|
|
 |
|
THE BLACK EXPERIENCE: A Guide to African American Resources in the State
Library
and Archives of Florida
STATE GOVERNMENT - EXECUTIVE BRANCH
The post of governor of the state was created
in the 1838 Constitution (Article III, Section 1, 1838 Constitution; Article
IV, Section 1, 1885 and 1968 Constitutions; Ch. 14 FS) and became effective
in 1845. The governor serves a four-year term and, since 1968, can succeed
himself for one term.
The governor is the Chief Executive Officer
of the state and as such is commander-in-chief of the state militia, signs all
commissions for state and county officers, fills hundreds of state and county
offices by appointment, and has the power of suspension over state and county
officers. The governor is also chief planning and budgeting officer for the
state, has veto power over legislative acts, can call special sessions of the
legislature, and can call for adjournment if the legislature cannot agree
upon a time.
The Executive Office of the Governor was created
in 1979 (Ch. 79-190, Laws). The
office is comprised of staff members handling the administrative
functions required by the governor. The office also houses various committees,
commissions, and councils created by the governor.
Florida Governor’s Advisory Commission on Race Relations.
Records, 1957-1961, 7.25 cubic feet
S 226
This series contains records of
the Florida Governor’s Advisory Commission on Race Relations, more popularly
know as the Fowler Commission, after chairman Cody Fowler. The Commission was
created by the legislature in 1957 to study race relations in the state (Ch.
57-315, Laws). The Commission maintained liaison with the Attorney General,
the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida National Guard, et al, to help anticipate
disturbances of the peace and suppress violence. The ultimate purpose was to
develop a sound race policy.
The series
documents school desegregation policies, racial disturbances, and civil rights
activities and includes a copy of the
Commission’s final report, which centers on school desegregation. There are
speeches regarding race relations and correspondence documenting the Advisory
Commission’s communication with the Commission on Civil Rights, national Urban
League, Fair Employment Practices Commission, Urban Renewal Administration,
Black Supremacy Cult, the United Nations, the Southern Regional Council, and
others. Files labeled “Legality of Negro sit-ins in colleges”; “Pro-segregation
groups in the South”; and the Advisory Commission’s report on “Negro Values”
are also available. Other correspondence documents racial situations in Jacksonville
(Duval County), Miami (Dade County), and Tallahassee (Leon County), Florida
and other cities around the country.
Related Series:
Record Group 102, Series S 776, [Thomas] LeRoy Collins, Correspondence;
and Series S 756 [Cecil] Farris Bryant, Correspondence.
Florida Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women.
Records, 1974-1985, 18 cubic feet
S 79
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy
created the Commission on the Status of Women, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt,
resulting in recommendations that each state establish such a commission. Governor
Farris Bryant's 1964 Executive Order established Florida's first Commission
on the Status of Women, charged with identifying and increasing public awareness
of the needs and concerns of Florida women. However, it was in 1972 that the
Florida Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women was activated by Governor
Askew. The 1974 legislature granted funding to establish an office and pay a
full-time Executive Director who was a member of the governor’s staff. The commission
was involved with such projects as ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment,
International Women’s Year (1975), Talent Bank (source referral for employment/appointment
of women to high level positions) and the establishment of local commissions
to aid women throughout the state.
This series includes files pertaining to such subjects as minority business
development, urban leagues, civil rights, and the League of Women Voters whose
membership includes black women.
Territorial and State Governors: 1820-1929
(Record
Group 101)
This record group contains the records
of the governors from Florida’s admission to the United States as a territory in
1821 through the Martin administration (1925-1929).
Scattered throughout the various
series of records that comprise this record group is correspondence pertaining
to African Americans. Some subjects that may be found in the listed collections
include “Slaves and Free Negroes,” and “Slavery.”
Territorial and State Governors Letterbooks, 1836-1909, 83 volumes
S 32
Bound letterpress volumes of the
outgoing correspondence of Governors Richard Keith Call, Robert Raymond Reid,
John Branch, William Dunn Moseley, Thomas Brown, James Emilius Broome, John
Milton, Abraham Kurkindolle Allison, Ossian Bingley Hart, Marcellus Lovejoy
Stearns, George Franklin Drew, William Dunnington Bloxham, Edward Alysworth
Perry, Francis Philip Fleming, Henry Laurens Mitchell, William Sherman Jennings,
Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, and Albert Waller Gilchrist.
Territorial Governors Correspondence, 1820-1845, 1.75 cubic foot
S 177
Incoming correspondence of territorial
Governors William Pope Duval (1822-1834), John Henry Eaton (1834-1835), Richard
Keith Call (1835-1840; 1841-1844), Robert Raymond Reid (1840-1841), and John
Branch (1844-1845). Includes a file pertaining to “Slaves and Free Negroes.”
State Governors Incoming Correspondence, 1857-1888, 3 cubic feet
S 577
Incoming correspondence of governors
and acting Governors Madison Starke Perry (1857-1861), John Milton (1861-1865),
David Shelby Walker (1865-1868), Harrison Reed (1868-1873), William H. Gleason
(1868), Samuel T. Day (1868), Ossian Bingley Hart (1873-1874), Marcellus Lovejoy
Sterns (1874-1877), George Franklin Drew (1877-1881), William Dunnington Bloxham
(1881-1885), Edward Aylsworth Perry (1885-1889). The series contains general
correspondence, county appointments and recommendations, and some legislative
materials.
State Governors Correspondence, 1909-1925, 2.5 cubic feet
S 613
Correspondence of Governors Albert
Waller Gilchrist (1909-1913), Park Trammell (1913-1917), Sidney Johnston Catts
(1917-1921), Cary
Augustus Hardee (1921-1925), and John Wellborn Martin
(1925-1929). The files of Gilchrist, Trammell, and Catts mainly contain appointments
and related correspondence.
William Dunn Moseley.
Correspondence, 1845-1849, 1 cubic foot
S 679
William Dunn Moseley was the first
governor elected following
Florida’s admission into the
Union, serving
from 1845 to 1849. Included are legislative
correspondence, appointments, recommendations, commutations, and pardons.
Thomas Brown.
Correspondence, 1849-1853, 1.25 cubic feet
S 755
Thomas Brown was Florida’s second
governor, serving from 1849 to 1853. The series consists of appointments, pardons,
correspondence, and other related materials including information on internal
improvements, Indian affairs, military affairs, and slavery.
James Emilius Broome.
Correspondence, 1853-1857, 1.25 cubic feet
S 777
James Emilius Broome was governor from 1853 to 1857. The series contains correspondence
and other materials pertaining to Indian affairs, legislative matters, military
affairs, internal improvements, slavery, and appointments.
The record group contains the administrative
correspondence and other files of Florida’s governors from 1929-1971. The records
follow those of Record Group 101, Territorial and State Governors, 1820-1929.
The letters cover a wide range of
topics related to black history. Information on Florida A&M University
and Bethune Cookman College is available. There are files labeled “Lynchings,”
“Freedom T
rain,” “Labor problems,” “Civilian Conservation Corps
Black Enrollee Camps,” “Ku Klux Klan,” “Negroes,” “Civil Rights,” “NAACP,” “Desegregation,”
“Integration,” “Race relations,” “Inventions,” “Busing,” “Minority Education,”
“Affirmative Action,” “Black Education,” “Equal Employment Opportunity,” “CETA,”
“Community Action Migrant Programs,” “Minority Business Development,” and the
“Black Caucus.” Following are descriptions for each governor’s administration
with examples of relevant records.
Doyle Elam Carlton.
Correspondence, 1929-1933, 46.25 cubic feet
S 204
Doyle Elam Carlton served as Florida’s
twenty-fifth governor during one of the most critical
peacetime periods in Florida’s history. The state was faced with severe financial
problems as a result of the Great Depression and Florida’s dismal economy. Florida
A&M University, lynching, and the cotton industry are among the subjects
covered in these records. Other general subjects include agriculture and convict
labor.
David Sholtz.
Correspondence, 1933-1937, 60.25 cubic feet
S 278
Administrative correspondence of
Governor David Sholtz, twenty-sixth governor, reflects the effects of the Great
Depression on Florida and the governor’s determination to alleviate the state’s
economic crisis. The series demonstrates the governor’s role as intermediary
between the federal government New Deal programs and state and local participation.
Pertinent subjects concerning black history include: activities of the National
Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) relating to racial
violence in the state; black enrollee camps of the Civilian Conservation Corps;
Bethune-Cookman College, and Florida A&M University.
Fredrick Preston Cone.
Correspondence, 1937-1941, 50.25 cubic feet
S 368
Administrative correspondence of
Governor Fredrick Preston Cone, twenty-seventh governor,
documents subjects such as Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College,
lynching, and Ku Klux Klan activities in Dade and Hillsborough counties. There
is also a photograph of black school children in Dade County.
Spessard Lindsay Holland.
Correspondence, 1941-1945, 60.5 cubic feet
S
406
Administrative correspondence of
Governor Spessard Lindsey Holland, twenty-eighth
governor, documents subjects including Florida A&M University, lynchings,
labor problems, and the State Welfare Board.
Millard Fillmore Caldwell.
Correspondence, 1945-1949, 41.75 cubic feet
S 576
Administrative correspondence of
Governor Millard Fillmore Caldwell, twenty-ninth
governor, provides information on Florida A&M University, lynchings, and
the Freedom Train.
Fuller Warren.
Correspondence, 1949-1953, 52.5 cubic feet
S 235
Administrative correspondence of
Fuller Warren, thirtieth governor, covers subjects such as racial violence and
bombings in Dade County, FloridaA&MUniversity, and lynchings.
Daniel Thomas McCarty and Acting Governor Charley Eugene Johns.
Correspondence, 1953-1955, 23.5 cubic feet
S 569
Governor McCarty suffered a disabling
heart attack soon after taking the oath of office in January 1953. Until his
death in September 1953, his official activities were limited. Senate President
Charley Johns then served as governor until the inauguration of LeRoy Collins.
Official correspondence of Governors
McCarty and Johns covers subjects such as civil rights and Florida
A&M
University.
[Thomas] LeRoy Collins.
Correspondence, 1955-1961, 74.5 cubic feet
S 776
Thomas LeRoy Collins was the thirty-third
governor and the first to serve two consecutive terms. In addition to his
activities as governor, Collins was also active nationally. He was considered
for the 1960 Democratic vice-presidential nomination and served as chairperson
of the
Southern Governors’ Conference, the National Governors Conference, and
the Democratic National Convention in 1960. In 1959, Collins led a delegation
of governors to the Soviet Union.
Collins’ work in the improvement
of race relations is well documented. It was during his administration that
the Advisory Commission on Race Relations was created. Several files labeled
“Advisory Commission on Race Relations” detail the activities of the Commission.
Files labeled “Race Relations” include letters to the governor from such persons
and organizations as Roy C. Wilkins, Executive Director of the NAACP; Reverend
C.K. Steele,
Tallahassee civil
rights activist and member of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC);
the Southern Regional Council; the Congress of Racial Equality; the National
Baptist Convention; and the Commission on Race Relations.
Documentation on the landmark case
“Virgil D. Hawkins v. the Board of Control and R.S. Johnson, Registrar of the
University
of Florida. Re: refusal to admit the plaintiff to the February
1, 1958 term of the College of Law solely because of race and color” is available
(the State Archives also holds the Florida Supreme
Court case file for this case). A file entitled “Leon County Incident”
contains letters demanding justice prevail in the case of a mass rape of an
African American student. An additional file entitled
“Special Investigation file—
Lake
County
12.0pt;” documents the case of children denied admittance to a white
school because they looked black.
Other general files
pertaining to black history are those labeled “Commission on Civil Rights,”
“Ku Klux Klan,” “Migrant labor,” “Florida A&M University,” and “Segregation.”
[Cecil] Farris Bryant.
Correspondence, 1961-1965, 77.75 cubic feet
S 756
Cecil Farris Bryant, was Florida’s thirty-fourth governor.
During his campaign, Bryant had advocated segregationist views, yet he still
avoided a major crisis at the height of the Civil Rights movement. The closest
Florida
came to crisis was March 1964 when demonstrations
broke out in St. Augustine
as a result of a movement to desegregate motels and restaurants.
Information specifically concerning the black experience during Bryant’s
administration is found in the files labeled “Civil Rights,” “Race Relations,”
“Race Relations – Barnett Commission,” “
St. Augustine,” and in documentation relating to legal
matters and to St. Johns
County, 1964.
[William] Haydon Burns.
Correspondence, 1965-1967, 34 cubic feet
S 131
The term of William Haydon Burns,
thirty-fifth governor, was shortened due to a change in election cycles.
During his two-year term, Burns was primarily involved in the areas of education,
reapportionment, and highways. He appointed Clifton Dyson, an African American
man from
West Palm Beach,
to the Board of Regents.
Civil Rights, race relations and
Florida
A&M
University
are among the subjects pertaining to black history which
are documented in Burns’ correspondence.
Claude Roy Kirk, Jr.
Correspondence, 1967-1971, 65 cubic feet
S 923
Claude Roy Kirk, Jr., thirty-sixth
governor, was the first Republican elected to the office of governor since 1872.
In April 1970, when the United States Supreme Court ordered the busing of
Manatee
County school
children, Kirk ordered the district to disregard the orders
and then suspended the orders twice in the ensuing battle that ended with Kirk
relenting and allowing busing to begin.
Other subjects specifically
related to the black experience are civil rights; minority education; race relations;
the “Jacksonville Racial Situation;” school disturbances; Palm Beach County
Sheriff Department; “Education—School Crisis;” and Florida A&M University.
Claude Roy Kirk, Jr.
Legal Files, 1967-1971, 9 cubic feet
S 926
This series consists of transcripts of hearings, reference notes, published
reports, meeting agendas and minutes, investigative reports, and correspondence
documenting the legal activities of the Kirk administration in many areas, including
school integration and forced busing.
Governor Reubin O’Donovan Askew: 1971-1979
(Record
Group 103)
Reubin O’Donovan Askew was the thirty-seventh governor of Florida, serving
from January 5, 1971 to January 2, 1979. He served in the state House and Senate
before being elected governor in 1970, defeating incumbent Claude Kirk. Askew
was reelected in 1974, becoming the first governor in state history to be elected
for a second successive full term.
Askew was primarily involved in tax reform, especially in the increase of
homestead exemption, and passage of the “Sunshine Amendment” which called for
full financial disclosure by public officials and candidates. Askew named
the first woman to the Cabinet (interim Secretary of State Dorothy W. Glisson,
1974);
the first African American justice of the state Supreme Court, Joseph W. Hatchett;
the first African American Secretary of State in one hundred years, Jesse McCrary;
and a African American woman, Athalie Range, to the post of Secretary of the
Department of Community Affairs making her the first African American to serve
in the “Little Cabinet.”
Interspersed throughout the various series are records relating to the following
subjects: affirmative action (S 101, S 126, and S 92); busing (S 70
and S 126); black organizations (S 75 and S 111); civil rights;
Community Action Migrant Program; equal employment opportunities (S 75 and S
126); Commission on the Status of Women (S 79); minority education (S 126);
and minority business development and the NAACP (S 92).
The following files may also contain useful information on African Americans:
appointments (S 136, S 138, S 143); Education Coordinator College and University
Files (S 127); Education Coordinator County School Board Files (S 128); Executive
Clemency Meeting Files (S 96); Legislative Affairs Subject Files, which include
a significant amount of material on housing (S 78); Speech Files (S 65); Press
Recordings and News Conference Transcripts (S 66); Proclamations and Executive
Orders (S 13, Dept. of State, Division of Elections); Executive Orders and Proclamations
(S 509, Governor’s Office); and Press Section Subject Files (S 849).
Special Assistant T.J. Rose Subject Files, 1977-1978, 2.5 cubic feet
S 681
Rose was Special Assistant to Governor Askew in the area of human relations.
The files contain correspondence and reference materials pertaining to black
appointments and organizations, the Department of Commerce, economic development,
worker’s compensation, and the Florida Commission on Human Relations.
Governor [Daniel] Robert Graham
(Record
Group 104)
Daniel Robert “Bob” Graham was the thirty-eighth governor of Florida, serving
from January 2, 1979 to January 3, 1987. During his administration, Governor
Graham appointed the first African American woman to serve a judgeship in
Florida. In December 1981, Leah Alice Simms became county judge for Dade
County.
Records pertaining to black history include those related to affirmative action
(S 639); CETA (S 656); Dade County/ Miami riots (S 889); and the Legislative
Black Caucus and minority issues (S 882). Other series which may provide additional
information are: Press Secretary Subject Files (S 172); Speech Files (S 930),
and various legal records including prosecution files (S 884).
Issue Correspondence, 1979-1984, 35.75 cubic feet
S 850
The series contains incoming correspondence pertaining to major issues faced
by the Graham administration, such as the Miami riots (McDuffy case). The records
originated in the governor’s Legal and Legislative Affairs offices and the Commission
on the Status of Women.
Subject Files Relating to the Miami Riots, 1966-1969, 1980-1981,
2 cubic feet
S 889
The series contains materials on the Miami Riots of 1968 and 1980-81 including
petitions, reports, correspondence, and newspaper clippings.
Office of Minority Affairs Administrative Files, 1979-1986, 6 cubic feet
S 1458
The role of the Office of Minority Affairs was to insure minority access to
and participation in state government. The records include correspondence,
memoranda, subject files, reports, and photographs. Topics include affirmative
action programs and assistance to minority and small enterprises.
Board of Commissioners of State Institutions
(Record
Group 145)
The Board of Commissioners of State Institutions was created in 1868 (Article
V, Section 20, 1868 Constitution). The Board controlled the construction of
public buildings, in addition to other state institutions. The Board was abolished
in 1969 with its functions passing to various departments of the reorganized
Executive Department (Ch. 69-106, Laws).
Division of Construction.
State Institution Blueprints, 1937-1974, 19 cubic feet
S 95
Restricted: Any building plans, blueprints, schematic drawings,
or diagrams of government facilities or structures in this series are exempt
from public
disclosure as per Florida Statutes Chapter 119.07 (Chapter 2002-67, Laws of
Florida, HB 735, 2002).
The Division of Construction supervised the construction of all public buildings
and state institutions under the administration of the Board of Commissioners
of State Institutions. The series contains blueprints of various state office
buildings and state institutions, including those for the State University System,
such as Florida A&M University’s plans for renovations and additions to
Lee Hall.
The Department of State was created in 1969 (Ch. 69-106, Laws). The Secretary
of State is the head of the Department of State. The Secretary of State keeps
records of all official acts of the legislature and the Executive Department.
The Secretary and the Department administer elections, public records, the Great
Seal, and the Administrative Code; issue charters to corporations; license public
agencies (private detectives, security guards, charitable and consumer protection
organizations); and manage the state's library services, archives, cultural
affairs, museum, and historic resources. The Secretary is the Chief Cultural
Officer and the Chief Protocol Officer of the State.
Secretary of State Correspondence, 1971-1980, 34.5 cubic feet
S 180
The series consists of general correspondence, reports, and memos that document
the work of the Department of State under Secretaries Richard Stone (1969-1974),
Bruce Smathers (1975-1978), Jesse McCrary (1978-1979), and George Firestone
(1979-1987). Jesse McCrary was appointed as Florida’s second African American
Secretary of State.
Secretary of State Tom Adams Press Files, 1961-1970, 12 cubic feet
S 697
This series consists of subject files containing speeches, addresses, press
releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, memoranda, reports, photographs,
films, and audio tapes. Files on civil rights, Negro employment, race relations,
and student demonstrations contain materials of particular interest.
Secretary of State Tom Adams Subject Files, 1961-1970, 39 cubic feet
S 501
Cabinet agendas and minutes including correspondence, memoranda, reports, statements,
bills, and other legal and legislative materials. Subjects specifically related
to the black experience include the Civil Rights Act, the Bi-racial Committee,
racial unrest, the Voting Rights Act, and Florida A&M University Hospital.
Office of the Secretary of State
(Record
Group 151)
The post of Secretary of State was created in the 1838 Constitution (Article
III, Section 14, 1838 Constitution; Article IV, Section 21, 1885 Constitution;
Article IV, Section 4(b), 1968 Constitution; Ch. 15 FS). The Secretary of State
was the successor to the Secretary of the Territory. The Office of Secretary
of State was created in 1845 to maintain the state's public records. In 1969
(Ch. 69-106, Laws), the Office of Secretary of State became part of the Department
of State.
Election Returns by County, 1824-1926, 26.50 cubic feet, 10 microfilm reels
(35 mm.)
S 21
The records contain the returns of national, state, county, and military elections.
Included are some poll books, voter registration lists, and sample ballots.
The elections are for county offices (sheriffs, justice of the peace, tax collector),
state offices (governor, state legislators), national offices (President, congressional
representatives), and officers for local or home guard units during Seminole
wars, the Civil War, and other wars. Also included are returns on referendum
votes on laws.
These returns also document the vote counts for African Americans elected
to national, state, and county offices. For example, Josiah T. Walls, Florida’s
first African American Congressman, was three times elected to the United States
House of Representatives and twice unseated. In addition he was elected to
the Florida House of Representatives in 1868 and to the Florida Senate in 1869.
In 1968 Joe Lang Kershaw of Dade County became the first African American elected
to the Florida Legislature since 1889. Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry became the
first African American woman to serve in the legislature when she was elected
from
Dade County in 1970.
Voter Registration Rolls for 1868, 1868, 7 cubic feet, 2 microfilm reels
S 98
Congress passed an act on March 23, 1867, calling for a registration of qualified
voters. A qualified voter had to be male, twenty-one years of age, and a resident
of the county, and had to take an oath of allegiance to the United States government.
This was the first time that African Americans were allowed to register to vote.
Most volumes in this series list voter’s name, race, time of residence in county
and state, native (of what state), naturalization (when, where, and how), and
date of registration.
Superintendent of Registration Ossian B. Hart Correspondence, 1867,
.25 cubic foot
S 626
The Supplemental Reconstruction Act of March 23, 1867 was passed by Congress,
directing the federal military commanders in the South to begin the registration
of voters, election of delegates, assembling of conventions, and adoptions of
state constitutions. Ossian B. Hart of Jacksonville was appointed Superintendent
of Registration for Florida on June 13. He appointed boards of registration
from each county to register qualified voters. In the selection of registers,
the counties were encouraged to recommend an African American among the registrants.
The series contains correspondence to Superintendent Hart regarding the selection
of the registers, instructions from the headquarters in Atlanta, and several
lists of County Supervisors of Elections.
Secretary of the Territory and Secretary of State Letterbooks, 1830-1865,
1889-1905, 1922-1926,
22 volumes
S 24
Correspondence concerns all aspects of the duties and responsibilities of
the Secretary of State, with a small amount from the Secretary of Territory. Included
in this series is the official correspondence of Jonathan C. Gibbs, the first
African American Secretary of State from 1868-1873.
Division of Archives, History, and Records Management
(Record
Group 154)
The Division of Archives, History, and Records Management was created in 1969
(Ch. 69-106, Laws), combining the functions of the Public Records Screening
Board and the Florida Board of Archives and History. The Division was primarily
concerned with the management of documents, properties, and manuscripts having
archival, historical, archaeological, or current record value. In 1986, the
sections of the Division concerned with records became the Bureau of Archives
and Records Management under the Division of Library and Information Services,
and the sections concerned with the management of historic sites, properties,
and museums became the Division of Historical Resources (Ch. 86-163, Laws).
Black Archives Conference Proceedings, June 1974, 2 audio cassette tapes
S 538
The Division of Archives, History, and Records Management and Florida International
University cosponsored a conference on archives held in Miami in June 1974.
The archives conference was called by Secretary of State Dick Stone to assure
the people of Florida of all segments, persuasions, and special interests that
records of their lives and achievements would be collected, preserved, and made
available for future generations.
This series consists of two cassette recordings of the Black Archives Conference.
Featured speakers included Secretary of State Dick Stone; Bobbi Hardwick, Florida
International University; Dr. Harold Pinkett, National Archives; Nicholas E.
Gaymon, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University; Leroy Thompson, Florida
Memorial College; and State Representative Gwendolyn Cherry. No transcripts
are available.
The Division of Elections was created as part of the Department of State in
1969 (Ch. 69-106, Laws). Prior to 1969, election records were maintained by
the Office of Secretary of State. The Division administers all elections (primary,
special, and general); publishes and maintains the Florida Administrative Code;
and serves as the official records custodian of oaths and bonds, county ordinances,
municipal charters and annexations, proclamations, extraditions, executive orders,
and the official laws of Florida.
Proclamations and Executive Orders, 1845-1995, 38 volumes and 4.50 cubic
feet
S 13
This series consists of proclamations and executive orders issued by the governor
announcing special events, special legislative sessions, and special elections.
The earlier volumes contain additional records, including articles of incorporation,
election canvass returns, indentures, mortgage and deed statements, and extraditions.
Proclamations honoring and recognizing African American individuals and organizations
are included in this series.
Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs
(Record
Group 158)
The Florida Folk Life Program was charged to "identify, research, and
develop Florida folk artists, performers, folklore, traditions, customs, and
cultural heritage and make folk art resources, festivals, and folk life projects
available throughout the state."
Known as the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs from ca. 1985 until a 1995
reorganization, the bureau operated under the Division of Historical Resources,
coordinating the annual Florida Folk Festival and directing such programs as
Folk Arts Apprenticeships, Folk Arts in Education, Folk Heritage awards, and
numerous research and collecting projects and programs. Part of the bureau was
the Florida Folklife Archive, originally established in 1976 and maintained
by the bureau as a depository for field notes and research findings of the folklife
program and for the folklife collections of other researchers. Since 1995,
the Florida Folklife Program has operated within the Bureau of Historic Preservation,
Division of Historical Resources in Tallahassee and continues most of the same
programs as the Bureau.
Descriptions of many of the audio recordings (interviews, music performance,
storytelling) and photographs from the collection involving African Americans
can be found on the Florida
Folklife Collection page.
Florida Folklife Archive.
WPA Federal Writers Project Florida 12.0pt; Folklore Files,
1935-1943,
1.50 cubic feet
S 1583
The Federal Writers' Project, under the Works Progress Administration, was
inaugurated September 28, 1935. One goal of the project was the publication
of the "American Guide Series" of guidebooks on each state, with the
collection of folk customs and lore as an integral aspect of the project.
This series consists of copies of research gathered in the 1930s and 1940s
by the Federal Writers' Project of Florida. The materials are transcripts and
edited copies of interviews and field notes and document a broad range of folklife
subjects from Florida's Cracker, Afro-American, Cuban, Seminole, Minorcan,
and other ethnic cultures. Topics include beliefs and customs, folk tales and
stories, dialects and jargon, agricultural lore, occupational lore, proverbs,
songs, rhymes, cowboy and prison lore, and superstitions. Of special interest
are the narratives of former slaves.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Stetson Kennedy Florida Folklife Collection, 1935-1991, 7.25 cubic feet
S 1585
Terms Governing Use: To preserve the originals, patrons will use the photocopies
of the WPA subject files (boxes 1-2 in lieu of boxes 3-5).
Stetson Kennedy spent most of his life studying the people of Florida, their
lives, and their environment. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on October
5, 1916. Between 1937 and 1942 he headed the Florida Writers' Project unit on
folklore, oral history, and social-ethnic studies. He traveled throughout the
state to capture the traditions, songs, tales, and anecdotes of the people of
Florida. In 1950 he ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate for the United
States Senate from Florida on the platform of "Total Equality." Kennedy
was a founding member of the Florida Folklore Society and its president in 1989.
He has written and published many books on Florida and Southern culture, including
Palmetto Country and Jim Crow Guide. He has received many awards such as the
Negro Freedom Rally People's Award in 1947, the Florida Folk Heritage Award
in 1988, and the Cavallo Foundation Award for civic courage in 1991.
This series consists of originals and copies of materials related to Florida
folklife created and/or maintained by Stetson Kennedy. The series includes WPA
subject files, WPA school readers, manuscripts, and general subject files.
The series includes both copies and originals of the WPA subject files obtained
by Stetson Kennedy when the Federal Writers' Project folded in 1943. These files
include interview transcripts and other field notes of WPA writers. It appears
that Stetson Kennedy added related materials, such as newspaper clippings and
additional research, to the files over the years. The files document the folk
tales, songs, and art of many different ethnic and cultural groups found in
Florida (Greek, African American, Bahaman, Latin American, Minorcan, Cracker).
The WPA school readers are articles prepared by Stetson Kennedy and others
on the Federal Writer's Project staff in conjunction with the State Department
of Education for use in schools. Subject matter includes Florida history, ecology,
ethnic groups, and other topics of Floridiana.
This series also includes several manuscripts prepared by Stetson Kennedy
and/or WPA writers (including Zora Neale Hurston) on various Florida-related
topics. Some, such as the St. Augustine Guide and "Palmetto Country,"
were published; others, such as "Good Neighbors Across the Tracks"
(about the Latin population of Key West and Tampa), and "History of the
Negro in Florida," never were.
The general subject files contained in this series are similar in nature to
the WPA subject files. That is, they cover a wide variety of Florida folklife
topics and ethnic groups. They consist of newspaper clippings, articles, bibliographies,
research notes, photographs, etc.
For related materials, see also series S 1583, WPA Federal Writers' Project
Florida Folklore Files, and S 1584, Stetson Kennedy Donation Records.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Video Recordings of Florida Folklife Events, Programs, and Television
Broadcasts, 1948-1995, 393 films and videotapes
S 1615
This series consists of motion picture films and video tape cassette recordings
of performances by, interviews with, or documentaries about folk musicians,
craftspersons, storytellers, folklife interpreters, and various aspects of folklife
and folklore in Florida, including African American traditions. Many of the
recordings document performances by national and local folk personalities at
the annual Florida Folk Festival from 1952 to 1995. Other recordings, including
documentaries and other shows produced for broadcast television, document other
folk festivals and events, folk personalities and traditions, and programs carried
out by the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs, such as Folk Arts in Education
activities. Together, the recordings document such areas as children's lore,
foodways, religious traditions, maritime traditions, ethnic folk culture, material
culture, and occupational lore.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Florida Folk Festival Fieldwork and Program Planning and Documentation Files,
1983-1995, 1998, 1999, 6 cubic feet
S 1664
This series contains the records compiled by Folklife Bureau staff in researching
and planning for the annual Florida Folk Festival, particularly the folklife
areas that provide a different theme for each year's Folk Festival. Photographs,
slides, audio tapes, field notes, informant information sheets, and one video
tape document fieldwork carried out by Bureau staff, including identifying,
contacting, and interviewing informants and inviting selected informants to
participate as demonstrators or performers at the Folk Festival. The series
also includes proposals for and overviews of folklife area themes; photographs
and slides of events at the Folk Festivals; and drafts of text and proposed
photographic illustrations for the program books distributed at each Folk Festival.
Folklife themes documented in this series included ethnic celebrations such
as the Jewish observance of Purim, Greek Epiphany, and Caribbean Carnival; African American
and Anglo-Celtic-American traditions in Florida; the folklife of transportation,
including customs, music, and crafts associated with saddlemaking, boat building,
wheel making, and laying of railroad tracks; and the folklife of Central Florida.
The seventy nine audiotapes in this series document informant interviews
with or musical performances by informants gathered during fieldwork or in
performance
at the
Florida Folk Festival.
Series S1612, Florida Folk Festival Planning and Publicity Records, contains
related records regarding Folk Festival planning.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Folklife Workshops Planning and Documentation Files, 1986-1995,
0.4 cubic foot
S 1679
This series contains records generated during the course of planning Bureau-sponsored
workshops in various folk arts and folklife topics. Workshop proposals, research
notes, budget estimates, and publicity and registration materials document plans
for workshops in such folk arts as traditional fiddle music and dance, leather
whip braiding, white oak basketry, Seminole basketry and patchwork, and duck
decoy carving. In addition, summary information and final student project videos
exist for "Documenting Your Community Traditions: African American Community
Heritage Documentation Workshop" (1995).
Florida Folklife Archive.
Duval County Gospel Music Recordings, n.d., 11 items
S 1693
These tapes, copied from the originals in the collection of Rev. Robert
Brown of Jacksonville, Florida, contain recordings of gospel music radio
programs, group rehearsals, and sermons. Most of the recordings were of the
Mt. Ararot
Baptist Church.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Golden Gospel-Afro American Roots Grant Records, 1985,.25 cubic foot
S 1697
The Triumphant Gospel Singers Association of Jacksonville, Florida applied
for this grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to produce a concert
focusing on Afro-American acapella gospel quartet music and Negro spirituals.
The concert was a memorial to Otis Jackson, a gospel song composer, singer,
promoter and radio announcer. This series contains a copy of the grant, correspondence,
site evaluation and copies of the gospel concert programs. The programs contain
biographies of a number of gospel quartets and groups.
Florida Folklife Archive.
"Drop On Down In Florida" grant project records, 1979-1981,
0.25 cubic foot
S 1702
The "Drop On Down in Florida: Recent Field Recordings of Afro-American
Traditional Music" record album grant project began in 1979. The major
goal of the project was to investigate and promote one aspect of Florida's diverse
folk culture, its traditional African American music. The music was recorded
by Peggy Bulger, Florida Folk Arts Programs, Brenda McCallum, Stephen McCallum,
and Dwight DeVane. The project was completed in 1980 and the album was released
in 1981. This series contains copies of the grant and the booklet from the "Drop
On Down" record album grant project. The booklet discusses the background
of performers and the types of music included on the record album.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Little Galilee Baptist Church Gospel Music Fieldnotes, Audio Cassettes, Negatives,
and Tape Logs, 1988, 0.5 cubic foot
S 1703
This series contains materials documenting African American gospel music
from the Little Galileo Baptist Church in Mayo, Florida. It includes two
audio cassettes
of gospel music and spirituals recorded at the church. It also contains the
tape logs, which lists the performers and songs, and the photo/slide log,
which lists the subjects of the photos or slides on the contact sheets.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Traditional Sweetgrass Basket Making and Ukrainian Egg Decorating Workshops
Records and Slides, 1988-1989, 0.25 cubic foot
S 1705
This series contains the registrations, correspondence, slides, photographs,
news releases, and biographies of teachers of both the Sweetgrass Basket Making
Workshop and the Ukrainian Egg Decorating Workshop held at the Stephen Foster
Memorial in 1989. Also included are copies of the information pamphlet and poster.
The sweetgrass basket making class was taught by Margaret Garrison of Jacksonville,
Florida.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Guy Miles Interview Files and Recordings, 1962-1993, 10 cubic feet,
1,625 items
S 1709
Restrictions: Because of their fragile condition, access to the original reel-to-reel
tapes #1-727 is closed; researchers should consult the digital files in WAV
format, available in the Search Room.
Guy Miles was a professor of English at the University of Florida from 1957
to 1972 and was an authority on southern folklife. He was born in Dresden, Tennessee
in 1908 and served in the Air Force during World War II. In 1959, he and his
wife Faye bought a farm in Evinston, a small community about fifteen miles south
of Gainesville, near Cross Creek, and Guy became a cattle rancher. In 1967,
one of their neighbors in Evinston, an elderly black woman named Eliza Washington,
asked Guy to set down what she wanted the community to know about her when she
died. Guy recorded her "Talk" and later used her words at her funeral
service. This meeting with Miss Liza spurred his interest in inquiring into
the nature of "talk." Subsequently, Guy and several of his students
started recording the "talk" of local people, launching a project
that was to last twenty years and generate over 700 reel-to-reel tapes.
Miles was interested in recording the folklife of people through their own
telling of their experiences, in the way people really said it. He recorded
several main "talkers" from 1967 to 1987, providing a wealth of information
on the country life of the area past and present, and relating the values, beliefs,
and world view of the community through individual expression.
The Miles Collection consists of reel-to-reel and cassette tapes of interviews
with "talkers," transcripts of some of these tapes, administrative
files, correspondence, and diaries documenting Guy Miles' efforts to record
the authentic "talk" of local individuals and his other activities
in the 25 years preceding his death. The collection includes several tape indexes
created by Guy Miles or his students and by the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs.
The collection includes almost 700 reel-to-reel tapes of "talkers"
recorded from 1967 through 1988. The tapes were recorded on both sides and all
four tracks, so that one tape might have four talkers, each recorded on a separate
track. The collection also includes several indexes to these tapes: a numerical
index listing 717 tapes indicates who is recorded and where on the tape they
are recorded; a chronological index lists all of the tapes by date recorded;
and an alphabetical name index lists all of the talkers (by first or last name)
and the tapes on which they are recorded.
“Talkers" files contain transcripts of some reel-to-reel tapes prepared
by Guy Miles and audio tape logs prepared by the Bureau of Florida Folklife
Programs after acquiring the collection in 1988. "From the Log" files
contain Guy Miles' typed narratives of day-to-day events in his life from 1962
to 1988, the year of his death. A published book entitled "From the Ranch
Log," containing excerpts from these narratives, is included in the collection
(see container list).
There are also over 600 cassette tape copies of some of the reel-to-reel tapes,
produced by the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs to preserve the information
on the deteriorating original recordings. Finally, there are digital copies
in WAV format of reel-to-reel tapes numbered 1-727, produced by the Archives
to prevent use of the fragile originals.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Callahan Folk Arts Outreach Project Tapes and Photographs, 1993,
0.1 cubic foot
S 1711
This series contains audio cassette and digital audio tapes and photographs
generated by fieldwork undertaken to document the folklife of the Callahan neighborhood
of Orlando, Florida. Results of the fieldwork were incorporated into the "Folklife
Of Central Florida" folklife theme area at the 1994 Florida Folk Festival.
The tapes and photographs document African American hymn lining and blues, folk
tales, and children's games.
Florida Folklife Archive.
"Women's Contributions" Seminar Audio Tapes and Logs, 1989,
0.33 cubic foot
S 1712
Terms Governing Use: Camilla Collins tapes may not be used for publication,
distribution, or quotation, as per informant depositor agreement between Collins
and the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs.
This series contains fourteen audio cassette tapes and supporting materials
documenting presentations at a Florida Endowment for the Humanities seminar,
"Folk Culture in the South: Women's Contributions," held September
29, 1989 at the Jacksonville Museum of Science and History. The seminar featured
presentations by Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs staff and area specialists
in discussing the study of folk culture; folk traditions in Florida; women's
occupational culture and lore; and the folk culture and lore of Hispanic, Jewish,
and African American women, including customs, beliefs, family and social relations,
folk tales and jokes, and musical traditions and styles. The seminar ended with
a discussion with and performance by the Versateers, an African American quartet-style
gospel group. In addition to the tapes, the series includes tape logs providing
the names of the presenters and the topics discussed on each tape.
Florida Folklife Archive.
St. Johns River Survey Fieldwork Files and Tapes, 1982-1985, 2.5 cubic foot
(including 73 audio cassettes and 39 reel-to-reel tapes)
S 1714
In winter 1985, the Bureau contracted with two folklorists to conduct a folk
arts survey of the St. Johns River basin in northeastern Florida. The St. Johns
River is the largest and most used river in Florida, supporting much river commerce
as well as a modest amount of commercial fishing. Documentation compiled in
the survey was used to prepare and present the "St. Johns River Basin Folklife
Area" at the 1985 Florida Folk Festival.
This series consists of files and audio tapes generated by fieldwork undertaken
to document the folklife of the communities surrounding Florida's St. Johns
River. Commercial fishing traditions and the Mexican-American and African American
communities received significant attention in the survey. The series includes
informant information sheets providing name and location of informants and their
area(s) of knowledge or skills; fieldnotes providing additional information
on informants or on subjects discussed by them; and tape logs listing and describing
each performance or subject of discussion on audio tapes of informant interviews,
performances, or events.
Among subjects discussed in the records are the dance, music, religion, and
foodways of Mexican Americans; music and religion of African Americans; and
life and culture among these and other populations along the river, including
fern growning; fishing, netting, and trapping; music, including bluegrass, old
time gospel, quartet-style gospel, white gospel, country gospel, bluegrass gospel,
and blues; crafts and skills such as woodworking, quilting, and boatmaking;
cattle ranching; and religion and revivalism.
Florida Folklife Archive.
Versiteers Award Ceremony Tapes and Photographs, 1992,
0.1 cubic foot (including three audio cassette tapes)
S 1723
This series consists of audio cassette tapes, photographs, and supporting
materials documenting a local ceremony held August 21, 1992 in Jacksonville,
Florida honoring the Versiteers, a female gospel quartet group and 1992 Florida
Folk Heritage Award winners. The ceremony consisted largely of a service at
St. James AME Church, including prayers, readings, and songs by various clergy
and gospel singers and groups, as well as remarks by Florida Folklife Council
member Yvonne Tucker and Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs staff member Robert
Shanafelt.
The series contains three audio cassette tapes of the ceremony; 35mm black
and white negative strips and contact sheet depicting events at the ceremony;
a tape index summarizing the contents of each audio tape and therefore serving
as an outline of the events of the ceremony; and a signed release form depositing
the materials in the Florida Folklife Archive.
Civil War Recollections of S. M. Hankins, 1861-1865, 0.1 cubic foot
S 1725
This series consists of a thirty-five page typescript entitled "My Recollections
of the Confederate War," transcribed from the original "pencilled
in longhand in an old account ledger." There is no indication of when the
transcript was made or how it came to be interfiled with miscellaneous administrative
files of the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs.
The recollections were written by Confederate veteran S. M. Hankins, and begin
with Florida's secession in 1861, when Hankins was 14 years old. They recall
Floridians' initial reactions to the threat of war; the raising of military
units; the death of a cousin resulting from combat wounds and imprisonment;
the imprisonment of women and children and the burning of their homes if their
husbands, fathers, or brothers were suspected of deserting; the shooting of
deserters; the wartime treatment of African Americans; Hankins' enlistment at
age 16; escorting prisoners to Andersonville; the Battle of Natural Bridge;
and other wartime events.
Original manuscript retained by Hankins family (last known location).
The Adjutant General is appointed by the governor and serves as his chief
of staff in the governor's role as Commander-in-Chief. In 1973, the name of
the office was changed to the Department of Military Affairs, with the Adjutant
General head of the department. The Adjutant General controls all Florida units
of the National Guard, supervises all arms, troops, branches, and stores of
the Guard, and transports and subsists any armed forces required by the state
to maintain law and order.
Office of the Adjutant General.
Muster Rolls and Supporting Documents, 1870-1918, 10 cubic feet and
6 microfilm reels (35mm.)
S 1146
This series contains muster rolls and supporting documents of the Florida State
Militia, the Florida State Troops, and the Florida National Guard. The muster
rolls in this series are the only known surviving listings of the Floridians
who served in the State Militia, the State Troops, and the National Guard during
this era. This series includes a number of rolls for organizations that were
manned and officered by African Americans.
The post of Comptroller was created in the 1838 Constitution and implemented
in 1845. The Comptroller succeeded the Territorial Auditor of Public Accounts
and assumed his duties as the state's chief fiscal officer. The Comptroller's
Office examined, audited, and settled all accounts, claims, and demands against
the state. It supervised banking institutions, sale of securities, and collection
of revenue and taxes. The Comptroller wrote warrants for payment against the
state treasury and compiled annual reports for the governor and legislature
on state expenditures and trust funds.
The duties of the Comptroller's Office were transferred to the Department of
Banking and Finance in 1969 (Ch. 69-106, Laws), with the Comptroller serving
as the head of the Department. A constitutional amendment effective January
2003 combined the Comptroller with the State Treasurer to create a single chief
state financial officer.
Revenue Records, 1841-1906, 1 cubic foot and 3 volumes
S 556
The series contains different types of revenue records maintained by the Comptroller's
Office documenting the various duties of the Comptroller as collector of revenues.
One volume contains the tax records for the freedman common school fund, 1866-1868,
showing the collection of a poll tax from freedmen.
Tax Rolls, 1829-1898, 127 cubic feet and 5 volumes
S 28
The county tax assessor annually prepared a copy of the tax rolls for the Comptroller
and the Territorial Auditor. These lists were used for collecting taxes authorized
by the legislature.
From 1829 to 1852, only state taxes were entered on the assessment roll. Beginning
in 1853, the rolls provided columns for the calculation of both state and county
revenue and by 1869, the breakdown also included revenue allocated for county
and state school funds. The early tax records document the number of slaves
owned. Later, taxes paid by freedmen are listed.
Reproduction Note: Also available on microfilm.
The Department of Commerce was created in 1969 (Ch. 69-106, Laws), merging
the Florida Development Commission, the Florida Industrial Commission, the State
Apprenticeship Council, and the Florida Nuclear and Space Commission. From 1969
to 1972, the lieutenant governor served as the Secretary of Commerce. The Department
promoted the development of the state in the areas of industry, trade, and tourism.
In 1996 (Ch. 96-320), the Department of Commerce was abolished. Some of its
functions were transferred to the new Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic
Development in the Governor's Office. Other functions were privatized under
the new Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corp., which the law directed the
Florida Commission on Tourism to create.
Office of the Deputy Secretary.
Subject Files, 1970-1975, 2.5 cubic feet
S 422
Correspondence, reports, memoranda, and minutes of meetings document programs
conducted by the department covering subjects such as minority businesses.
Administrative Files, 1972-1977, 13 cubic feet
S 429
This series contains files that reflect the administrative functions of the
Office of the Secretary and deal with such subjects as personnel, leasing, minority
business, equal employment opportunity, the Comprehensive Employment and Training
Act program (CETA), the Florida A&M University Council of Sponsors, and
the interpretation of department policy in response to public inquiries. The
files contain correspondence, memoranda, reports, and other materials.
The Department of Education was created in 1969 (Ch. 69-106, Laws), assuming
the responsibilities of the State Department of Education (Ch. 19355, Laws)
and its predecessor, the Department of Public Instruction (Ch. 1686, Laws),
which since 1869 supervised public education, kindergarten to graduate, in Florida.
The department carries out the policies and duties authorized by law or by the
State Board of Education and is headed by the Commissioner of Education who
is the chief educational officer for the state.
Associate Commissioner Administrative Files, 1956-1971, 16.25 cubic feet
S 253
This series contains the administrative files of the Associate Commissioner
of Education from 1956 to 1971. The records include miscellaneous information,
such as reports, minutes, surveys, textbook adoption, school desegregation,
Civil Rights Acts material, correspondence, and a wide variety of other material.
Division of Instruction
Subject Files, 1932-1945, 1968-1971, 7.75 cubic feet
S 257
Subject files of the Deputy Commissioner who oversaw the administration of
various programs and acted as a “trouble-shooter” for the Commissioner include
correspondence, memoranda, and other records relating to topics such as curriculum
plans, National Youth Administration, National Education Association, Negro
high schools, and segregation.
Federal School System Reports, 1925-1970, 0.6 cubic foot
S 1778
This series consists of statistical reports on Florida's public school system
compiled by the Florida Department of Education and then submitted to the United
States Office of Education. Prior to 1955, there were two set of reports: 1)
Combined ("White and Colored" or "White and Negro"), and
2) "Colored" or "Negro." Each set recorded personnel statistics
(such as number of administrative officers, supervising officers, teachers and
pupils; average daily attendence; and number of schools) and financial statistics
(such as income from permanent funds; leases of school lands; salaries of supervisors
and teachers; supplies and other expenses; and status of retirement funds).
Since 1955, the report was no longer divided by race but recorded the same kinds
of information as before. The series also contains federal school report instructions;
and correspondence (1936-1954) between officers of the United States Office
of Education and officers of the Department of Education concerning the process
of the federal school reports.
The Dept. of Education is responsible for the state public broadcasting program
system which supports all educational radio and television. Florida's educational
television network was begun in 1957 (Ch. 57-312, Laws) by the Florida Educational
Television Commission. The Commission consisted of seven members appointed
by the governor. The Commission was abolished in 1967 (Ch. 67-569, Laws), and
the system was placed under the State Board of Education. In 1969, the Dept.
of Education took control of the system (Ch. 69-106, Laws). While the system
provides educational programming and other programs of interest, each public
broadcasting station in the state is independent and controls its own broadcast
content.
Rosewood Claims Bill Hearings Videotapes, 1994, 27 items
S 1564
Restrictions: The videotapes cannot be duplicated without the permission
of the legislature. (Public Records Law exemption 119.0115)
These videotapes document hearings held in 1994 on House Bill 591, a claims
bill for compensation for survivors and their families of the Rosewood incident
of 1923. On New Years Day of that year, a young woman claimed she was assaulted
by a African American man who allegedly then fled toward Rosewood, a small,
mostly black community about 40 miles west of Gainesville. An angry white
mob attacked the community, hanged or shot several residents, and burned all
of its buildings to the ground. The governor offered National Guard troops,
but local law enforcement officials declined, saying that everything was under
control. Despite their assurances, the rampage was allowed to continue for
a week, resulting in the deaths of six African Americans and two whites, and
the permanent evacuation of all residents of Rosewood.
Witnesses at the hearings included victims and their descendants and experts
in areas such as psychology and economics. Testimony described the families
who lived in Rosewood, the houses and other buildings in the town, the events
of January 1, 1923, and the psychological and economic impact of the events
on the victims and their families. Also included in the series are videotapes
of proceedings of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees in regard to
the Rosewood claims bill.
The post of Commissioner of Education was established as the Superintendent
of Public Instruction under the 1868 Constitution (Article VII, Section 7; Article
IV, Section 25, 1885 Constitution). The Superintendent of Public Instruction
became the Commissioner of Education under the 1968 Constitution (Article IV,
Section 4(g)). The Commissioner was one of the elected Cabinet posts until a
1998 constitutional amendment, effective January 2003, removed the office from
the elective Cabinet and changed the composition of the State Board of Education
from the Governor and Cabinet to a board appointed by the Governor.
Dept. of Public Instruction.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Letterbooks, 1869-1870, 1877-1913,
50 volumes
S 244
Outgoing correspondence of the Superintendent of Public Instruction includes
correspondence of Jonathan C. Gibbs, the only African American to serve as Superintendent
of Public Instruction, spanning 1868-1873. Gibbs’ responses to incoming correspondence
offer insight into the educational issues of his time.
Dept. of Education.
Commissioner of Education Floyd T. Christian County Education Issues
Files, 1966-1974, 9 cubic feet
S 306
This series contains correspondence among Christian, the department, citizens,
the county school boards, and county superintendents. Some correspondence concerns
integration issues, the 1968 teacher walkout, and other major education issues
of the times.
Dept. of Education.
Commissioner of Education Floyd T. Christian Federal Education Programs
Files, 1966-1973, 5 cubic feet
S 1129
The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 is among the issues covered in this series.
The files also include correspondence, reports, memoranda, studies, and other
materials relating to federal education programs such as the National Defense
Education Act, the Economic Opportunity Act, and the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965.
Board of Regents, Office of the Chancellor
(Record
Group 441)
The duties of the Executive Director of the Board of Control were transferred
to the Chancellor of the Board of Regents in 1965 (Ch. 63-204; Ch. 65-138, Laws).
The Chancellor acted as chief administrator of the Board of Regents, which served
as Director of the Division of Universities of the Department of Education (Ch.
69-106, Laws). The Chancellor was responsible for the administration of the
State University System; advised the Board of all education problems; and supervised
statewide studies and mades recommendations for higher education. The State
Legislature abolished the Board of Regents in 2001 (Chapter 2001-170, Laws of
Florida, SB 1162, Florida Statutes Chapter 229.0072(4)(o) and transferred its
functions to the Florida Board of Education, a seven-member board of gubernatorial
appointees established the previous year (Chapter 2000-321, HB 2263, Florida
Statutes 229.004) to establish educational goals and objectives and, with the
Commissioner of Education, to implement educational policies established by
the legislature. In 2002, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment
re-establishing a Board of Regents to oversee higher education in Florida.
Chancellor Robert B. Mautz Equal Educational Opportunity Files,
1973-1974, 2 cubic feet
S 829
Correspondence, surveys, reports and other materials relate to the Equalizing
Educational Opportunity in Higher Education Plan prepared by the Board of Regents
to put the State University System in compliance with Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 and with the order of the United States District Court, District
of Columbia to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, in Adams v.
Weinberger [391 F. Supp. 269 (D.D.C., Mar 14, 1975) (No Civ. 3095-70)].
State University System
Vice Chancellors Offices
(Record
Group 442)
The executive staff for the Chancellor and the Board of Regents included an
Executive Vice Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, and Associate Vice Chancellors.
Prior to 1972, the Vice Chancellors were called Assistant Chancellors. Previously,
a Business Manager assisted the Executive Director of the Board of Control.
The executive staff members served as administrative aides to the Chancellor
and were responsible for specific administrative areas, including administration
and support; academic programs and affairs; student affairs; and budget and
finance. The executive staff was the administrative head of the various offices
of the central staff of the State University System, which is part of the Division
of Colleges and Universities of the Department of Education.
Office of Student Affairs.
Reference Files, 1972-1978, 18 cubic feet
S 844
Reference files of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs include correspondence,
memoranda, travel vouchers, purchase orders, supply orders, minutes of meetings,
plans, and studies. Subjects include desegregation plans, Florida State University’s
Black Student Union, student organizations, etc.
The State University System of Florida, which is part of the Division of Colleges
and Universities under the Florida Board of Education, consists of the current
ten state universities and all future universities established by the State
of Florida. The institutions are the University of Florida, Gainesville; Florida
State University, Tallahassee; Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University,
Tallahassee; University of South Florida, Tampa; Florida Atlantic University,
Boca Raton; University of West Florida, Pensacola; University of Central Florida,
Orlando; Florida International University, Miami; University of North Florida,
Jacksonville, and Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers. In 2002, Florida
voters approved a constitutional amendment re-establishing a Board of Regents
to oversee higher education in Florida.
Office of Personnel.
Reference Files, 1970-1980, 31 cubic feet
S 999
This series contains reference files of the Personnel Office of the State University
System including correspondence, legal papers, reports, and studies. Some records
relate to the American Association of University Professors and United Faculty
of Florida. Subjects include lawsuits, grievances, collective bargaining, grants,
affirmative action, and equal employment opportunities for minorities and women.
Office of Equal Educational Opportunity Programs.
Title IX University Self Evaluation Reports, 1972-1978, 1 cubic foot
S 1110
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 barred discrimination on the basis
of sex in federally assisted education programs and activities. Title IX specifically
required that each university complete and submit to the United States Department
of Health, Education and Welfare a self-evaluation of its policies and practices
concerning admission of students, and treatment of students and employees.
It also required that policies and practices be modified if they did not meet
the specified requirements. The series documents the self-evaluation process
required under Title IX and includes reports, correspondence, and memoranda,
directions for self-analysis, and documents suggesting remedial action.
Office of Equal Educational Opportunity Programs.
University Visitations Files, 1983-1986, 2 cubic feet
S 1268
The Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Equal Educational Opportunity
Programs acted as liaison officer between the Equal Educational Opportunity
(EEO) Advisory Committee, the State University System, and the Chancellor. The
EEO Advisory Committee consisted of 11 individuals from private industry, education,
local government, and organizations active in representing minority groups.
It was established by the Board of Regents in 1982 to review the status of affirmative
action and equal educational opportunity efforts in the State University System.
The members made initial visits to the nine universities during 1983, and revisited
some universities in 1984 and 1985.
The series contains the files of Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Equal
Education Opportunity Programs, Delores Auzenne, from 1983 to 1986. It consists
of correspondence, reports, and materials related to the on-site visits to the
(then) nine Florida public universities, the recommendations of the EEO Advisory
Committee, and the responses from the universities. The plans and actions taken
by each university to enhance affirmative action in employment and educational
opportunities for minority students are included.
Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida. The institution
was chartered in 1851 and has been state-assisted since 1857. It operated under
several different names until 1909, when it became Florida State College for
Women. In 1947, the name was changed to Florida State University and the institution
was made coeducational. It is part of the State University System, which is
part of the Division of Colleges and Universities under the Florida Board of
Education.
Office of the President.
Bernard F. Sliger Administrative Files, 1976-1990, 122 cubic feet
S 164
Bernard Francis Sliger served as President of Florida State University from
1977 to 1991. Sliger majored in economics and received his B.A., M.A., and
Ph.D. degrees from Michigan State University. He was a faculty member and administrator
at Florida State, Michigan State, Louisiana State, and Southern University.
Dr. Sliger was Executive Vice President of Florida State University from 1972-1976;
Interim President in 1976; and was appointed President in 1977. His administration
was marked by the expansion of the engineering curriculum, research activities,
and athletics program at Florida State University. After his retirement in
1991, Dr. Sliger was appointed President Emeritus. He served briefly as Interim
President again in Fall, 1993.
This series contains correspondence, reports, financial papers, and memoranda
documenting Dr. Sliger’s interactions with Florida State University administrators
and department heads; the Board of Regents; other state universities; committees;
organizations; state agencies; and other government bodies. It documents several
civil rights issues, including affirmative action, desegregation, discrimination,
sex equity, and equal opportunity for minorities.
Office of the President.
Stanley Marshall committee files, 1957-1976, 5 cubic feet
S 1259
J. Stanley Marshall served as President of Florida State University from 1970
to 1976. Dr. Marshall came to Florida State University in 1958 as a science
education professor. He served as the Head of the Department of Science Education
and Dean of the College of Education prior to his appointment as Acting President
in June 1969. He was appointed as President in June, 1970 and resigned in 1976.
His administration was marked by political turbulence and student protests during
the Vietnam era.
Florida State University President Stanley Marshall’s committee files include
the reports of the various campus committees during Marshall's tenure. Some
of the topics included are minority students, affirmative action, women's salaries,
and college sports. Also included in this series are materials from the President's
Inaugural Committees from 1957 to 1970, which includes correspondence, addresses,
and programs.
Superintendent of Common Schools for Freedmen
(Record
Group 493)
The post of Superintendent of Common Schools for Freedmen was created in 1866
(Ch. 1475, Laws) to administer the common schools for freedmen. The governor
appointed the Superintendent who in turn appointed assistant superintendents
or requested that the county commission appoint an assistant superintendent
for the county. The common schools were funded by a tax on male "persons
of color" between the ages of 25 and 50. The post was abolished in 1868
with the creation of the post of Superintendent of Public Instruction, who was
responsible for administering all state schools.
Superintendent of Common Schools for Freedmen Report, 1866,
0.25 cubic foot
S 288
This series contains the 1866 report of Superintendent E. B. Duncan. The report
is a pamphlet that states the activities of the superintendent in educating
Florida's freedmen.
The State Department of Education was created in 1939 (Ch. 19355, Laws). It
acted as an administrative agency under the direction of the State Superintendent
of Public Instruction to carry out policies and duties authorized by law or
by the State Board of Education. It assumed the duties of the Department of
Public Instruction, which had administered the state system of public education
since 1869 (Ch. 1686, Laws). In 1969, the State Department of Education became
the Department of Education, and the Commissioner of Education replaced the
State Superintendent of Public Instruction as chief educational officer of the
state (Ch. 69-106, Laws).
Ledgers, 1859-1967, 12 Volumes
S 297
This series contains bound ledgers of the State Department of Education and
its predecessor agency, the Department of Public Instruction. The records consist
of fiscal and administrative materials covering a variety of financial transactions.
They document the apportionment of federal and state funds to county school
systems and state institutions of higher learning. When separate schools and
colleges for white and African American students existed, the financial records
list the appropriations as for "White" and "Colored” or “Negro"
schools and teachers.
The Spanish Archives record group contains materials from the Second Spanish
Period (1783 to 1821). Primarily, it contains papers concerning the settlement
of claims of individuals who held land grants or land titles from the Spanish
government. In 1786, by Royal Order of the King of Spain, British subjects were
permitted to remain in Florida provided they would take an oath of allegiance
to Spain. In 1790, a Royal Order invited aliens to Florida regardless of their
religious affiliations provided they hold and cultivate the land for a period
of ten years.
In 1821, Spain ceded East and West Florida to the United States from Spain.
On May 8, 1822, Congress passed the first Acts designed to carry out the provisions
of Article VIII of the treaty of cession. It directed that three commissioners
be appointed to ascertain and make final disposition of all previous title and
claims to the land in the territory of Florida. Persons claiming title to lands
under any patent, grant, concession, or order of survey dated prior to January
24, 1818 were instructed to file their claims with supporting evidence, before
the United States Board of Land Commissioners at St. Augustine for East Florida
lands and Pensacola for West Florida lands. The Board met from 1823 to 1827.
After 1827, the outstanding claims were handled by the United States Land
Offices in St. Augustine and Tallahassee. The land parcels of all the approved
claims were surveyed by the Surveyor General of the United States for the Territory
of Florida and the State of Florida in the East and West Districts.
East Florida Papers, 1737-1858, 175 microfilm reels
S 979
The East Florida papers are records and documents from the second Spanish occupation
of East Florida. The papers reflect the activities of the Spanish governors,
Captain General, Exchequer, Intendant, Comptroller of the Royal Hospital, Department
of Grace and Justice, Department of the Indies, Department of War, Department
of State, Department of Treasury, Department of Foreign Possessions, and the
Department of the Navy. The records document military commands in East Florida,
especially along the St. Johns and St. Mary’s Rivers; and the governing of Amelia
Island and Fernandina. The papers also contain information on the government’s
dealings with the United States; Indians; Panton, Leslie, and Company; prisons;
vessels and cargoes; fortifications and defense; and criminal proceedings.
Also included are letters to and from the commander of Colored Militia (1812-1821),
and papers on “Negro Titles, Runaways, etc.” (1737-1805).
Reproduction Note: Available only on microfilm. Originals held by the Library
of Congress.
Language Note: Documents mainly in Spanish.
United States. Board of Land Commissioners.
Confirmed Spanish Land Grant Claims, 1763-1821, 17 cubic feet,
1,806 microfiche and 7 microfilm reels
S 990
The Board of Land Commissioners was appointed by the President in 1822 to settle
land claims (“An Act for ascertaining claims and titles to land within the territory
of Florida,” 3 U.S. Statute 709, May 8). It set up offices in Pensacola and
St. Augustine (eventually two separate boards) to ascertain the validity of
all titles and title claims to land in East and West Florida. The Land Commissioners
either confirmed or rejected claims to lands by studying supporting documents
supplied by the claimants.
The series consists of “dossiers” containing papers filed in evidence and confirmed
as valid claims before the Board. Each land claim with its supporting documents
was later encased in a manila jacket on which appears the name of the applicant,
the number of acres claimed, disposition of the claim, and page reference to
the American State Papers. The supporting documents include petitions or memorials
to a governor for land; grants; attests; plats; deeds of sale, gifts, wills,
bequests, and exchanges; applications; and translations of Spanish documents.
Some files include a list of slaves owned. For example, the documents contained
in the folder for Antonio Suarez (1807) includes lists of slaves with names,
ages, and the designations “Negra,” “Negro,” and “Mulatto.”
Reproduction Note: Also available on microfiche and microfilm
Language Note: Some documents in Spanish.
United States. Board of Land Commissioners.
Unconfirmed Spanish Land Grant Claims, 1763-1821, 5 cubic feet and 565
microfiche
S 991
This series consists of “dossiers” similar to those described above (S 990)
containing papers filed in evidence and not confirmed as valid claims before
the Board of Land Commissioners.
Reproduction Note: Also available on microfiche.
Language Note: Some documents in Spanish
United States. Board of Land Commissioners.
Memorials and Concessions, 1786-1821, 6 cubic feet and 1,600 microfiche
S 992
The series contains memorials or petitions to the governor for confirmation
of the petitioner’s right to ownership of land under the required conditions
set forth by the Spanish government. Included is a file for Pe, a free “Negro”,
containing a petition to the governor, dated December 1801.
Reproduction Note: Also available on microfiche
Language Note: Documents in Spanish
United States. Board of Land Commissioners.
Memorials for City Lots in St. Augustine, 1764-1821, 1.5 cubic feet and
2 microfilm reels
S 993
This series consists of memorials or petitions to the governor for confirmation
of city lot ownership in St. Augustine when the United States acquired Florida
from Spain. Also included are other documents relating to claims in St. Augustine
including deeds to town lots, an index to land, inventory of lots, and the Day
Docket of the Board of the Land Commissioner. A file for Mariano, a “Negro”,
is also included.
Language Note: Documents in Spanish.
The Parole Commission was first established in 1941 (Ch. 20519, Laws)
and has, at various times, been called the Probation and Parole Commission or
the Parole and Probation Commission. Operating under Chapter 947, Florida Statutes,
the stated purpose of the Parole Commission is to provide for public safety
and protect the rights of victims by administering effective post-incarceration
services including offender release, offender revocation, clemency, and victim
assistance. To carry out these goals, the Commission is authorized to (1) determine
what persons shall be placed on parole or conditional medical release; (2) fix
the time, terms, and conditions of parole or conditional medical release; (3)
determine violations of parole and what action should be taken with reference
to such violations, including revoking supervision terms of offenders; (4)
report to the Board of Pardons all circumstances relating to persons under consideration
for parole; and (5) make investigations necessary for the carrying out of these
duties, including clemency investigations and administration, providing investigative
information and support to the Board of Executive Clemency. The Parole Commission
is comprised of three members who are appointed by the Governor and Cabinet
and confirmed by the Senate.
Office of Executive Clemency.
Application Case Files, 1972-1990, 77 cubic feet
S 1091
The series contains the application case files of the State Board of Pardons
from 1972 to 1975, and its successor agency, the Office of Executive Clemency,
from 1976 to 1990. The files contain individual applications for clemency, correspondence,
reference letters, court papers and documents, and information on the final
disposition of application. This series is a continuation of application case
files of the State Board of Pardons, Series S 443. The files including, but
not limited to, numbers 24466, 24475, 19985, 20043, 21072, 23066, and 18785,
are among those containing applications for African Americans.
Department of Legal Affairs
(Record
Group 650)
The Department of Legal Affairs was created in 1969 (Ch. 69-106, Laws) to perform
the powers, duties and functions of the office of the Attorney General. The
Attorney General heads the department and is the chief state legal officer (Chapter
16, Florida Statutes). The department provides all legal services required by
any department unless otherwise provided by law. It defends the state on appeals
from criminal convictions through state and federal courts. The department provides
assistance to local law enforcement agencies in major felony cases and maintains
regional offices throughout the state to aid in these services. The Attorney
General renders legal opinions on request to government agencies and appears
on behalf of the state in all suits in the District Courts of Appeal and the
Supreme Court in which the state has an interest.
Florida Commission on the Status of Women
Florida Women's Hall of Fame Nomination Files, 1992-1997, 6.25 cubic feet
S 1790
This series documents the nomination and selection process of candidates for
the Florida Women's Hall of Fame. It contains nomination forms, correspondence,
letters of recommendation, memos, biographies, news clippings and press releases
that pertain to each nominee. It also contains correspondence between Commission
members, and between Commission members and Government officers, regarding the
selection of the winners and the induction ceremonies. African American inductees
in this time period include Carrie P. Meek, Gladys D. Milton, Evelyn Stocking
Crosslin, and M. Athalie Range.
The Department of Corrections was created as the Division of Corrections under
the Board of Commissioners of State Institutions in 1957 (Ch. 57-317, Laws).
The Board of Commissioners of State Institutions had been instructed to manage
all state prisons since 1877 (Ch. 3033, 1877, Laws). In 1969, the Division of
Corrections became part of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services
(Ch. 69-106, Laws). The Division's duties were increased in 1975, and it became
the Department of Offender Rehabilitation (Ch. 75-49, Laws). The Department
was renamed the Department of Corrections in 1978 (Ch. 78-53, Laws). Since 1975,
the Department has overseen all agencies providing incarceration and rehabilitative
services for adult offenders and, until the 1994 establishment of the Department
of Juvenile Justice, for youth offenders as well. The Department administers
institutional and non-institutional programs; and inspects all county, state,
and municipal correctional and detention facilities; and operates over 50 prisons
as well as work camps, work release centers (formerly called community correctional
centers), road prisons, forestry camps, boot camps, and a drug treatment center.
Prison Registers, 1875-1959, 13 volumes, 2.25 cubic feet and 1 microfilm
reel
S 500
This listing of all convicts received into the state prison system provides
each prisoner’s name, sex, race, age, birthdate, birth state, crime, sentence,
date of release, prison number, and how terminated (i.e., end of sentence, pardon,
death, etc.).
The Florida State Hospital was created in 1877 as the Florida Asylum for the
Indigent Insane (Ch. 3035, Laws, 1877). In 1886, it was renamed the Florida
Hospital for the Insane. In 1919, it received its present name, the Florida
State Hospital. The hospital is located at Chattahoochee in Gadsden County,
Florida. The Board of Commissioners of State Institutions (Ch. 3578, Acts, 1885)
had general supervision over the state psychiatric hospital until 1969. At that
time, it was placed under the supervision of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative
Services (Ch. 69-106, Laws) and later under the Department of Children and Families
(Ch. 96-403, Laws). The state hospital is responsible for providing care and
treatment to both paying and indigent mentally ill patients.
Medical Records, 1914-1983, 179.50 cubic feet
S 1063
Restricted by Florida Statutes Chapter 394.4615 (see below).
The series contains medical records of patients who died while hospitalized
or were discharged from the Florida State Hospital and its predecessor, the
Florida Hospital for the Insane. The post-1938 records are sample cases of selected
medical records. The medical records contain charts, admission, furlough and
discharge papers; progress notes; and other information pertaining to the patient’s
hospitalization and treatment. The 1914-1938 files are subdivided into (1)
black females, (2) black males, (3) white females, and (4) white males.
As per Florida Statutes Chapter 394.4615: "Unless waived by express and
informed consent, by the patient or the patient's guardian or guardian advocate
or, if the patient is deceased, by the patient's personal representative or
the family member who stands next in line of intestate succession, the confidential
status of the clinical record shall not be lost by either authorized or unauthorized
disclosure to any person, organization, or agency."
Florida Commission on Human Relations
(Record
Group 891)
The Commission on Human Relations was created in 1969 (Ch. 69-287, Laws) and
was restructured in 1977 (Ch. 77-341, Laws). An independent agency, the Commission
was administratively attached to the Department of Community Affairs until 1979,
when it was transferred to the Department of Administration (Ch. 79-190, Laws)
and later to the Department of Management Services (Ch. 96-399, Laws). To carry
out its mission to promote and encourage fair treatment of and equal access
to opportunities for all citizens of Florida employment, housing, and public
accommodations and to promote mutual understanding and respect among all Floridians
by reducing intolerance, antagonism and inter-group tension, the Commission
develops policies and procedures for providing equal opportunity, recommends
methods to eliminate discrimination through education, legislation, and enhancement
of public awareness, and conducts investigative hearings in discrimination cases.
Records, 1969-1976, 1 cubic foot
S 382
Records of the Commission on Human Relations include minutes, agenda, correspondence,
program proposals, and news releases documenting the Commission's recommendations
on civil rights issues, including equal opportunity, race relations, affirmative
action, and job discrimination. More specifically, the records of the Commission
reflect its plans for desegregation in the schools and in public accommodations.
Correspondence on the Miami Crisis (riots) of 1969 includes a review and analysis
of the situation. There is also a transcript of the July 1, 1978 meeting in
which Al Featherton, leader of the Black Afro Movement, addressed the Commission
on the Miami Crisis about the hostilities between the races. Other significant
files are those relating to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Key West disturbances,
and the Fort Pierce investigations.
Florida A&M University Hospital
(Record
Group 893)
The Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Hospital operated from
1950 to 1970 as the major health care facility for all African Americans, including
students, faculty, and the general public, within a 160 mile radius of Tallahassee,
Florida. It began as the sanatorium, student health center, and training center
for African American nurses of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College
for Negroes. The hospital building was constructed in 1949 and was managed by
a Board of Trustees from 1957 to 1967 (Ch. 57-142; Ch. 67-41, Laws). The hospital
was closed in 1970.
Daily Medication Logs, 1952-1961, 12 volumes
S 438
Restricted as per F.S. 395.3025 and 455.241. Research governed by
F.S. 405.
This series documents the medication (narcotics) given to patients in general
and in surgery, the emergency room and obstetrics ward. The name of the patient,
type of medication, date, time, and doctor are listed.
Birth Certificate Receipts, 1948-1958, 2 cubic feet
S 439
Restricted as per F.S. 395.3025 and 455.241. Research governed by
F.S. 405.
Receipts for the birth certificates issued by the hospital contain the date
and place of birth, parents’ names and occupations, and other birth information
as given on the birth certificate. The records are incomplete for 1948 and
are missing for 1949.
Hospital Registers, 1943-1967, 62 volumes
S 440
Restricted as per F.S. 395.3025 and 455.241. Research governed by
F.S. 405.
Hospital registers are of several types including emergency and accidents,
delivery room, autopsy reports, recovery room, pediatrics, medicare and operating
room.
Death Records, 1953-1967, 1 cubic foot and 3 volumes
S 441
Restricted as per F.S. 395.3025 and 455.241. Research governed
by F.S. 405.
Records documenting the deaths of hospital patients include original death
reports with name, date of death, age, and cause of death, and indexed death
register volumes.
Administrative Files, 1950-1963, 2 cubic feet
S 442
This series contains minutes and correspondence documenting topics discussed,
decisions made and actions taken at staff meetings and by the Board of Trustees.
Also included are subject files and tumor clinic reports.
Article XV of the 1885 Constitution provided for the creation of the State
Board of Health, but the Board was not created until the 1889 special session
of the legislature (1889, Ch. 3839, Laws). The Board was headed by the State
Health Officer and located in Jacksonville. It could also impose coastal and
city quarantines.
The State Board of Health studied health problems, administered health services
programs, disseminated health information, and enforced rules concerning sanitation
and communicable diseases. It also controlled the Bureau of Vital Statistics,
the bacteriological laboratories, veterinary department with a State Veterinarian,
and tuberculosis sanitariums. The Board became the Division of Health under
the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services in 1969 (Ch. 69-106, Laws),
and its functions were assumed by the new Department of Health in 1996 (Ch.
96-403, Laws).
Midwife Program Files, 1924-1975, 5.5 cubic feet
S 904
The inadequate supply of doctors and the remoteness of many patients to modern
health facilities necessitated that the Board of Health develop a program designed
to reduce infant mortality and to promote maternal and child health. In response,
the Board initiated a midwife licensing program in 1931 providing classroom
demonstrations and a procedures manual as well as basic equipment necessary
for delivering infants.
This series documents the Board’s licensing program and contains correspondence,
reports of legislation, essays on midwifery, midwife manuals and publications,
photographs, administration records, licenses, and artifacts.
Included are applications for African Americans who applied for licenses.
There is correspondence on black midwifery as well as a speech concerning the
licensing of African American midwives. The series also contains the transcript
of a story on midwifery, which briefly recounts the practice of a African American
midwife. Photographs of African American midwives and their clients are also
available.
A related series is S 1481, Applications for Certificate of Registration for
Healing Arts, 1928-1955.
Bureau of Narcotics.
Applications for Certificate of Registration for Healing Arts, 1928-1955,
35 microfilm reels (16 mm.)
S 1481
This series collection contains the applications by physicians, surgeons,
osteopaths, chiropractics, naturopat |
