Florida Humanities will host its first Hall of Fame ceremony this fall, celebrating historian and author Gary R. Mormino alongside a roster of other legendary Floridians who have shaped the state’s cultural story.
The inaugural induction will be held Oct. 18, at the Tampa Bay History Center, in Tampa, beginning with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception at the Columbia Cafe’s Upper Terrace and a 7 p.m. ceremony in TECO Hall.
The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the humanities in Florida, from literature and history to education and cultural preservation. The 2025 inductees are:
Gary R. Mormino – Historian, educator, author
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
Mormino, who co-founded the University of South Florida’s Florida Studies Program in 2002, has spent decades chronicling the state’s history through books, columns and lectures. His work has influenced thousands of students and mentored future leaders in politics, history and journalism.
“Dr. Mormino is a beloved professor and lecturer, an award-winning author, a prolific newspaper columnist and the most approachable scholar I’ve ever known,” former Florida Humanities Executive Director Steve Seibert said. “He tells us many things we do not know and provides perspectives no one else has.”
Florida Humanities Executive Director Nashid Madyun said the Hall of Fame is “a declaration that our state’s cultural memory matters” and a way to ensure Florida’s story is “told with depth, dignity and truth for generations to come.”
Registration for the event is available at floridahumanities.org/HOF.