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Florida Southern College now home
to official Florida Citrus Archives

"We are honored to have been designated as the state's official citrus archives," said Florida Southern College President Thomas L. Reuschling. "Professor Mack has worked diligently for years to compile photographs, historical records, maps and books among other items which effectively capture the essence of the Florida citrus industry. We are proud of this great recognition."

Florida Southern's citrus archives have been housed in the Jack M. Berry Citrus Building on campus. When the collection outgrew its available space in that building, the college designated a house to accommodate the Thomas B. Mack Citrus Archives. The new location, a two-story historic house at 901 Callahan Court, will offer more space for the archives and allow visitors better ease in accessing them.

"I'm grateful to have the Callahan house," said Tom Mack, professor emeritus at Florida Southern and the archives' namesake, "and I'm especially pleased the State saw fit to designate our collection as the 'official' archives. Now all we need is the appropriate funding to see this project through to fruition."

The building on Callahan offers ample space and parking, but to properly store the archives, some renovations need to be made, including installing air conditioning and a fire suppressant system, as well as remodeling for handicap accessibility. The anticipated budget for renovations to the building and purchase of office supplies and furnishings is approximately $200,000.

About Florida Southern College
Florida Southern is a four-year, private, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and a master of business administration degree accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Located in Lakeland, Fla., the college is home to the largest, single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world.

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