From the Archives: Citrus Queens and Miss Florida Citrus

The Florida Citrus Queen pageant took place at the Florida Citrus Festival for the first time in 1924, so this year marks 100 years since the start of the competition. However, this first competition had a very different set up compared to the pageants that followed in the years to come.

Young men and women applied to be crowned as the Citrus King and Queen; Polk County residents then had the opportunity to vote for who they thought should be crowned. Both rulers were crowned at that year’s Citrus Festival and were featured as part of the citrus industry parade. Dorothy Williamson was crowned the first Citrus Queen and Harvey Henderson was crowned Citrus King. This was the only time a King would be crowned.

Following the 1924 competition, another queen was not crowned until 1930 when Ruth Snyder became Citrus Queen. However, the competitions that followed were very different from the first one. Women applied to be a part of the contest where they participated in a series of pageant events. The winner was then picked by a panel of judges. This choice was based on their talents, elegance, and philanthropic endeavors.

As the competition continued, the title began to come with numerous responsibilities and tasks. The Citrus Queen was the face of the citrus industry; she made radio, television, and newspaper appearances informing the public about the interests and concerns that the citrus industry had at the time. The competition took a break in the early 2000s and started back up again in 2015. The pageant is still running currently and will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary at the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant on March 2, 2024.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

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Sources:

Mack, Thomas B. Citrifacts. Bartow, Florida: Associated Publications Corporation, 1992. 

1963 Florida Citrus Queen contestants at the Florida Citrus Exposition in Winter Haven. 1963. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/343554.

Citrus Label Tour

Earlier this year residents of Lakeland Florida noticed a new sign pop up outside of The Mckay Archives at Florida Southern College. The sign is simply the image of a beautiful crate label from Florida Citrus’s great past and has brought up many conversations among Lakelanders. Many people are wondering why, and the reasoning is very simple: Crate Labels are a lost art. Nowadays it is so common for companies to take logos and branding for granted. So many logos look almost identical and, as a result, have become easy to overlook.

Citrus crate labels were made to have certain brands of citrus fruits stand out from other more mundane brands and it was very effective. The images were eye-catching and the slogans occasionally scrawled across them were fun. Unfortunately, so many brands of citrus have diverted from this and it is quite a shame. So many people do not even remember how beautiful the crate labels were. That is why the sign was put up. To remind others how special the citrus industry is here in Florida, and to educate those who did not realize that crate labels were such a necessary part of the Florida Citrus Industry’s proud heritage.

The sign is a part of the Citrus Label Tour of Polk County and will be up at the Mckay Archives for quite awhile. If you have any questions about it, or about the Citrus Label Tour, feel free to call us at 863-680-4164.

Written By: Emma Morton

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Please Welcome the Newest Citrus Queen!

Hey Citrus Fans,

So you may already know that the 2016 Miss Florida Citrus pageant has officially crowned it’s 2016 Citrus Queen. This pageant has helped multiple young ladies’ dream come true ever since the 1920’s. Therefore, please join me in welcoming the newest Citrus Queen, Stephanie Capon of Miami, Florida.     The competition was fierce this year and was judged based on a number of portions such as: interview/on stage question, evening wear, talent, and swimsuit. Miss Capon received a $1,000 scholarship along with numerous other prizes and will represent the Florida citrus industry at various trade shows and events throughout the coming year.

    Miss Capon is attending University of Florida and earning her Master of Science in Management and hopes to earn a Juris Doctor degree in law. She was sponsored by Ben Hill Griffin Inc. She is also currently a White House intern for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. Ben Hill Griffin Jr. was inducted in the Citrus Hall of Fame in 1979, and Ben Hill Griffin III was also inducted in 2009.

    Stephanie Capon will go on to compete in the Miss Florida Pageant, which takes place in Lakeland later this summer. The winner of this pageant will go on to compete in the Miss America pageant. Let us all wish Miss Capon luck and welcome her as our 2016 Citrus Queen.

If you would like to know more, please visit our Facebook page at: 

Florida Citrus Queen/Miss Florida Citrus

“I am now part of a sisterhood that encourages women to be better.” - Stephanie Capon on what it means to be Miss Florida Citrus.

Works Cited

McGill, Josh. "Miss Florida Citrus 2016 Crowned." Citrus Industry News. AgNet Media Inc., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. 

Written by Emma Morton

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

See You Later, Citrus

            A year and a half have passed since I first started with the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame here at the Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center. Though I can hardly believe it, with graduation arriving soon, my time here is coming to an end. Thankfully, I will be leaving with many experiences to look back on, as well as newly acquired skills on which I can now rely.

            Looking back, I’m amazed at the many projects and collections I have worked on since starting here. I have researched and written articles and blog posts on several topics, such as the inductees, special events, and crate labels. I have also scanned, inventoried, and archived many historical photographs and documents on the Florida Citrus Industry from different collections, like the Jerry Chicone Crate Label Collection and Anthony Whiting Crate Label Collection. In addition, I had the opportunity to present my paper on the Florida Citrus Queens/Miss Florida Citrus at the Florida Conference of Historians. Oh, and I can’t forget the chance I got every day to share on social media the many interesting facts, articles, and photographs I found related to the citrus industry for others to see and be informed.

            As a plus, I had the chance to attend quite a few exciting events too, such as the Florida Citrus Queen/Miss Florida Citrus reunion at Bok Tower Gardens and the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductee Ceremony here at Florida Southern College, both of which gave me the opportunity to meet many interesting people in the Florida Citrus Industry. 

            Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to research, work with, and create digital and physical exhibits for the archives on varying topics with my fellow citrus coworkers. These topics include citrus workers, citrus memorabilia, the Orange Bird, the Florida Citrus Queens/Miss Florida Citrus, citrus crate labels, citrus postcards, the Waverly collection, packinghouses, and the Thomas B. Mack Citrus Archives Collection. These exhibits will hopefully be up in time for next semester. 

            My time here has been one long learning experience. I will never forget the history I have become so fond of, the people I have met, and the memories I have made during my time here. I am so grateful to all of the people who have been involved with my job as well. The friendships I have made here and the research, communication, organizational, and writing skills I have acquired here will stay with me as I continue on to whatever career path is in store for me. 

            However, though I am saying goodbye to my job, I am not saying goodbye to citrus. Like I said in my very first blog post when I started working here, each time I even drink my orange juice, “I’ll be thinking about the history behind it and all of the people involved.”

So see you later, citrus. I will never see you the same way again.

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Reflections on the 2015 Florida Conference of Historians

                There I stood, in front of about thirty people, ready to give my presentation on a topic I was sure no one would care about: the Florida Citrus Queens and Miss Florida Citrus. With my note cards in my hands and my Prezi projected behind me, I talked about the evolution of the citrus queen title and job over the years as a result of the American Feminist movement. To my surprise, I was greeted by a round of applause at the end of my presentation, as well as several interested questions after all of the presentations were over.

                I knew exactly what I wanted to present from the moment my supervisor mentioned the 2015 Florida Conference of Historians, which was held at Florida Southern College last weekend. I have always been interested in the Florida Citrus Queens and Miss Florida Citrus. Honestly, I am really just a fan of the way these women worked for the Florida citrus industry. One day, I was watching the “Miss Florida Citrus and Florida Citrus Queens” YouTube video on the CitrusLegacyChannel and I noticed the change from dresses to business attire. My observation sparked an interest in me and I started to question why the change from Florida Citrus Queen to Miss Florida Citrus occurred and how it happened as well. As a result, the idea for my presentation was born.

                However, as interesting as the topic was for me, I had no idea that it would be interesting to anyone else. After months of research, scanning photos, writing my paper, preparing my presentation, and practicing, I was ready to share what I had worked so diligently on at the conference. I was pleased to see that my hard worked was appreciated by the attendees.

                It was also a nice surprise to see how engaged everyone was in my coworker, Anthony Woodside’s, presentation on the history of the Florida citrus crate labels. With a witty attitude and several colorful citrus crate labels to display, my coworker shared his own research on how the crate labels reflected American culture in the 1920s-1950s. He had several questions to answer at the end of the presentations as well.

                Before the presentation, I feared that Anthony and I were going to have a difficult time during the question portion of the conference. I thought there would be several attendees who would find faults in our research because they knew more about citrus industry history than us. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. People asked questions because they wanted to know more about our research. They were interested in what we had to say because we were the ones who knew more. It was quite an exhilarating experience.

                It feels odd to be done with the conference after preparing for it for so long. However, it was a wonderful, educational experience that helped me grow as a student and employee. I know this experience will add to my resume and will help me as I someday leave the comforts of college to move into a challenging career in the real world. Then, when I have to give another important presentation for another job, I will remember when I worked for the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame at the Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center. I will remember the confidence my supervisors had in me as I prepared for and presented my work at the conference. Finally, as I look back on all of this, I will know the quality of work I am capable of and will put just as much effort into my work as I learned to do for the 2015 Florida Conference of Historians.

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Florida Citrus Celebration at Bok Tower Gardens – Follow Up

                The Florida Citrus Celebration has been a great success so far and we sure hope it will continue to be so. I was able to witness firsthand the events held on Saturday, November 8^th and I can agree that the Florida Citrus Celebration is worth seeing and the events worth attending.

                The OJ Meet and Greet with the Queens was the first event I was able to attend. There were nine Citrus Queens who attended: Brenda Eubanks Burnette, Shannon Potts Franco, Lori Schirard Grubb, Dana Morgan Hamlin, Mandy Hancock Jarrett, Lisa Maile, LaVoyce Leggett Porter, and Nikki Upthegrove Mathews. One could take pictures with these women by the Captain Citrus photo stand or simply talk with them about their citrus experiences. Afterwards, the former queens were able to chat with each other about their nostalgic days as Citrus Queens at the Citrus Queen luncheon.

                There was also the Citrus Crate Label Show and Sale that I got to see. Beautiful citrus labels stood proudly on display like intricate pieces of artwork for citrus loving visitors to enjoy. During the times when I was supposed to be watching the table and answering questions, even I found it difficult not to look at the collection of citrus labels in front of me. It was nice to know that if anyone was particularly interested, they were able to purchase some to take home.

                In addition, there were all sorts of tours to take around the gardens. One that I was interested in, but was unfortunately unable to go on, was a citrus grove tour with John Jackson, the President of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. I am sure it was definitely a sight to see.

                At least I was able to see the historical exhibit, “Central Florida’s Citrus Culture,” which was very interesting. It is definitely worth mentioning that the citrus display will be in place through January 3^rd, 2015. There is still time to visit Bok Tower Gardens and see the public exhibit celebrating the 90^th anniversary since the first Florida Citrus Queen pageant and the 85^th anniversary of Bok Tower Gardens.

I definitely urge anyone who is interested to seize this opportunity to see this exhibit and take part in the Florida Citrus Celebration before it is too late.

                Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Florida Citrus Celebration at Bok Tower Gardens

                  It is exciting news that the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame has teamed up with Bok Tower Gardens to create the Florida Citrus Celebration, a 3-1/2 month public exhibit celebrating the 90^th anniversary since the first Florida Citrus Queen pageant and the 85^th anniversary of Bok Tower Gardens. The historical exhibit, titled “Central Florida’s Citrus Culture,” will run from October 3, 2014 to January 15, 2015, and it will present the story of the importance of Florida’s citrus in Polk County and Bok Tower Gardens.

                  In addition to the exhibit, the week of November 3-9, 2014, called Florida Citrus Days, brings along with it several programs and events as part of the celebration. There will be all sorts of talks, tours, films, educational programs, and much more, all free to daily visitors to the gardens. The talks will range from cooking with citrus to fruit and floral arranging and the tours will be led by Florida Citrus Hall of Fame president, John Jackson. There will even be Florida citrus souvenirs available for purchase in the gift shop. There will also be a video showcasing a pictorial history of the citrus industry, titled “Barrels to Bins,” shown in the Visitor Center.

The weekend also brings additional events, such as the Citrus Crate and Label Show & Sale and the Florida Citrus Queen Reunion on November 8^th. A photo stand featuring Captain Citrus, the new Marvel comic hero of the Florida Department of Citrus, will be a popular spot for souvenir pictures commemorating the event.

                  Below, please find a schedule of the events being held:

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 – 6:00 p.m.

The History of Citrus Pioneers – Jim Ellis

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 – 6:00 p.m.

Collecting Citrus Crate Labels – Jerry Chicone, Jr., Jim Ellis

Thursday, November 6, 2014 – 6:00 p.m.

Citrus as a Tourism Marketing Vehicle – Brenda Eubanks Burnette

Saturday, November 8, 2014

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.      Citrus Crate Label Show & Sale

10:00 a.m.                             Citrus Grove Tour with John Jackson, President, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

10:00 a.m.                             OJ Meet & Greet with the Queens

11:00 a.m.                             Backyard Citrus Growing – Greg Kramer, Magnolia Room

12:00 p.m.                             Citrus Queen Reunion & Lunch with the Industry

2:00 p.m.                                Cooking with Citrus – Jennifer Beam, Cindy Klemmer

3:00 p.m.                                Citrus Grove Tour with John Jackson, President, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

ALL DAY                                    Barrels to Bins Video – Visitors’ Center

ALL DAY                                    Fruit & Floral Arrangements on Display

ALL DAY                                    Captain Citrus Photo Stand

Sunday, November 9, 2014

10:00 a.m.                             Citrus Grove Tour with John Jackson, President, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

11:00 a.m.                             Backyard Citrus Growing & Greening – Greg Kramer, Magnolia Room

12:00 p.m.                             Cooking with Citrus – Jennifer Beam, Cindy Klemmer

2:00 p.m.                                Floral Arrangements with Citrus – Jennifer Beam

3:00 p.m.                                Citrus Grove Tour with John Jackson, President, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

ALL DAY                                    Barrels to Bins Video – Visitors’ Center

ALL DAY                                    Fruit & Floral Arrangements on Display

ALL DAY                                    Captain Citrus Photo Stand

                  The Florida Citrus Celebration at Bok Tower Gardens is sure to be an excellent commemoration of the importance of the Florida citrus industry in communities, especially in Polk County and Bok Tower Garden. Please feel free to take the opportunity to join us in our celebration and attend any of the aforementioned events.

                  I know I wouldn’t want to miss it!

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center