Polk County Public Schools
The Polk County Public Schools Hall of Fame is seeking nominations from the community. Nominees should be individuals who attended a Polk County public school and made significant professional and career contributions in the arts, business, clergy, education, entertainment, government, law, military, media, medicine, science, sports or other fields.
The Hall of Fame was started in 1985 and has 90 members. 2009 inductees were political strategist Charles E. Canady, NASA engineer Ronald Fussell, golf course designer Ronald Garl and Florida Chemical Company founder H.E. “Bert” Schulz.
2010 inductees will be honored during a June event along with valedictorians and salutatorians from each high school’s graduating class of 2010. New members inducted into the Hall of Fame will be announced in May. The nomination deadline is Friday, February 12. Contact the Department of Community Relations of the Polk Public Schools at (863) 534-0699 or click here and look under the “Announcements” headline to learn how to nominate someone.
Hall of Fame members are listed below with their year of induction. Click here for profiles of the 90 members.
| Name: | Year of Induction: |
|---|---|
| Charles E. Canady (government, politics) | 2009 |
| Ronald Fussell (NASA) | 2009 |
| Ronald Garl (golf course design) | 2009 |
| H.E. “Bert” Schulz (Florida Chemical Company founder) | 2009 |
| Dr. J. Larry Durrence (PCC President) | 2008 |
| Major Steven Flett (Pentagon officer) | 2008 |
| Dr. Mark Jaroszeski (chemical engineering professor) | 2008 |
| Dr. Sanford Meeks (radiotherapy physics) | 2008 |
| Paul Hughes (arts) | 2007 |
| Congressman Adam Putnam | 2007 |
| Dr. Clinton Wright (educator) | 2007 |
| Dr. William N. Brown (university professor/author) | 2006 |
| Raymond Driver (community activist) | 2006 |
| Judge Ronald Herring (chief circuit judge) | 2006 |
| Dr. Joanne Whitaker (research and teaching physician) | 2006 |
| Vita Hinshaw (Chalet Suzanne entrepreneur) | 2005 |
| Katherine Blood Hoffman (university dean and professor) | 2005 |
| Dr. Gerard Hubbell (Hubbell Eye Clinic founder) | 2005 |
| Dr. Michael Washington (Centers for Disease Control engineer) | 2005 |
| Judge J. Dale Durrance (Teen Court founder) | 2004 |
| Col. William August Felt, (U.S. Army, educator) | 2004 |
| Kathy Fountain, (journalist) | 2004 |
| Diana Myrick, (educator) | 2004 |
| Col. Freddie Austin (U.S. Army) | 2003 |
| Carol Jenkins Barnett (Publix executive) | 2003 |
| Judge Charles A. Davis, Jr. (State Court of Appeals) | 2003 |
| James Denmark (artist) | 2003 |
| C. Fred Jones (government) | 2002 |
| George G. Gause (government) | 2002 |
| Al Bellotto (agriculture) | 2002 |
| D. Burke Kibler, III. (lawyer) | 2001 |
| Bobby Braddock (songwriter) | 2001 |
| Dr. James Ammons (educator) | 2001 |
| Jim Stafford (entertainer) | 2000 |
| Rowdy Gaines (Olympic swimmer) | 2000 |
| Glen Davidson (Davidson’s candy factory) | 2000 |
| Jerry Yachabach (aerospace technology) | 1999 |
| Frances Langford (actress, singer, radio star) | 1999 |
| Bill Duncan (educator) | 1999 |
| Bob Murphy (professional golfer) | 1998 |
| Dr. John Desmond (researcher at Stanford Univ.) | 1998 |
| Canter Brown, Jr. (historian and author) | 1998 |
| Dr. Kathryn "Kat" Quina (psychology professor) | 1997 |
| Robert F. Harris (V.P. Diversity Development, U.S. Postal Service | 1997 |
| Hazel Haley (educator) | 1997 |
| Col. Edythe Turner (Army nurse) | 1996 |
| Dr. Cecil "Chip" Murray (senior pastor, military) | 1996 |
| Dr. John Allan Knight Sr. (Church of the Nazarene official) | 1996 |
| Dr. Orene V. Schoenfeld (physician) | 1995 |
| Forrest Sawyer (newscaster) | 1995 |
| Dr. William Theophlus Brown (psychiatrist) | 1995 |
| U.S. Air Force Major General Joseph K. Stapleton | 1994 |
| Dr. Paul J. Sheffield (aerospace physiologist) | 1994 |
| E.M. Haynsworth (phosphate pioneer) | 1993 |
| Wogan S. Badcock Jr. (business) | 1993 |
| Dr. James Gardner (educator) | 1993 |
| Florida Supreme Court Justice Stephen H. Grimes | 1993 |
| Dr. James Morrison (strategic planning researcher) | 1993 |
| Janyce Ahl (historian) | 1992 |
| Dr. Peter Bennett (museum director and professor) | 1992 |
| Wilbur A. Pipkin (inventor) | 1992 |
| Ken Riley (pro football) | 1992 |
| Thomas W. Bryant (state legislator) | 1992 |
| Dr. W. Clark Still Jr. (researcher) | 1991 |
| Wogan S. Badcock Sr. (Badcock Corp. founder) | 1991 |
| Dr. Wendell Blake (cancer research) | 1991 |
| Gordon Judy (aerospace research) | 1990 |
| Dr. Louise Cason (pediatrician and medical professor) | 1990 |
| Judge Charles Z. Smith (Washington State Supreme Court justice) | 1990 |
| Gordon Dugger (scientist) | 1989 |
| A.J. Hackl (business) | 1989 |
| Floyd E. Lay (sports and education administrator) | 1989 |
| Curtis Peterson (state senator) | 1988 |
| Dr. G. Leonard Tyler (space research) | 1988 |
| Marvin Pipkin (chemist) | 1988 |
| Dick Pope Sr. (Cypress Gardens founder) | 1987 |
| Clarence A. Boswell Sr. (lawyer) | 1987 |
| W.H. Stuart Sr. (cattle industry) | 1987 |
| Lt. Gen. William H. Fitch (Marine Corps) | 1987 |
| Floretta Dukes McKenzie (U.S. Department of Education) | 1986 |
| Marshall Holloway (physicist) | 1986 |
| Judge Roy Amidon (State Circuit Court) | 1986 |
| James A. Sweet (Scotty’s executive) | 1986 |
| John A. Vincent Atanasoff (inventor of digital computer) | 1985 |
| Gov. Spessard Holland | 1985 |
| Four-Star General James A. Van Fleet (U.S. Army) | 1985 |
| U.S. Sen. Charles O. Andrews | 1985 |
| U.S. Congressman J. Hardin Peterson Sr. | 1985 |
| U.S. Senator Park Trammell | 1985 |
| Gov. Lawton Chiles | 1985 |
| Ben Hill Griffin Jr. (citrus) | 1985 |
