To Be or Not to Be an Inductee

               To be a Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductee is a great honor, one that is not granted to simply anyone. Inductees need to have motivation, dedication, and most importantly, a passion for the betterment of the citrus industry.

               According to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame website, when the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame was first established in 1962, seventeen nominees were inducted. Every year since then, between two to four new members have been inducted, making the grand total now 177.

               That’s a lot of citrus leaders!

               The website goes on to explain the committee that chooses these inductees. The committee is made up of representatives of different areas of the citrus industry. Each December, they choose recipients and then the actual induction process happens in March.

               

   So, who were these great inductees?

               They were extraordinary men, and even some women, with an amazing love for the citrus industry. They were distinguished leaders who did whatever they could to make exceptional contributions to the Florida citrus industry.

  What I find fascinating are the different kinds of contributions these men and women made. The contributions one inductee made could be completely different from the next. In 1988 inductee Anita Bryant’s case, that meant serving as a spokesperson for the citrus industry.¹ However, in 1988 inductee William G. Strickland’s case, it meant forming the Florida Fresh Citrus Shippers Association.²

 No inductee’s contribution was respected any less than another’s. They were all outstanding and important for the Florida citrus industry. This is why, after these men and women made their contributions, the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame made sure they received the credit they deserved.

              “The purpose of the Hall of Fame,” explains Thomas B. Mack in his book, Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History, “is to give recognition to the persons, living or dead, who have contributed unselfishly through time and effort to the development of the Florida citrus industry.”

              So, what happened after an inductee was inducted? The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame rewarded these inductees with plaques, pictures, and displays.³ What the inductees chose to do from there was up to them, but you can be sure they weren’t done with the citrus world.

              The inductees in the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame were all extraordinary leaders with a strong sense of responsibility to the citrus industry due to their love of citrus. They all have fascinating stories, which I hope to write more on, that are part of the history of the citrus industry and are worth remembering. The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame works to preserve their stories and help others remember the outstanding contributions these men and women have made.

  No wonder, too. I know I’d want to be remembered if, thanks to my efforts, people can enjoy Florida orange juice with their breakfast.

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

For more information on the inductees, please visit the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame website Inductees section. 

Sources:

¹ Thomas B. Mack, Citrifacts II: A Portion of Florida Citrus History (United States of America: Associated Publications Corporation, 1998), 215.

² Justin Helm, “William G. ‘Bill’ Strickland (1908-2000),” Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, accessed October 3^rd, 2014, http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/index.php/inductees/inductee-name/?ref_cID=89&bID=0&dd_asId=670.

³ Mack, Citrifacts II, 215.