Summer Day Trip #2: Florida Southern College

This week's adventure was to my alma mater, Florida Southern College, to see the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright's work in the world. Wright was an eccentric to put it mildly and the first president of FSC, Spivey, during the depression appealed to his ego and asked him to build a temple to education. The result was 12 buildings several created by students themselves that traded their labor for an education during the depression and once World War II started the men left and building continued to be erected by the fully female labor which is amazing when you consider the lack of technology and the innovation that Wright required.

Walking along the Water Dome which was covered when I was a
 student and finally resurrected in 2007.

In front one of the columns that was Wright's vision of an orange tree.
These line the campus covered walkways.

Inside the chapel, Annie Pfeiffer

We arrived in Lakeland at 11 ready for our personal tour which was provided by the retired head of registration who likely gave me my first scheduled at the college. He was knowledgeable and entertaining and it really was a treat to have him share stories of folks that remember the various personalities to took to create the campus and have it grow as successfully as it has. Eliot being a Cheesehead like Wright, really enjoyed seeing his work personally. The campus has recently been named a national landmark and they have rekindled a relationship with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation which will likely result in a bit more press regarding the collection.

The Ordway theater in the round which had
very cool sound tricks

Eliot on the second floor of the Roux library

Next to the Hindu Temple which was the sight
of a little TRPi fun our Senior year

One the great treats for me was getting to see an old professor, Dr. Smith, and the religion department administrative assistant a week before she retired. I worked a work study shift with her for years and it was so nice to see her. If it wasn't for that gig I might have missed a few more classes so I credit Bev for keeping me in check often. Such amazing people I have been blessed to encounter in life and these are certainly two of them. It was really nice day and we were enjoyed the campus, more so than I did as a student that's for sure.