of St. Joseph applies to several Roman Catholic religious congregations of women. The largest and oldest of these was founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France...

St. Joseph Humanitarians who assisted all people through yellow fever epidemics; founded St. Joseph Academy
St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine, Florida)
St. Joseph Academy Catholic High School is a private Catholic high school in St. Augustine, Florida. It is located in and administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine. The oldest Catholic high school in Florida, it was founded in 1866....

Fernandina Beach
Samuel A. Swann Swann Accountant and assistant secretary and treasurer of the Florida Railroad Company; land agent Fernandina Beach
Marcellus Alphonso Williams Williams Surveyor and land agent Fernandina Beach
David Levy Yulee
David Levy Yulee
David Levy Yulee, born David Levy was an American politician and attorney from Florida, a territorial delegate to Congress, the first Jewish member of the United States Senate, and a member of the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War...

Yulee Lawyer, Florida Statehood leader, US Senator, Plantation owner, Railroad builder Fernandina Beach
Evelyn Fortune Bartlett Bartlett renovated the Bonnet House and 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) estate on Fort Lauderdale beach, preserving one of the last mangrove swamps and coastal hammocks on the South Florida coast Ft. Lauderdale
Frederic Clay Bartlett Bartlett Noted artist and art collector; designed and built the Bonnet House Ft. Lauderdale
George W. English, Jr. English after 1926 hurricane, worked with the city to exchange delinquent taxes for land, established a Savings and Loan Association to fund real estate development, established First National Bank, city attorney, drafted the city’s first comprehensive plan and helped establish Broward General Hospital Ft. Lauderdale
Dr. Von Delany Mizell Mizell second black physician who helped establish Provident Hospital; staged sit-ins, protests and started the first NAACP chapter in South Florida, boycotted Fort Lauderdale’s "Colored School", sued Medical Association for admittance Ft. Lauderdale
Estelle Rouse Pinkett Pinkett teacher who motivated her students to attend college, founded first "colored" USO, founded an initiative to train teachers Ft. Lauderdale
Margaret Blake Roach Roach Broward County School administrator, Women in Distress Shelter and United Way supporter, president of the Broward Urban League, Broward Community College Trustee and civic leader Ft. Lauderdale
Dr. James F. Sistrunk Sistrunk first black physician who helped establish Provident Hospital and was chief of staff, delivering 5,000 babies Ft. Lauderdale
Frank and Ivy Stranahan Stranahan trading post operator, postmaster, ferryboat owner, real estate developer who donated land for hospital, school, park and woman's club; schoolteacher who convinced Seminoles to move to a reservation, hospital supporter Ft. Lauderdale
Leon Watts Watts Teacher, counselor, civil rights activist, community advocate and Broward Community College Trustee Ft. Lauderdale
Nathaniel "Nat" J. Patterson Patterson Lawyer, City Attorney, Mayor, State Representative and civic leader Fort Meade
Thomas Alva & Mina Miller Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...

Edison prolific Inventor Fort Myers
Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...

Ford Founder of Ford Motor Company & Assembly Lines Fort Myers
William Thomas Howard Howard Instrumental in establishing Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast University, also known as FGCU, is a coeducational public university located just south of the Southwest Florida International Airport in the South Fort Myers region of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States. The university belongs to the 11-campus State University...

Fort Myers
Albert E. "Bean" Backus
A. E. Backus
Albert Ernest "Bean" Backus was an American artist famous for his vivid Florida landscapes.-Early influences:...

Backus Self-taught Painter, Charitable Benefactor Fort Pierce
Dr. Clem C. Benton Benton Physician, Founder of Fort Pierce Memorial Hospital, College Trustee and Civic Leader Fort Pierce
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance...

Hurston Writer and Folklorist Fort Pierce
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....

McCarty Florida's 31st Governor 1952-1953 Fort Pierce
Willie H. Blankston Blankston Civil Rights Advocate Fort Walton Beach
John Thomas Brooks Brooks Founder of Fort Walton Beach, Civil War veteran, area "Doctor" & Hotel owner Fort Walton Beach
Adam J. Gerlach Gerlach Owner of Gulfview Hotel and Catholic Church supporter Fort Walton Beach
Liza Jackson Jackson Hotel Proprietor, Women’s & Garden Club founder, Donated Land for numerous Civic Projects Fort Walton Beach
William C. Lazarus Lazarus Pilot, Aeronautics Instructor & Research Engineer, Project Manager of Indian Temple Mound Museum Fort Walton Beach
Chester Pruitt Pruitt First Black FWB Police Officer, Youth Mediator Fort Walton Beach
Ben Hill Griffin, Jr.
Ben Hill Griffin, Jr.
Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. was a prominent American businessman, citrus grower, politician and philanthropist who was a native and resident of Florida. Griffin was an alumnus of the University of Florida, a former state legislator, a one-time candidate for governor and a patron of college sports and...

Griffin Citrus Baron, Civic Leader & Benefactor Frostproof
Latimer Maxcy Maxcy Citrus Grower & Processor, Cattle Rancher and Civic Leader Frostproof
Albert H. Blanding
Albert H. Blanding
Albert Hazen Blanding was an United States Army soldier. Among the most distinguished military figures in Florida's history, he was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal.-Biography:...

Blanding Distinguished Soldier, National Guardsman & Civic leader Gainesville
Sarah Matheson Matheson Missionary and Presbyterian Religious leader at Local, State & National levels Gainesville
Sarah Lucretia Robb Robb Alachua County’s first female physician in 1880's, making housecalls and authored book on "common sense" medicine for public use Gainesville
Jesse Earl Franklin Franklin Postmaster, Church leader and Historic Preservationist Glen St. Mary
Alverdo Adair Geitgey Geitgey Baker County landowner & developer, Glen St. Mary founder, citrus & pecan grower Glen St. Mary
Isaiah Sherman Mikell Mikell Railroad depot agent, farmer and community supporter during the depression Glen St. Mary
George Lindley Taber, Sr. Taber founded Glen Saint Mary Nursery, Florida State Horticulture Society president, developed cold-tolerant plants Glen St. Mary
Karlie Tyler Tyler teacher, traveling librarian and volunteer librarian Glen St. Mary
John Preston Hall, Sr. Hall bank president & chairman of the board; sheriff for 36 years; director, treasurer & president of Florida Sheriffs Association; founder and treasurer of the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch Green Cove Springs
John Preston Hall, Jr. Hall deputy sheriff & bank president; ran family-owned land & timber company and children's charity, major donor to Florida Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches Green Cove Springs
Ed Stansel Stansel health department administrator; expanded services, built clinics, implemented first Health Department computer system, recruited doctors to donate time Green Cove Springs
Richard Reid Wagner Wagner organized the fire department in 1930 and served as the unpaid fire chief for 62 years; often gave personal funds to fire victims Green Cove Springs
Catherine Powell Hickman Hickman founded Gulfport Historical Society and museum; published Gulfport history; founded Gulfport Community Players & Girls Softball League and other youth activities Gulfport
Arnold S. White, Sr. White deputy director at veterans medical center, volunteer & employee of Little League Baseball for more than 40 years Gulfport
Donald Ray "Billy" Matthews Matthews US Representative 1953–1967 & Teacher Hawthorne
Chester Shell Shell Hunting & fishing guide, Raised funds for 1st Black school in Alachua County Hawthorne
William Flemming Flemming Founder of Holly Hill Holly Hill
Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson
-Arts and entertainment:*Robert Anderson , Scottish literary scholar and editor*Robert Rowand Anderson , Scottish architect*Robert Alexander Anderson , American composer...

Anderson Bank founder, president & director and City Commissioner Hollywood
Dorothy Walker Bush
Dorothy Walker Bush
Dorothy Wear Walker Bush , mother to 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, and the grandmother of 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. Time on her death wrote that "George Bush was shaped and tempered by his mother's nature." Dorothy Bush raised her five children...

Bush Civic leader & wife of a US Senator, mother of a POTUS and grandmother of 2 governors & a POTUS Hollywood
Clarence P. Hammerstein Hammerstein Citrus authority, tourism promoter, Broward Kiwanis founder Hollywood
Joseph Wesley Young Young Founder & Developer of Hollywood, Florida Hollywood
Anne Kolb Kolb Environmental preservationist and 1st female Broward County Commissioner Hollywood
Preston B. Bird Bird City Politician and Civic leader Homestead
Lily Lawrence Bow Bow Homestead Library Supporter and Book provider Homestead
May Mann Jennings
May Mann Jennings
May Austin Elizabeth Mann Jennings was the First Lady of Florida as wife of Florida Governor William Sherman Jennings. She was one of Florida's most powerful and influential women.-Early years:...

Jennings Women’s Rights activist, Environmentalist & advocate for the welfare of children Homestead
William J. Krome Krome Railroad Surveyor & Engineer, Agriculture and Horticulture enthusiast Homestead
Max Losner Losner Bank President, Federal Reserve Board member, City Councilman and Civic leader Homestead
James Daniel Reid Reid Homestead founder and developer, City Councilman 1913-24, Dade County Commissioner 1921-41 Homestead
James Archer Smith Smith World War I Army Doctor, Physician and Chief Surgeon of Dade County Hospital Homestead
David Levy Yulee
David Levy Yulee
David Levy Yulee, born David Levy was an American politician and attorney from Florida, a territorial delegate to Congress, the first Jewish member of the United States Senate, and a member of the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War...

Yulee Lawyer, Florida Statehood leader, US Senator, Plantation owner, Railroad builder Homosassa
Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Broward Florida's 19th Governor 1905-1909, Duval Co. Sheriff & State Representative Jacksonville
J.J. Daniel
J.J. Daniel
Jaquelin James Daniel , known professionally as J. J. Daniel, was an American lawyer, businessman, civic leader and newspaper publisher. Mostly forgotten in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was born and lived for most of his adulthood, he was once once of its most powerful people.-Family and early...

Daniel Businessman and Civic leader Jacksonville
Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...

du Pont Philanthropist Jacksonville
David H. Dwight Dwight Racial activist Jacksonville
Lex Hester
Lex Hester
Lewis Alexander Hester, III was a public administrator in Jacksonville, Florida. He "was the consummate no-nonsense administrator, the very best in his field,” according to M. C...

Hester Government administrator Jacksonville
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson was an American author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is remembered best for his leadership within the NAACP, as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and...

Johnson Educator, lawyer, diplomat & racial activist Jacksonville
Henry John Klutho
Henry John Klutho
Henry John Klutho was an American architect of the "Prairie School" style. He helped in the reconstruction of Jacksonville, Florida after the Great Fire of 1901—the largest-ever urban fire in the Southeast—by designing many of the new buildings built after the disaster. This period lasted until...

Klutho Architect Jacksonville
Abraham Lincoln Lewis
Abraham Lincoln Lewis
Abraham Lincoln Lewis was an American businessman. He founded the Afro-American Life Insurance Company in Jacksonville, Florida, and became the state's first African American millionaire...

Lewis Insurance executive, Philanthropist & founder of American Beach Jacksonville
Eartha M. M. White
Eartha M. M. White
Eartha Mary Magdalene White was an American humanitarian, philanthropist, and businesswoman.-Early life:...

White Clara White Mission
Clara White Mission
The Clara White Mission is a non-profit organization in downtown Jacksonville, Florida that advocates for the poor and provides social services...

 founder, teacher, Nursing Home founder
Jacksonville
Doris Whitmore Whitmore Jacksonville Museum of Science & History
Museum of Science & History
The Museum of Science and History is a museum in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. It is a private, non-profit institution located on the Southbank Riverwalk, and the city's most visited museum...

 supporter/promoter
Jacksonville
R.R. Ricou Ricou Fishing businesss owner & Civic leader Jensen Beach
Bessie Wilson DuBois DuBois Historian Jupiter
Joseph Verner Reed Reed Wildlife & Nature Conservationist and charitable benefactor Jupiter Island
Permelia Pryor Reed Reed Wildlife & Nature Conservationist and charitable benefactor Jupiter Island
William M. Beam Beam City Politician & man of action Keystone Heights
John Edward Larson Larson Local & State Politician, IRS Head for Florida Keystone Heights
Howard S. England
Howard S. England
Howard S. England , was the man responsible for the transformation of Fort Zachary Taylor from a forgotten eyesore to a popular historic landmark and state park....

England Benefactor of Fort Zachary Taylor Key West
Mel Fisher
Mel Fisher
Mel Fisher was an American treasure hunter best known for finding the 1622 wreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha named after a shrine in Madrid for protection. He discovered the wreck July 20, 1985...

Fisher Scuba Diver & Treasure Hunter Key West
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...

Hemingway Writer & Adventurer Key West
Walter Sayers Lightbourn Lightbourn Tobacco grower and Cigar maker Key West
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...

Truman POTUS Key West
Captain Melville Emory Forrey
Forrey Building and Annex
The Forrey Building and Annex is a historic site in LaBelle, Florida. It is located at 264 through 282 Bridge Street. On July 28, 1995, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References:* at * ** ** **...

Forrey farmer, dredge boat captain, general store owner & fur trader, city councilman, mayor and county commission chairman LaBelle
Francis A. Hendry
Francis A. Hendry
Francis Asbury Hendry was a Florida cattle rancher, politician, and officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...

Hendry cattle rancher, Civil War Captain; helped establish Polk & Lee counties and Fort Myers; served as county commissioner & state representative; founder, mayor, town clerk, marshal, alderman and minister of LaBelle LaBelle
Rosabelle Blake Blake School teacher and administrator Lakeland
Thomas W. Bryant Bryant lawyer, state representative, Board of Control member, 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...

 advocate
Lakeland
Lawton Mainor Chiles Chiles Florida's 41st Governor 1991-1998 & US Senator 1971-1989 Lakeland
John Franklin Cox Cox mercantile owner, state representative, mayor, city treasurer and real estate developer Lakeland
Herbert J. Drane
Herbert J. Drane
Herbert Jackson Drane was a U.S. Representative from Florida.Born in Franklin, Kentucky, Drane attended the public schools of Louisville, Kentucky, and Brevards Academy at Franklin, Kentucky....

Drane real estate, insurance, railroad and citrus businessman; co-founder of Lakeland, clerk, treasurer and mayor, newspaper editor, state representative & senator, US representative and Federal Power Commission member Lakeland
Clare Henley Henley pharmacist, helped establish spring major league baseball training in Lakeland, Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...

 team owner and league manager
Lakeland
Dr. John Sidney Jackson Jackson Surgeon, City Commissioner & Mayor Lakeland
Paul Scott Linder Linder founded heavy construction machinery company, leader of several Florida business organizations Lakeland
J. Hardin Peterson
J. Hardin Peterson
James Hardin Peterson was a U.S. Representative from Florida.Peterson was born in Batesburg, South Carolina. His family moved to Lakeland, Florida, in 1903, and he attended the public schools there. Peterson graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1914...

Peterson Congressman Lakeland
Park Trammell
Park Trammell
Park Monroe Trammell , an American politician of the Democratic Party, was the 21st Governor of Florida and represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1917 until 1936....

Trammell Florida's 21st Governor 1913-1917 Lakeland
Lassie Goodbread-Black
Lassie Goodbread-Black
Lassie Moore Goodbread was an American farmer and educator who, in 1925, became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, in the College of Agriculture. In 2000, Goodbread was named a Great Floridian by the State of Florida.-Background:...

Goodbread Teacher & Civic Leader Lake City
Fred P. Cone
Fred P. Cone
Frederick Preston Cone was the 27th Governor of Florida.He was born in Benton, Florida in Columbia County. In 1892, he was admitted to the Florida bar and began practicing in Lake City, Florida. He served in the Florida Senate from 1907 to 1913, serving as the senate president in 1911. He became...

Cone Florida's 27th Governor 1937-1941 Lake City
McKinley Jeffers Jeffers Educator & Civic Leader Lake City
May Vinzant Perkins Perkins Writer, Historian Lake City
Betsy Hopkins Hopkins Philanthropist Lake Helen
John P. Mace Mace Architect/builder Lake Helen
Edward W. Bok
Edward W. Bok
Edward William Bok was a Dutch born American editor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. He was editor of the Ladies Home Journal for thirty years...

Bok Editor, Philanthropist Lake Wales
Bertha Louise Hinshaw Hinshaw Innkeeper Lake Wales
Delbert Lorenzo Layton Layton City Benefactor Layton
Hubert O. Dabney Dabney Athlete & educator Leesburg
Joseph M. Tardugno, Jr. Tardugno Utility innovator Leesburg
Pat Thomas Thomas city manager & Benefactor Leesburg
Porter Claude Crapps, Jr. Crapps bank owner, large timberland owner, promoted advanced forestry practices, helped build vo-tech school, supported 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...

 and FFA
National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is an American youth organization known as a Career and Technical Student Organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education...

Live Oak
Thomas Dowling Dowling established several lumber companies, built railroad to transport wood, funded Live Oak waterworks, helped build & rebuild Advent Christian Church, founded Advent Christian Village in Dowling Park Live Oak
Cary A. Hardee
Cary A. Hardee
Cary Augustus Hardee was the 23rd Governor of Florida.Born in Taylor County, Florida, he spent most of his life in Live Oak, Florida. He was a lawyer, state attorney, member of the Florida House of Representatives, and speaker of the Florida House before being elected governor...

Hardee Florida's 23rd Governor 1921-1925 Live Oak
Brantly Walker Helvenston Helvenston Insurance agent, teacher, banker Live Oak
John Parshley Parshley Civic leader Live Oak
Josiah B. Clouser Clouser Hotelier and civic leader Longwood
Edwin B. Browning, Sr. Browning Teacher & Superintendent, Historical Society founder, newspaper columnist & radio show host Madison
Tommie Camilla Stephens Barfield Barfield Confectionery operator, lobbied for infrastructure, worked to create Collier County; first superintendent of schools and board member Marco Island
William David Collier Collier mercantile store operator, discovered & donated fantastic trove of Indian artifacts, assisted clam farmers Marco Island
Theophilus West
Theophilus West House
The Theophilus West House is a historic site in Marianna, Florida. On December 26, 1972, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References:* at * ** **...

West Civil war surgeon, local physician & druggist, school superintendent, mayor and state senator Marianna
James Hartley Beal Beal scientist & pharmacist who collected plants & shells, donated them to museums; donated land & artesian well for first public water and sewer system Mary Esther
Thomas Jefferson Pryor, Jr. Pryor general store manager, city councilman & mayor Mary Esther
Joe Wickham
Joe Wickham
Joe Wickham was the General Secretary of the Football Association of Ireland from the 1930s until his death in 1968 at the age of 78. He took over from Jack Ryder in 1936, having previously worked as a supervisor in the coach-building workshop in the Broadstone depot of the Midland Great Western...

Wickham surveyor with U.S. National Geodetic Survey
U.S. National Geodetic Survey
National Geodetic Survey, formerly called the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey , is a United States federal agency that defines and manages a national coordinate system, providing the foundation for transportation and communication; mapping and charting; and a large number of applications of science...

, construction company owner, city councilman & county commissioner
Melbourne
Dana A. Dorsey
Dana A. Dorsey
Dana Albert "D. A." Dorsey was a businessman, banker, and philanthropist who became one of the first African American millionaires in Florida and the American South.- Childhood, education :...

Dorsey first black millionaire, established Mount Zion Baptist Church, bank, hotel & rental property owner, donated land for school & library Miami
David Grandison Fairchild Fairchild horticulturist with United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...

, 75,000 new plants to the US for cultivation
Miami
Catherine Hauberg Sweeney Sweeney botanist, philanthropist & preservationist, especially the Coconut Grove estate, The Kampong, which contained rare and exotic tropical plants Miami
Barbara Baer Capitman Capitman Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...

 design preservationist and author
Miami Beach
John Stiles Collins Collins Horticulturist & avacado grower, dredged Collins Canal and started Collins Bridge
Collins Bridge
The Collins Bridge was a bridge that crossed Biscayne Bay between Miami and Miami Beach, Florida. At the time it was completed, it was the longest wooden bridge in the world. It was built by farmer and developer John S. Collins with financial assistance from automotive parts and racing pioneer...

, built Hotel, Casino & began residential development
Miami Beach
Stephen J. Cranman Cranman Director of the Perrine-Cutler Ridge Council: redevelop area following Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...

 by attracting business with 3,000 jobs, US 1 Beautification, Community & Cultural Centers
Miami Beach
L. Murray Dixon Dixon architect who developed Miami Beach's Tropical Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...

 style of architecture
Miami Beach
John J. Farrey Farrey Chief Building, Plumbing and Electrical Inspector who initiated & enforced first Building Code
Building code
A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the...

, copied by 5,000+ communities
Miami Beach
Carl Graham Fisher Fisher Miami promoter & real estate developer, completed Collins Bridge
Collins Bridge
The Collins Bridge was a bridge that crossed Biscayne Bay between Miami and Miami Beach, Florida. At the time it was completed, it was the longest wooden bridge in the world. It was built by farmer and developer John S. Collins with financial assistance from automotive parts and racing pioneer...

, dredged Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...

, built Lincoln
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...

 & Dixie Highway
Dixie Highway
The Dixie Highway was a United States automobile highway, first planned in 1914 to connect the US Midwest with the Southern United States. It was part of the National Auto Trail system, and grew out of an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final result is better understood as a small network of...

s
Miami Beach
Henry Hohauser Hohauser Prolific architect who originated modernism
American modernism
American modernism like modernism in general is a trend of thought that affirms the power of human beings to create, improve, and reshape their environment, with the aid of scientific knowledge, technology and practical experimentation, and is thus in its essence both progressive and optimistic...

 in Miami Beach architecture
Miami Beach
Anna Brenner Meyers Meyers Integration leader for Miami schools, helped found Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College, or simply Miami Dade or MDC, is a state college with eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Florida College System. Miami Dade College is the largest school in the Florida College...

, started first educational TV station in Florida, WPBT
WPBT
WPBT is a PBS member public television station that serves the entire South Florida region, and even including portions of the Treasure Coast, the only television station to serve the entire metropolis...

Miami Beach
Glenn Hammond Curtiss Curtiss Aircraft Motor builder, aviator and developer of Hialeah, Miami Springs & Opa-locka Miami Springs
Chief Micanopy
Micanopy
Micanopy , also known as Micco-Nuppe, Michenopah, Miccanopa, Mico-an-opa and Sint-chakkee , was the leading chief of the Seminoles who led the tribe during the Second Seminole War...

Micanopy Leader of the Seminole Nation at Cuscowilla during the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...

Micanopy
Archie Carr
Archie Carr
Archie Fairly Carr, Jr. was an American herpetologist, ecologist and a pioneering conservationist. He was a Professor of Zoology at the University of Florida. In 1987 he was awarded the Eminent Ecologist Award by the Ecological Society of America...

Carr International biologist & environmentalist, honored nature author Micanopy
Marjorie Carr
Marjorie Harris Carr
Marjorie Harris Carr was an American conservationist.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Harris moved to Lee County in southwest Florida. In 1936, she received a B.S. in zoology from Florida State College for Women; in 1942, she received an M.A. from the University of Florida...

Carr First female wildlife specialist at US Fish & Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...

, founder of Florida Defenders of the Environment
Micanopy
Bennett C. Russell Russell Teacher, Administrator & Superintendent, using technology as educational tool Milton
Reuben Wyatt Harper
Harper House (Montverde, Florida)
The Harper House is a historic home in Montverde, Florida. It is located at 17408 East Porter Avenue. On September 15, 2004, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-External links:* at...

Harper Citrus grower, broker & industry leader, City Councilman Montverde
Henry B. Watkins, Sr. Watkins real estate developer for most of Naples, donated 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) for downtown park Naples
Henry B. Watkins, Jr. Watkins built first low-income housing in Naples, Edison Community College
Edison Community College
Edison State College is a state college in Florida, part of the Florida College System. The college has its main campus in Fort Myers in Lee County, and branch campuses in Charlotte and Collier counties. The college also has an outreach program in Hendry and Glades counties...

 trustee, founded youth shelter, aa facility for mentally ill and local YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

Naples
Henry Nehrling
Henry Nehrling
Henry Nehrling in Herman, Wisconsin) was an ornithologist and horticulturist. He developed an interest in nature during hikes to and from school. He was educated at the Teachers' Seminary in Addison, Il, and worked in various states as a teacher so that he might study a wider variety of birds...

Nehrling ornithologist and horticulturist; introduced caladiums, palms, bamboo, and amaryllis to the US Naples
Elroy M. Avery
Elroy M. Avery
Elroy McKendree Avery, Ph. D., LL. D. was an American politician, author, and historian. Avery was an Ohio State Senator in the 1890s before becoming an early resident of west Pasco County, Florida and was the first mayor of New Port Richey, Florida...

Avery Mayor, Author, Businessman, Bank Chairman & Civic leader New Port Richey
Gene Sarazen
Gene Sarazen
Gene Sarazen was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s. He is one of five golfers to win all the current major championships in his career, the Career Grand Slam:U.S...

Sarazen first golf professional to win all four Grand Slam events; invented sand wedge, founded charitable foundation New Port Richey
George E. Musson Musson civic leader and mayor who promoted road & bridge projects and revitalized downtown area New Smyrna Beach
Al E. Fellner Fellner Mayor, Civic leader, Businessman North Redington Beach
Peter Raulerson Raulerson postmaster, mayor, county commissioner and school trustee Okeechobee
Ransom Eli Olds Olds Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...

 inventor; purchased land, platted & founded Oldsmar; built a sawmill & foundry
Oldsmar
Dr. Francis Dickinson Dickinson Surgeon, Benefactor, Philanthropist & champion of Women's Suffrage Orange City
Dr. Seth French
Seth French House
The Seth French House is a historic home in Orange City, Florida, United States. It is located at 319 East French Avenue. On February 12, 2003, it was added to the U.S...

French Physician, Florida: Promoter, Senator & Commissioner of Immigration Orange City
Alfred Benjamin "A. B." Michael Michael ship captain, successful citrus grower known as "Dean of the Florida Citrus Industry" Orchid
Martin Andersen
Martin Andersen
Martin Andersen is a Danish professional football midfielder, who currently plays for the Superettan 2009 side Ängelholms FF.-External links:*...

Andersen newspaper owner & editor, used paper to influence politicians & public to build roads, an airport and develop nearby Port Canaveral Orlando
William A. (Bill) McCree, Jr. McCree civil engineer & general contractor; chairman of planning board that developed the first comprehensive development plan & capital improvements program Orlando
Walter C. Meloon Meloon founded the Florida Variety Boat Company which became Correct Craft
Correct Craft
Correct Craft is a U.S.-based builder of powerboats primarily for ski and wakeboard use. It was founded in 1925 by Walt C. Meloon as the Florida Variety Boat Company.-History:...

; built Army boats in WWII, Ski Nautique
Ski Nautique
The Ski Nautique line of power boats by Correct Craft, Inc. are specialist waterskiing boats, designed for use on a slalom course and to give a suitable wake for waterskiing. They are designed to be accessible to skiers of all levels of expertise. Most boats are inboard's, with a Chevrolet or Ford...

 in 1951
Orlando
Oakes Ames Ames founding director of the American Orchid Society, prolific author, museum curator & director Ormond Beach
John Anderson Anderson county tax assessor, built a plantation, Ormond Hotel
Ormond Hotel
The Ormond Hotel was an historic hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida, United States. It was located at 15 East Granada Boulevard.-History:Built by John Anderson and J. D. Price, the hotel opened on January 1, 1888...

 & area's first golf course; organized first auto race on the beach & professional baseball team
Ormond Beach
Eileen Butts Butts botanical specimens collector; helped create state parks & an art gallery; raised money to restore The Casements
The Casements
The Casements is a mansion in Ormond Beach, Florida, U.S., originally constructed as a private residence in 1910 by the Reverend Harwood Huntington of New Haven, Connecticut. The name of the mansion was derived from the many casement windows incorporated into the design of the building, as it was...

; civic leader
Ormond Beach
James Carnell Carnell citrus grower, jelly factory owner, real estate agent, city councilman, postmaster & yachtsman Ormond Beach
Charles McNary McNary alderman, councilman, mayor and justice of the peace Ormond Beach
Joseph Price
Joseph Price
Joseph Price was a Progressive Conservative party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was an educational administrator and teacher by career....

Price county commissioner & mayor; built & managed Ormond Hotel
Ormond Hotel
The Ormond Hotel was an historic hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida, United States. It was located at 15 East Granada Boulevard.-History:Built by John Anderson and J. D. Price, the hotel opened on January 1, 1888...

; organized first auto race on the beach
Ormond Beach
John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...

Rockefeller Industrialist & Philanthropist Ormond Beach
Edith Stanton Stanton teacher, newspaper & magazine writer; book author Ormond Beach
Elsa Scherer Burrows Burrows created & preserved Oscar Scherer Park
Oscar Scherer State Park
Oscar Scherer State Park is a Florida State Park located between Sarasota and Venice, near Osprey, amidst the heavily-developed southwest Florida coast. The address is 1843 South Tamiami Trail. There are more than 130,000 visitors a year.-History:...

 and donated it to the state
Osprey
Francis Stephen Huggins Huggins WWII Navy Veteran, retired government employee, tireless civic leader Palm Bay
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler was an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway...

Flagler Industrialist and Developer Palm Beach
Francis MacKay Howze Howse teacher, "the Mother of Education in Manatee County", coach, financial sponsor, civic leader Palmetto
Francis F. Taylor Taylor realtor, land developer & city promoter; benefactor of youth programs & young adults; donated land for parks Palmetto
George Mortimer West West land developer, newspaper founder, author, town councilman and public library founder Panama City
Delbert Davis Davis Schoolteacher, Scoutmaster, surveyor, musician and photographer Parker
Captain Ed Parker Parker Boat captain, environmentalist and seafood industry founder Parker
Charles W. Flanagan Flanagan City commissioner, mayor and civic leader Pembroke Pines
James Cash Penney Penney Businessman and philanthropist, created Penney Farms Retirement Community in Clay County Penney Farms
H. Clay Armstrong Armstrong Founder of the Pensacola Classical School, mayor and author Pensacola
William Dudley Chipley
William Dudley Chipley
William Dudley Chipley was an American railroad tycoon and statesman. He created two railroads in the Florida Panhandle and served one term as mayor of Pensacola, Florida and in the Florida State Senate.-Early life:...

Chipley County commissioner, City councilman and mayor, state senator; financed Pensacola & Atlantic Railroad Pensacola
Occie Clubbs Clubbs teacher and principal; Pensacola Historical Society and Florida Historical Society president Pensacola
Mayhew W. (Pat) Dodson III Dodson Florida Board of Regents
Florida Board of Regents
The Florida Board of Regents was from 1965 to 2001 the governing body for the State University System of Florida, which includes all public universities in the state of Florida, United States. It was created to replace a predecessor body called the Florida Board of Control, which had existed from...

 member and promoter of University of West Florida
University of West Florida
The University of West Florida, also known as West Florida and UWF, is a mid-sized public university located in Pensacola, Florida, United States. UWF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida. The University of West Florida is a Research University, which specializes in...

; historic preservationist
Pensacola
Daniel "Chappie" James James Four-star general in the U.S. Air Force from Eglin Air Force Base who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam Pensacola
Lillie Anna "Mother" James James established private colored school whose graduates became Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers and Military officers Pensacola
Stephen Russell Mallory Mallory Lawyer, State Representative & Senator, United States Congressman & Senator Pensacola
Edward A. Perry
Edward A. Perry
Edward Aylesworth Perry was a general under Robert E. Lee during the American Civil War and the 14th Governor of Florida.-Early life:He was a descendant of Arthur Perry, one of the earliest settlers of New England...

Perry Florida's 14th Governor 1885-1889; teacher, lawyer, Civil War Brigadier General Pensacola
Mary Turner Rule Reed Reed Historic Restoration and Preservationist Pensacola
Oliver J. Semmes, Jr. Semmes City engineer and Manager noted for paving 150 miles (241.4 km) of streets, purchased the municipally-owned gas company and negotiated a favorable franchise agreement with the local power company Pensacola
Joyce Garrett Turner Turner Teacher and Historic Preservationist Pensacola
T. T. Wentworth, Jr. Wentworth Founder of Pensacola Historical Society, Pensacola Historical Museum & Wentworth Museum in Ensley; helped establish Pensacola Public Library Pensacola
P.K. Yonge
P.K. Yonge
Philip Keyes Yonge was an American businessman and civic leader. A resident of Pensacola, he was a prominent Floridian. He was a founding member of the Florida Board of Control and served on that board for almost 30 years as a member and chairman. The P.K...

Yonge Businessman & civic leader who served almost 30 years as a member and chairman of Florida Board of Control
Florida Board of Control
The Florida Board of Control was the statewide governing body for the State University System of Florida, which included all public universities in the state of Florida. It was replaced by the Florida Board of Regents in 1965.- History :...

Pensacola
William Thomas Cash Cash Educator, State Representative, author, campaign financial disclosed law sponsor and First State Librarian: 1927-51 Perry
Edwin F. Deicke Deicke Agricultural pioneer & author, Philanthropist Plantation
Lois Deicke Deicke Philanthropist and Civic leader Plantation
Helen B. Hoffman Hoffman Original resident of Plantation. With husband, Dr. Abram Hoffman, started the Plantation Homeowners Association; PHA secretary for 40+ years. Founded the Plantation Library and local Agency on Aging. Plantation
Frederick C. Peters Peters Everglades Rancher & Farmer, Agricultural pioneer and donated land to church, city, county & state agencies Plantation
Jessie Ball du Pont du Pont Spouse of Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...

, Benefactor & Philanthropist, brother of Edward Ball
Port St. Joe
David W. Jones Jones Head Coach at Washington County High School who personally visited his students’ homes and their churches, teaching them respect, responsibility, perseverance, initiative, kindness, fairness, honesty and cooperation. Port St. Joe
Witt A. Campbell Campbell Educator and Civil Rights worker Quincy
Dr. William Spencer Stevens Stevens First Black Physician, Pharmacist, Built "Colored" Hospital & Supervisor of City Schools Quincy
Judge Hugh M. Taylor Taylor Lawyer, State Representative, Judge & Florida Constitutional Revision Commission Chairman Quincy
Odet Philippe Philippe Early citrus grower who introduced grapefruit to Florida; first cigar maker in Tampa Safety Harbor
Peter A. Demens Demens Russian immigrant citrus grower, constructed railroad stations and supplied crossties; took over bankrupt Orange Belt Railway and named St. Petersburg for his birthplace San Antonio
Judge Edmund F. Dunne
Edmund Francis Dunne
Edmund Francis Dunne , born Edmund Francis O'Dunne, was an American politician and jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona Territory. During his early career he served in the California State Legislature and as a member of the Nevada constitutional convention...

Dunne western judge forced to resign due to mixing church and state; founder of San Antonio San Antonio
James J. Horgan Horgan History professor at St. Leo College
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university established in 1889 and located in Saint Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa. The University is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery...

; historical society president, Florida Historical Society board member, prolific author and NAACP chapter founder
San Antonio
Frank P. Bailey Bailey Farmer, general store owner, started Sanibel Packing Company; founded the Sanibel Community Church, helped build Sanibel Community House, setup telephone system, served as justice of the peace Sanibel
Owen Burns Burns established the Burns Realty and Burns Dredging companies; Burns Construction built Ringling Causeways, laid out and paved streets, built seawalls, first co-op subdivision and El Vernona Hotel Sarasota
John L. Early Early Lawyer, school board attorney, school trustee, state representative and mayor Sarasota
Arthur Britton Edwards Edwards sold real estate & insurance; tax assessor, mayor, established county tax assessor and bank VP Sarasota
John Hamilton Gillespie Gillespie Scottish head of the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company, attorney & real estate agent, justice of the peace, built DeSoto Hotel, mayor and councilman; built one of the first golf courses in US, laid out courses in Jacksonville, Tampa, Kissimmee and Bellair Sarasota
Dr. Joseph Halton
Dr. Joseph Halton House
The Dr. Joseph Halton House is a historic home in Sarasota, Florida. It is located at 308 Cocoanut Avenue. On March 22, 1984, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * ** **...

Halton Surgeon who did many free operations, town councilman and council president Sarasota
Harry Lee Higel Higel General store owner, boat owner, land developer, bank director, town councilman and mayor Sarasota
David and George Lindsay Lindsay Father & Son editor and publisher of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune is a daily newspaper located in Sarasota, Florida.It is owned by The New York Times Company, who purchased it in 1982, and part of its regional news group. Along with Comcast, the newspaper operates a local 24-hour...

Sarasota
Andrew McAnsh McAnsh Builder of the Mira Mar Hotel Sarasota
Thomas Reed Martin Martin prolific architect Sarasota
Charles Ringling Ringling Circus founder, real estate investor who developed downtown; chamber of commerce president and bank founder Sarasota
John Ringling Ringling Circus founder, real estate investor who developed beaches; art collector who willed his art, museum and home to the state of Florida Sarasota
Marie Selby Selby Created botanical garden at her residence; willed to the community; established a Foundation which gave 3,000 grants worth $50 million for education and scholarships Sarasota
Ernest Arthur Smith Smith real estate investor and abstract company president; chamber of commerce organizer and mayor; improved water service and fire protection; acquired land for future civic projects Sarasota
Karl Wallenda
Karl Wallenda
Karl Wallenda was the founder of The Flying Wallendas, an internationally known daredevil circus act famous for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net.-Personal life:...

Wallenda family patriarch of a circus high wire act for 50 years Sarasota
Percy L. Hedgecock Hedgecock First mayor, school board member, helped build first local school and acquire only oceanfront park; helped found Brevard Engineering College
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...

 and served as trustee
Satellite Beach
Paul Kroegal Kroegal Ship Captain, first County commissioner and chairman; built the first paved road from Micco to Stuart and the first Sebastian River bridge; first National Wildlife Refuge warden in America Sebastian
Margaret Shippen Roebling Roebling Donated money to acquire land for the 8140 acres (32.9 km²) Highlands Hammock State Park when the National Park Service declined and the state had no money at height of depression Sebring
Dr. Andrew Anderson, Jr. Anderson Physician, Philanthropist & Benefactor St. Augustine
Frank B. Butler Butler Businessman, civic & political leader; founder of "colored" Butler Beach St. Augustine
Felix deCrano deCrano Accomplished portrait, landscape, genre and still life painter in Henry Flagler’s artist colony St. Augustine
Earl Cunningham Cunningham self-taught American folk artist who painted schooners and portrayals of Seminole Indian life that he infused with images of Viking ships St. Augustine
Anna Maria Dummett Dummett Boarding house owner, Civil War nurse, spy and caregiver; president & founder of Ladies Memorial Association, established a Confederate memorial St. Augustine
Louisa Fatio Fatio owner/operator of several boarding houses; Fatio House was among city's best St. Augustine
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler was an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway...

Flagler Industrialist and Developer St. Augustine
Walter B. Fraser Fraser City commissioner & mayor, state senator, organized city's first formal restoration movement, Colonial St. Augustine; donated the statues of Ponce de Leon & Pedro Menendez at the North City Gate St. Augustine
Nina Hawkins Hawkins Newspaper reporter & editor; founded the Florida Women’s Press Club; founded the St. Augustine Art Association; included much local history in paper to encourage historic preservation movement St. Augustine
Martin Johnson Heade Heade portrait and genre painter early, then focused on landscapes, especially salt marshes; Henry Flagler was his wealthy patron St. Augustine
Lawerence Lewis, Jr. Lewis Chairman of the Flagler Systems, established Flagler College and provided scholarships, endowments and new buildings; president of the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board and the St. Augustine Foundation St. Augustine
William Wing Loring Loring Florida militiaman, lawyer and governor of the Florida Territory; first US Congressman from Florida; U.S. Army officer; Confederate Brigadier General; led contingent of Union & Confederate officers in Egypt setting up that country's defense St. Augustine
Dr. Luella Day McConnell McConnell Physician, Yukon Gold Rush participant, created Fountain of Youth tourist attraction St. Augustine
Albert Manucy Manucy Authority on St. Augustine history & architecture; worked for National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...

, studied Spanish architecture on Fulbright Scholarship; authored two books on St. Augustine
St. Augustine
Pedro Menendez de Aviles
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...

Menendez Spanish Captain and Explorer St. Augustine
Prince Napoleon Achille Murat
Prince Achille Murat
Achille Charles Louis Napoléon, Crown Prince of Naples, Hereditary Prince of Berg, 2nd Prince Murat was the eldest son of the King of Naples during the First French Empire and later in life mayor of Tallahassee, Florida in the United States.-Early life:Murat was born in the Hôtel de Brienne in...

Murat Crown prince of Naples; authored several works, studied law and government St. Augustine
Francisco Pellicer Pellicer Successful early carpenter, moved south on Matanzaz River; Pellicer Creek is named after him St. Augustine
Xavier Lopez Pellicer Pellicer Bank VP, Flagler Hospital
Flagler Hospital
Flagler Hospital, based in St. Augustine, Florida, is a not-for-profit facility established in 1889. The organization has received numerous accolades and offers "Centers of Excellence" in bariatrics, heart, cancer, maternity, orthopedics and sinus....

 trustee & president; historical society president & director; president of the Florida Bankers Association, president of Florida Forestry Association; Civic leader
St. Augustine
Verle A. Pope
Verle A. Pope
Verle Allyn Pope was an important Florida legislator, serving for 38 years in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate.He was married to novelist Edith Taylor Pope....

Pope businessman and large landowner, elected to Florida House of Representatives, but went into Army in WWII; elected to Senate, served as president; approved the Florida Constitutional revision of 1968, established the community college system, created the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board and supported the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. St. Augustine
Robert Ripley
Robert Ripley
Robert LeRoy Ripley was an American cartoonist, entrepreneur and amateur anthropologist, who created the world famous Ripley's Believe It or Not! newspaper panel series, radio show, and television show which feature odd 'facts' from around the world.Subjects covered in Ripley's cartoons and text...

Ripley Cartoonist, Entrepreneur and amateur Anthropologist; creator of Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...

St. Augustine
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...

Smith Career US Army officer, educator, and a general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

St. Augustine
Frances Kirby Smith Smith most successful Confederate spy St. Augustine
Franklin W. Smith
Franklin W. Smith
Franklin Webster Smith was an idealistic reformer who made his fortune as a Boston hardware merchant. He was an early abolitionist, defendant in a civilian court-martial in 1864, author, and architectural enthusiast who proposed transforming Washington, D.C...

Smith Built Villa Zorayda
Villa Zorayda
Villa Zorayda at 83 King Street in St. Augustine, Florida was inspired by the 12th-century Moorish Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. It was built by the eccentric Boston millionaire Franklin W. Smith in 1883 as his private home in St. Augustine, Florida, United States. On September 23, 1993, it...

 using cement mixed with coquina; encouraged Flagler to use Spanish architecture for his hotels; built the Casa Monica Hotel
Casa Monica Hotel
hThe Casa Monica Hotel is a historic hotel located in St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States. The Casa Monica Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in the United States and is a member of the "" National Trust.-History:...

; historic preservationist
St. Augustine
Thomas Buckingham Smith Smith Lawyer, city councilman, territorial legislator, worked for US State Department in Mexico and Spain, researched Spanish settlement in Florida and translated documents from Spanish or Portuguese to English; authored several works; Florida Tax Commissioner St. Augustine
Elizabeth Morley Towers Towers lifelong historic preservationist; served on the St. Augustine Preservation Board and the Florida State Park Board St. Augustine
Henry L. Twine Twine NAACP chapter president, city commissioner and vice mayor; Democratic Party Executive Committee member St. Augustine
F. Charles Usina Usina state representative who worked for a state mental health program and supported the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, serving on the school’s Board of Trustees; member and leader of Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus, Elks, Moose, the St. Augustine Historical Society and the Committee of 100 St. Augustine
Father Felix Varela Varela priest and Professor of Philosophy; established church ministry in New York City where he founded schools for children, built churches and evangelized the poor; on the road to sainthood St. Augustine
Emily Lloyd Wilson Wilson Artist who purchased a residence in Henry Flagler’s artist colony; researched St. Augustine's history in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.; her notes and copies of maps, documents and Spanish records became the St. Augustine Historical Society’s library; she served as librarian and historian for the society St. Augustine
Frank T. Hurley Hurley WWI & WWII Army Staff Officer, Real Estate & Mortgage Executive, Civic leader St. Pete Beach
Thomas J. Rowe Rowe Beachfront Hotel owner St. Pete Beach
Earl Morrow Clark Clark Teacher & Headmaster, School Accreditation Leader St. Petersburg
Dr. Paul R. Hortin Hortin Methodist Minister, Hunter, Fisherman St. Petersburg
Morris Raiford Johns Johns Pineapple grower, Businessman & Deputy Sheriff Stuart
Walter Kitching Kitching Businessman, Banker, Justice of the Peace & Philanthropist Stuart
George W. Parks Parks Businessman, Bank founder, Councilman & Mayor Stuart
James R. Pomeroy Pomeroy Educator, County Politician, Postmaster & Businessman Stuart
Dan Pearl Pearl Politician & Civic leader Sunrise
J. Broward Culpepper Culpepper FSU Dean and Secretary/Director of the Florida Board of Control
Florida Board of Control
The Florida Board of Control was the statewide governing body for the State University System of Florida, which included all public universities in the state of Florida. It was replaced by the Florida Board of Regents in 1965.- History :...

Tallahassee
B. Calvin Jones Jones Archaeologist and Discoverer of multiple Historic sites Tallahassee
William Valentine Knott Knott State Auditor, Treasurer, Comptroller Tallahassee
Catherine Murat
Catherine Willis Gray
Catherine Daingerfield Willis Gray Murat was born near Fredericksburg, Virginia and died in Tallahassee, Florida, United States.-Family:...

Murat Historic Preservationist, Civil War supporter Tallahassee
James Page
James Page (minister)
James Page born in 1808 died March 14, 1883 was an African-American minister.- History :James Page was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1808 as a slave....

Page Florida’s first Black minister, church founder, County Commissioner, Senate Chaplain and Justice of the Peace Tallahassee
Romulus Hunter Thompson Thompson Band Director Tallahassee
Curtis L. Waller
Curtis L. Waller
Curtis Longino Waller was an American lawyer, politician, and judge.Waller was born in Silver Creek, Mississippi. He received his Ph.B. from Mississippi College in 1908 and his LL.B. from Millsaps College in 1910....

Waller Attorney, State Legislator, State Attorney, Circuit Judge and Federal Court of Appeals Judge Tallahassee
Cesar Gonzmart
Cesar Gonzmart
César Gonzmart was a concert violinist and entertainer, Spanish "nobleman" and energetic chairman of the $42 million Columbia Restaurant Group .-Early years:...

Gonzmart Expanded Columbia Restaurant
Columbia Restaurant
The original Columbia Restaurant, located in the historic Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, is the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States and one of the largest in the world...

, Ybor City
Ybor City, Tampa, Florida
Ybor City is a historic neighborhood in Tampa, Florida located just northeast of downtown. It was founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturers and was populated by thousands of immigrants, mainly from Spain, Cuba, and Italy...

 Historic District promoter, Civic leader
Tampa
Celestino Vega Vega Cigar maker, President of Centro Español and promoter of Spanish arts & culture Tampa
Vicente Martinez Ybor
Vicente Martinez Ybor
Vicente Martinez Ybor was a Spanish American industrialist and cigar manufacturer, best known for founding the cigar-manufacturing town of Ybor City near Tampa, Florida in 1886.-Cuba:...

Ybor Founder & Developer of Ybor City, Cigar maker and Labor supporter Tampa
Peter Themis Assimack Assimack CPA, Chamber of Commerce President and Civic leader Tarpon Springs
John K. Cheyney Cheyney Sponge Company & Sponge Exchange founder, local politician and Sponge Industry promoter Tarpon Springs
Thomas Craig Craig Businessman, City Commissioner & Mayor Tarpon Springs
George Frantzis Frantzis Greek Lawyer who helped liberate Dodecanese Islands from Italy & reunite with Greece; School Principal & Sponge Industry saviour Tarpon Springs
George Inness, Jr.
George Inness, Jr.
George Inness, Jr. January 5, 1854 - July 27, 1926 was one of America’s foremost figure and landscape artists and the son of George Inness, an important American landscape painter....

Inness Successful Landscape and Figure Artist; spouse Julia Inness founded the Tarpon Springs Library Tarpon Springs
Demos A. Megaloudis Megaloudis Business and Civic leader Tarpon Springs
Anson Peasely Killen Safford Safford Nevada Surveyor General, Governor of the Arizona Territory, Land Developer and Tarpon Springs Founder Tarpon Springs
Mary J. Stafford Stafford Teacher at Boston University College of Medicine and first practicing woman physician in Florida Tarpon Springs
Colonel Henry McKie Salley Salley Army Engineer, Airport & Bridge builder and city manager Tarpon Springs
Alexander St. Clair-Abrams
Alexander St. Clair-Abrams
Alexander St. Clair-Abrams was a writer who owned newspapers and railroads in the Southern United States and also published under the names A.S. Abrams and A. Sinclair Abrams.-Civil War:...

St. Clair-Abrams Lawyer and Founder/Developer of Tavares Tavares
James Hudson Baker Baker Building contractor Vero Beach
Merrill P. Barber Barber Politician & Banker Vero Beach
Alex MacWilliam, Sr. MacWilliam Politician & Builder Vero Beach
Garnett L. Radin Radin Nurse & founder of Indian River Memorial Hospital Vero Beach
Waldo E. Sexton
Waldo E. Sexton
Waldo E. Sexton was an entrepreneur whose enterprises have attracted visitors to Vero Beach, Florida since the 1930s and remain of value to the community, industry, tourists, artists, historians and horticulturalists. He was named to the list of Great Floridians by the Florida Department of State...

Sexton Citrus Grower & Processor, Dairy farmer Vero Beach
Sherman N. Smith, Jr. Smith Lawyer, Prosecutor, Politician & Judge Vero Beach
Herman Julius Zeuch Zeuch Developer and Citrus farmer Vero Beach
Edward Ball Ball du Pont Trust Manager & Philanthropist Wakulla Springs
W. Curtis Ezelle Ezelle Local politician & Civic leader Wachula
Edward R. Bradley
Edward R. Bradley
Colonel Edward Riley Bradley was an American steel mill laborer, gold miner, businessman and philanthropist. As well as a race track proprietor, he was the preeminent owner and breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses in the Southern United States during the first three decades of the 20th Century...

Bradley Philanthropist West Palm Beach
Dr. Joseph Wiley Jenkins Jenkins Pharmacist & Society Host West Palm Beach
Marvin U. Mounts Mounts Agricultural leader West Palm Beach
Dr. Thomas Rudolph Vickers Vickers African-American Healthcare provider West Palm Beach
Nellie A. Grice Grice Businessperson & Civic leader Windermere
Dr. John Howard Johnson Johnson Philanthropist Windermere
John Calvin Palmer
Cal Palmer Memorial Building
The Cal Palmer Memorial Building is a historic site in Windermere, Florida. It is located at 502 Main Street. On November 29, 1995, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-External links:* **...

Palmer Politician & Philanthropist Windermere
Dick Pope, Sr. Pope Cypress Gardens Founder & Tourism Promoter Windermere
Loring A. Chase Chase Winter Park Founder Winter Park
Jeannette Genius McKean McKean Painter and Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....

 benefactor
Winter Park
Albin Polasek
Albin Polasek
Albin Polasek was a Czech-American sculptor and educator. He created more than four hundred works during his career, two hundred of which are now displayed in the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park, Florida.-Career:Born as Albín Polášek in Frenštát, Moravia , Polasek...

Polasek Sculptor and Cultural Leader Winter Park
Alice Fryer Hall Hall Teacher, Journalist & Civic leader Zephyrhills

External links

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