By Zoë Daffinson, College of Arts and Sciences
USF Florida Studies program co-founder Gary R. Mormino made history last week as the first inductee to the Florida Humanities Hall of Fame.
The honor celebrates significant contributions to the humanities by Mormino, who has written for the St. Petersburg Times, the Orlando Sentinel, the Miami Herald and the Tampa Tribune and whose book “Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida” is considered a germinal study in state history.
Mormino's book “Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida” is considered a germinal study in state history. [Photo by Avis Hitchcock]
Florida Humanities celebrated Mormino’s achievements during a ceremony at the Tampa Bay History Center on Oct. 18 and paid tribute to the other 2025 Florida Humanities Hall of Fame inductees:
- Zora Neale Hurston – Author, anthropologist, folklorist
- Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings – Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
- Mary McLeod Bethune — Educator, civil rights activist
- Michael V. Gannon – Historian, author
- James Weldon Johnson – Author, educator, civil rights leader
- David Colburn – Professor, historian
“When looking at the list of other inductees in the inaugural class, I am in awe of their achievements and in disbelief that my name is even mentioned in their company,” said Mormino, who joined USF in 1997 and spent his career telling the story of Florida’s history.
“I have loved teaching Florida. The Sunshine State is seductive and infuriating. It is a dream state, but a state facing enormous challenges,” Mormino said. “I hope this award will serve as a reminder that humanities have a place in Florida, making lives richer and more meaningful.”
Florida Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), preserves and promotes history, literature, cultures and personal stories that offer Floridians a better understanding of themselves, their communities and their state. Inductees to the Florida Humanities Hall of Fame come from different disciplines and backgrounds, and they have all contributed to the promotion and preservation of Florida's history.
"The Florida Humanities Hall of Fame is more than a ceremony,” said Nashid Madyun, executive director of Florida Humanities. “It’s a declaration that our state’s cultural memory matters. By celebrating these legends, we ensure that Florida’s story is told with depth, dignity and truth for generations to come."