TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—The Florida Commission on the Status of Women is accepting nominations for the 2016 Florida Women’s Hall of Fame through July 15, 2015. Since its inception in 1982, the Hall of Fame has recognized and honored Florida women who, through their lives and work, have made significant contributions to the improvement of life for all citizens of the state. The Commission will recommend 10 nominees to Governor Rick Scott, who will select up to three women for induction into the Hall of Fame in a January 2016 ceremony.
Last year’s inductees were Mary Lee Nunnally Farrior of Tampa, Evelyn C. Keiser of Fort Lauderdale, and Charlotte E. Maguire, M.D of Tallahassee. Mary Lee Nunnally Farrior has been committed to improving the lives of Florida’s children for more than 55 years. Her passion for helping children culminated in the founding of Mary Lee’s House, a child advocacy assessment and protection center which houses multiple services in one location. Evelyn C. Keiser co-founded the Keiser School in 1977 with Dr. Arthur Keiser, which is now Keiser University. Keiser is a remarkable pioneer in higher education and still actively serves her students at 91 years of age. Charlotte E. Maguire, M.D. earned her medical degree from the University of Arkansas College of Medicine in 1944, when women were not just an anomaly in medicine, but were often unwelcome. In 2000, at 82 years old, she became a driving force in the creation of the College of Medicine at Florida State University in Tallahassee.
“The Florida Commission on the Status of Women is proud to honor these outstanding women who mean so much to our state and our history,” said Commission Chair Yvonne Fry. “Each year it is more difficult to choose ten finalists to send to the Governor because of the many superb nominations we receive.”
Prior inductees include former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, singer Gloria Estefan, internationally-honored tennis athletes Chris Evert and Althea Gibson, Pilot Betty Skelton Frankman, Bethune-Cookman College founder Mary McLeod Bethune, Congresswomen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Carrie Meek, Tillie Fowler, Ruth Bryan Owen, Florida Trend Publisher, Lynda Keever, and Everglades advocate and suffragist Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
The Commission accepts nominations for the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame from the public each year from April 1 – July 15. Additional information is available on the Commission’s website or by calling 850-414-3300.
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