Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Welcomes 3 More Legends
December 11, 2019 For nearly six decades, the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame has honored the industry’s trailblazers and game-changers. The prestigious list of honorees is impressive and still growing. The organization’s Selection Committee has announced three more leaders will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame during the 57th Citrus Celebration Luncheon scheduled for March 6, 2020 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame honors distinguished leaders who have made significant contributions to the state’s citrus industry. The Class of 2020 includes:
Dr. Frank E. Gardner (deceased) was sent from Washington, D.C. in 1940 to head up the USDA Subtropical Fruit Station in Orlando. He expanded the citrus research activities there and spent 29 years conducting research work in the areas of breeding, rootstocks, nutrition, and diseases.
Frank Gardner
He was instrumental in the establishment of the Citrus Research Foundation Farm, which houses a wide variety of propagation material and was among the first to establish large scale systematic rootstock. He was President of the Florida State Horticultural Society (FSHS) and received its highest honor — an honorary lifetime membership — for his accomplishments. In addition, he was a member of numerous national scientific and honor societies and authored numerous papers on rootstocks, hormones, fertilization, and breeding, presenting 22 papers to the FSHS alone.
John M. Kennedy, Sr. (deceased) worked with Golden Gem Growers, one of the largest citrus cooperatives in the U.S., as VP, Director of Grove Services for 44 years before his retirement in 1996.
John Kennedy
During his lifetime in citrus, he was a leader and active participant in numerous citrus organizations including the Production Managers Association, Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, FSHS, Lake County Farm Bureau, and numerous industry committees and task forces. When not managing Golden Gem’s 17,000 citrus acre portfolio and serving the cooperative’s 400 growers, Kennedy was a leader in the Kiwanis Club, the PTA, Boy Scouts, his local Elks Lodge, Lake County Boys Ranch, his church, Pine Meadows Golf and Country Club, and more.
Karick A. Price, Sr. (deceased) entered the citrus business in 1957 buying, selling, and harvesting fruit as an owner and Director of T & G Harvesting Company. In 1962, he took over as president of T & G Groves, a partnership which he increased to more than 2,000 acres of groves in Lake and St Lucie Counties. He was Farmer of the Year in 1968 and was appointed to three terms as Director of the Indian River Grapefruit Committee by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Karick Price
He served on the Florida Citrus Commission from 1971-1981 and chaired the Public Relations and Institutional Committees, where he was a strong proponent of The Florida Sunshine Tree symbol and 100% Florida Orange Juice. He also was a Director /Member of the Citrus Associates of the New York Cotton Exchange and traded the second contract for FCOJ contract when trading first began in 1966. In 1974, Price chaired the Pool Drafting Committee working on a marketing order to implement The FCOJ Pooling Act of Florida which, if approved, would have set up the mechanics for averting flooding the FCOJ market in times of surplus crops, how it would be warehoused and how it would be sold out of storage.
For more information about the latest inductees and/or about the 57th Citrus Celebration luncheon, visit FloridaCitrusHallofFame.com.
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