Great Floridians
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The Great Floridians 2000 program recognized deceased individuals who distinguished themselves through their philanthropy, public service, professional service or personal actions to enhance the lives of the citizens of Florida.
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[edit] History
The Florida Department of State and the Florida League of Cities created the program in 1998 to help celebrate the approaching end of the millennium. The process dedicated a special series of commemorative panels in cities throughout the state recognizing "Great Floridians" who made significant contributions to the history and culture of our state. The blue plaques bore the name, birth and death dates of each designee.
Anyone could nominate an individual to be designated a Great Floridian 2000 by submitting an application, which were periodically reviewed by an appointed Great Floridians 2000 Committee, a group of seven distinguished historians from across the state. They either approved or rejected the application, which included a section for specifying an appropriate historical property where the marker would be mounted. The Great Floridians 2000 program was completed in 2000 with 385 persons honored.
- See also: List of Great Floridians
[edit] Revival
In 2007, the legislature resurrected, revised and formalized the program in Florida Statute:[1]
267.0731 Great Floridians Program.--The division (Florida Department of State) shall establish and administer a program, to be entitled the Great Floridians Program, which shall be designed to recognize and record the achievements of Floridians, living and deceased, who have made major contributions to the progress and welfare of this state.
Under the Statute, an ad hoc committee of representatives of the Governor, each member of the Florida Cabinet, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Director of the Division of Historical Resources, meets to nominate citizens for designation as a Great Floridian. Subsequently, the Secretary of State selects no fewer than two nominees to be officially named a Great Floridian. As of 2007, 53 people had been honored; two additional names were added in 2008. Many of the persons named in the new program who are deceased were previously included in the Great Floridian 2000 program.
