West Florida History Center

In honor of the first day of April, I brought brownies to share ... but later relented! Happy April Fool's Day.

Save the Date! We hope to see you on Tuesday, March 25th via Zoom. All are welcome to attend.

For more details and zoom information, please visit:
libguides.uwf.edu/calendar

Join UWF Libraries on Tuesday, March 11, at 4:30 p.m. for an insightful lecture, "Trailblazing Women Lawyers," presented by Dr. Jennifer Brinkley, UWF Assistant Professor of Legal Studies.

Dr. Brinkley will explore the challenges, triumphs, and lasting impact of these pioneering women. Join us for an engaging discussion and learn about the significant contributions of women to the field of law.

The lecture will be held in the second floor Multipurpose Room (Room 215) at the John C. Pace Library. All are welcome to attend!

When I spoke on the History of Valentines at the Pensacola Historic Preservation Society meeting on Feb 15, I had to talk a little about the eleven St. Valentines in the Catholic Church's history beginning with the first list of saints compiled in 354!

I should have shown the size, I'm 5'7"

8 inches of snow, a new record in UWF climate history

50 Years Ago at UWF (Fall 1974)

Fall 1974 saw a concert by a solo-songwriter and performer named Jimmy Buffett, the visit in summer by actor-in-residence for the Theatre Department (Howard Duff), a new UWF President (James A. Robinson, our 2nd president effective December 1, 1974), the UWF Libraries' acquisition of its 1,000,000th item (a reprint of the rare 1741 Natural History of the Carolinas, Florida, and the Bahama Isles by Mark Catesby, and continued lover and addoration of the campus pets, Virgil (dog) and Morris (the cat!).

We just recently learned that the transfer of the Escambia County Circuit Court Files (1820-1930) was featured in THE SUMMATION Spring 2024 issue. Thank you, Pam Childers, for noting this!

In honor of Veterans Week, we share some incredible photographs from the John William Buchanan Cole papers. Cole was a graduate of Pensacola High School and saw service in WWII as an infantryman and with amphibious forces of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theatre. These are just a sampling of his dozens and dozens of photographs of the Carolina Islands, South Pacific during and subsequent to its invasion by U.S. Forces in 1944-1945. They show the beach invasion and foxholes, battle scenes, and return of those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

Today at our University's Veterans Day Observance, we set up a small table to showcase some veterans' records and also share our interest in collecting and preserving veterans' records and materials. A simple table but we showed three collections from World War II with dozens of photographs.