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Florida Lecture Series begins 2004-2005 season

LAKELAND, Fla. (Aug. 30, 2004) - Florida Southern College's Center for Florida History presents its 2004-2005 Florida Lecture Series with six guest speakers, beginning Sept. 22 and concluding March 24. The lectures will take place at 7 p.m. in the William M. Hollis Seminar Room on the FSC campus. The schedule of events is listed below. All lectures are free and open to the public. 

"Once again, we are extremely pleased to bring the Florida Lecture Series to our students, faculty, and friends in Lakeland and the greater Tampa Bay area. This year's series promises to be one of our finest," noted James M. Denham, Director of the Center for Florida History and FSC history professor. 

Sept. 22: (To be held in Annie Pfeiffer Chapel) "A Conversation with 'Buddy' MacKay." A native of Marion County, Fla., Governor Kenneth H. "Buddy" MacKay holds B.S. and J.D. degrees from the University of Florida. After serving in the Florida Legislature and the United States Congress, MacKay served as lieutenant governor under Governor Lawton Chiles, becoming Florida's 42nd governor upon Chiles's death. After leaving the governor's office, McKay was selected by President Bill Clinton to serve as Special Presidential Envoy to the Americas. He was also selected to head the U.S. Delegation to the 30th Organization of American States general assembly meeting in Windsor, Canada in June 2000. 

Oct. 14: "Reflections of the Republican Party in Florida Over the Past 30 Years" (Robert W. and Susan E. McKnight Political Affairs Lecture). Commissioner Tom Gallagher is Florida's chief financial officer and member of the Cabinet. A native of Wilmington, Del. and graduate of the University of Miami, he has served in the Florida House of Representatives, has been elected insurance commissioner and treasurer, and education commissioner. As chief financial officer, he oversees the state's fiscal health, auditing state programs and monitoring insurance company operations.

Nov. 11: "Women in Antebellum Florida." Florida Southern College faculty members Dr. James M. Denham, professor of history and director of the Center for Florida History, and Dr. Keith L. Huneycutt, professor of English, will discuss their recently published book, "Echoes from a Distant Frontier: The Brown Sisters' Correspondence in Antebellum Florida." A book signing will be held following the lecture. 

Jan. 27: "Florida Literature: A Great Disorder is in Order." Dr. Maurice O'Sullivan, Kenneth Curry Professor of English, Rollins College, holds a B. A. degree from Fairfield University and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University. He is the author or editor of many books and articles and is currently co-editor of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature, co-director of the Florida Center for Shakespeare Studies, and co-director of the Drey Summer Shakespeare Institute. 

Feb. 10: "Bartow, Florida's Ossian Sweet Story" (Robert and Rose Stahl Criminology Lecture). Author Dr. Phyllis Vine will discuss her book, "'One Man's Castle:' Clarence Darrow in Defense of the American Dream." An American historian, Dr. Vine has taught at Sarah Lawrence College, the University of Michigan, Union College, and Barnard College. She has written for The Nation, Progressive, Extra! and City Limits magazines. Her first book, "Families in Pain," was groundbreaking in addressing the problems facing families of the mentally ill. A book signing will follow the lecture. 

March 24: "The Heart of Florida: Polk County, 1940-2000." Dr. Canter Brown, professor of history at Florida A&M University, will discuss his forthcoming book on the history of Polk 
County, 1940-2000. He is the author of many works on Florida history, including his first volume of Polk's history, "'In the Midst of All that Makes Life Worth Living:' Polk County to 1940," and "Florida's Peace River Frontier," the winner of the Florida Historical Society's Rembert Patrick Book Award in 1992. 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. A book signing will follow the lecture. 


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.

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