Elton L. Hinton came to Florida in 1948 to teach agriculture at Turkey Creek High School, where he remained until 1967, when he became supervisor for vocational agriculture programs in Hillsborough County. He was a strong influence in developing the instructional curriculum for vocational agriculture in Florida and he worked endless hours for better legislation, policies, and funding for vocational programs. During his career, Hinton was a leader in numerous civic and professional organizations at the local, state and national level, while providing leadership for the youth livestock program at the Florida State Fair. Hinton was a founding member of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and helped develop a strawberry marketing cooperative in Hillsborough County. He is an inductee into the Hall of Fame of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.
The late Dr. J. Wayne Reitz was an agricultural economist, teacher, university administrator, and international consultant during his long and distinguished career. He was a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Florida for 10 years before working for the United Growers and Shippers Association in Orlando. While with the association, Reitz helped organize the Florida Agricultural Council, which continues today to review and support agricultural programs at UF. Reitz returned to UF as the provost for agriculture. In 1955, Reitz was selected as the fifth president of the University of Florida. He later served as an international consultant and as Director of International Studies and Programs at UF.
Latimer H. Turner played an important role in shaping the Florida cattle industry. As president of the Sarasota Livestock Association in the late 1950s, Turner worked with state and federal officials to devise strategies and raise funds to eliminate the screwworm, which plagued Florida cattle. He founded and twice served as president of the Florida Agricultural Tax Council, which helped draft the Greenbelt Law and lobbied for its passage and preservation. As chairman of the tax committee of the National Cattlemen’s Association, Turner was instrumental in getting the inheritance tax law changed so that productive farms and ranches would not have to be sold to pay estate taxes following the owner’s death. Turner was a member of the board of directors of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association for 28 years and served as the organization’s 16th president. He was recognized by Progressive Farmer magazine as “Man of the Year In Service to Florida Agriculture” in 1972.
George H. Wedgworth contributed greatly to the viability and growth of the vegetable and sugar industries in the Everglades agricultural area. He was instrumental in the formation and operation of the Florida Sugar Cane League and other trade and marketing associations relating to sugar, celery and sweet corn, serving as an officer or director of numerous organizations for many years. As president of Wedgworth Farms, he became a leading celery and vegetable producer and he was a pioneer in developing the sugar industry in the Everglades area in the 1950s. Wedgworth Farms Inc. committeed $1 million for facilities and endowments at the University of Florida’s Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade. For more than 20 years, Wedgworth served as chairman of the FSCL’s Environmental Quality Committee, which dealt with water and air quality matters relating to agricultural producers in the Everglades Agricultural Area. Wedgworth was named Progressive Farmer magazine’s “Man of the Year in Service to Florida Agriculture” in 1970.
