LAKELAND, Fla. (March 10, 2005) - Florida Southern College's Center for Florida History welcomes Dr. Canter Brown, Professor of History at Florida A&M University, to the Florida Lecture Series March 24. Brown will discuss his book "None Could Have Richer Memories, Polk County, Florida, 1940-2000." The book completes a two-volume historical record of Polk County commissioned by the Polk County Historical Association. The lecture, sponsored by the Lakeland South Rotary Club, will start at 7 p.m. in the William M. Hollis Seminar Room on campus. The author will sign copies of his book following the lecture.

"Florida Southern College, our Center for Florida History, and its director, James M. Denham, take great pride in their continuing association with the Polk County Historical Association's commitment to providing our home county with a superbly recorded history," noted FSC president Dr. Anne B. Kerr. "In furthering that collaborative goal," she continued, "Canter Brown, Jr. has gifted us with a volume covering 1940 to 2000 that sets a new standard for such works in our state and region."

A native of Fort Meade, Canter Brown earned his J.D. and Ph.D. degrees from The Florida State University. He is the author of many works on Florida History, including "Florida's Peace River Frontier" (the winner of the Florida Historical Society's Rembert Patrick Book Award in 1992); "Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867-1924;" "Cracker Times and Pioneer Lives: the Florida Reminiscences of George Gillett Keen and Sarah Pamela Williams;" and "In the Midst of All That Makes Life Worth Living: Polk County Florida to 1940." In 1999 his work "Ossian Bingley Hart, Florida's Loyalist Reconstruction Governor" earned the certificate of commendation from the American Association for State and Local History. His articles and reviews have appeared in the Journal of Southern History, Louisiana History, Florida Historical Quarterly, American Jewish Archives, and Forum Magazine. Fort Meade High School honored Brown with induction into its Hall of Distinguished Graduates in 1997 and the Polk County Public School system named him to its Hall of Fame in 1999. Brown resides in Tallahassee with his wife and collaborator Barbara Gray Brown. 


About the Florida Lecture Series 
The Florida Lecture Series is produced by the Center for Florida History and sponsored by the FSC Alumni Association, the Robert and Rose Stahl Criminology Lecture Series, and the Robert W. and Susan E. McKnight Political Affairs Lecture Series. The program brings speakers to the Lakeland campus who approach the issue of "Florida Life and Culture" from a wide range of disciplines, including history, public affairs, law, sociology, criminology, anthropology, literature, music and art. Its overall objective is to create an opportunity for members of the community, faculty, and student body to listen to, interact with and learn from leading scholars and specialists of the state's history and culture. 


About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 24 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors. Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.