Tag Archive for joe akerman

NFCC Library Florida Collection To Be Dedicated in Honor of Joe Akerman

April 17, 2013 Education, Front Page Comments Off

The Staff of North Florida Community College’s Marshall Hamilton Library invite the public to the dedication of the Library’s Florida Collection in memory of Joseph “Joe” Alexander Akerman, Jr. The dedication ceremony will be held at the NFCC Library on Sunday, April 21 at 2:30 p.m. A reception will follow.

“In honor of Mr. Akerman’s long career and dedication to NFCC, and in honor of his accomplished writing career, the Library staff is proud to dedicate its Florida Collection in his memory,” said Kay Hogan, Director of Library Services at NFCC.

Akerman began his teaching career at NFCC in 1965 and taught several generations of students before retiring in 2009. He was a dedicated instructor of history and while at the college received numerous awards for his writings. In 1976 the Florida Cattleman’s Association published Akerman’s first book, “A History of the Florida Cattle Industry.” This was followed by “American Brahman” in 1982. In 2003, Akerman and his son Mark collaborated on “Jacob Summerlin, King of the Crackers,” published by the Florida Historical Society. This book won the Florida Historical Society’s prestigious Charlton Tebeau Award for its historical value in 2005. In 2004, Akerman received the Dorothy Dodd Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Historical Society. He wrote numerous articles and gave lectures all over Florida on his books and Florida History in general.

Akerman once said that “All American men and boys are cowboys at heart.” Akerman was a professor, author, artist, cowboy and friend to many. The NFCC Library staff invites the community to stop by April 21 and help honor the memory of Joseph Alexander Akerman, Jr. For more information, contact the NFCC Library at (850) 973-9452 or email Library@nfcc.edu.

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Say it ain’t so, Joe

July 19, 2011 Editorials Comments Off
National Security
Joe Boyles
Guest Columnist

We lost Joe Akerman this weekend at age 81.  Joe and I were just a couple of Joe’s we greeted each other with the phrase, “Say it ain’t so, Joe.”  The roots of this greeting go back to the greatest scandal in baseball history when nine members of the Chicago White Sox were implicated in throwing the 1919 World Series.  The star player (his lifetime .356 batting average is second only to Ty Cobb) of the team that would be forever known as the “Black Sox” was Shoeless Joe Jackson.  When the scandal was revealed, a youthful fan looked up into the eyes of his hero and said, “Say  it  ain’t so, Joe.”

So Joe A and Joe B would regularly greet each other with the famous phrase: “Say it ain’t so, Joe.”  We shared a love for history which was Joe’s profession and my avocation.  Joe would call me up and tell me of an idea for my column or a book I should read.  No one contributed more ideas to this column than Joe Akerman.

He was particularly fond of veteran’s stories and introduced me to several local World War II vets who had compelling stories.  It was Joe who introduced me to Earl Dennis, a B-17 bomber pilot who lived on the Valdosta Highway.  Earl was a fascinating and humble fellow that I became great friends with.  My story about Earl’s 1944 tour with the 91st Bomb Group is now at our museum and is one of my best.

Joe also told me about Lee Cason’s wartime diary.  In 2005 when I went to see Lee, he was too far gone mentally to be able to discuss his wartime exploits in the Southwest Pacific, but his diary was so remarkable that the story was already written … at the time it happened.  This is living history.

Joe was a Gator and proudly wore the orange and blue.  For years at NFCC, Joe had a running bet with die-hard Georgia Bulldog Bobby Scott: whoever lost the annual October “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” had to wear the other team’s hat around campus the following week.  Bobby hated … hated wearing that Gator cap, but a bet is a bet.  In his own subtle way, Joe could rub it in with the best of them.Joe had a great sense of humor, but he was so subtle that it would sneak up on you.  Not until he displayed that wry smile and wink would you know that you’d been had – the joke was on you.

Joe was also a great Republican and conservative, but surprisingly, I didn’t talk politics with him too often.  I think it was because we had other things to talk about that were more interesting and fun.  When I would get too political in my column, Joe would chide me, “When are you going to stop writing that political garbage and get back to writing stories about our veterans?”  He could needle me pretty good.

Of course, Joe was a published author.  No one documented the history of Florida’s cattle industry and the colorful men who formed its backbone better than Joe Akerman.  His books are classics.  After all, it was beef cattle that put Florida on the map before oranges and tourists became popular.

Joe was one-of-a-kind, and I will miss him.  We have his lovely bride Princess to hold up and for that, we can be glad, but it won’t be the same without Joe.  I’ll miss his advice; his pranks; our debates.  When I lose a friend like Joe Akerman, it gets down to the fact that I’m selfish – I don’t want to lose what I had.  Say it ain’t so, Joe.

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Obituary: Joe A. Akerman, Jr.

July 17, 2011 Front Page, Obituaries 2 comments
akermanjoe

Joseph Alexander Akerman, Jr. of Madison, Florida passed away in Tallahassee on July 16, 2011 after a brief illness.

Born in Orlando, Florida, January 30, 1930, he was the son of the late Frances Norman and Joseph Alexander Akerman, Sr. A graduate of Orlando High School in 1948, Akerman then graduated from the University of Florida in 1952. He studied art in Paris, France at the Grande Chaumere in 1956. He received a Master’s degree from Rollins College in 1965. His academic honors include a Fulbright Fellowship to British Columbia, Canada where he taught in 1967-68 and a fellowship from the Institute of Southern History at the Johns Hopkins University where he studied history and received an advanced degree in 1969-70.

Joe started teaching at North Florida Jr. College in 1965, retiring in 2003 after teaching several generations of students in the six-county area. He was an avid Gator fan and was proud of the scholarship monies he helped raise for students attending the University of Florida. His honors at NFJC include awards for his scholarship work in his writings and his lectures around the state.

While teaching at NFJC, Joe began a part of his life that became very important to him – that was his association with the Florida Cattlemen and their families. In 1976, the Florida Cattleman’s Association published his first book, Florida Cowman, a History of the Florida Cattle Industry. This was followed by American Brahman in 1982 for the American Brahman Association of Houston, Texas, and in 2003 he and son Mark collaborated on Jacob Summerlin, King of the Crackers, which was published by the Florida Historical Society. This book won the Carlton Tebeau award for the outstanding history book in 2005. In 2004, Akerman received the Dorothy Dodd award for lifetime achievement by the Florida Historical Society. He wrote numerous articles, and gave lectures all over Florida on these books and Florida history in general.

Joe’s memberships include the Republican State Committeeman for Madison County; Gideons International; Charter member of the Cracker Cattle Association; the Florida Cattleman’s Association; the Florida Humanities Council; Madison County Historical Society; founding member of the Treasures of Madison County; and the Florida Historical Society. Akerman was an outdoorsman who loved quail hunting with his boyhood buddies, friends, and son Mark and grandson Cole.

Joe was an active member of First United Methodist Church in Madison where he taught a Sunday School class, the “Misfits” and was Chairman of Missions for many years. Akerman served in the U. S. Air Force Reserve out of Homestead, Florida for a short time.

Akerman married the love of his life, Princess, in 1958. Their children are Joseph Mark Akerman (Angie), Gainesville, FL; and Amy J. Hutcheson (Brad), Tallahassee, FL. His beloved grandchildren are Cole and Emma Akerman, Gainesville, FL. He was predeceased by his mother, Frances Norman Connelly, father Joseph Alexander Akerman, Sr., and his step-father Albert P. Connelly, Jr. He was also by his brother, Albert P. Connelly, III (Judy), Asheville, NC; sister, Shane Connelly, Eustis; brother Michael Connelly, Vero Beach; brother Michael Akerman (Lynn), Portland, OR; brother-in-law, Paul R. Jordan, Tulsa, OK; cousin, Hugh Akerman, Clarksville, Tenn.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services are 11:00 a.m.,Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at First United Methodist Church, Madison, Florida with interment in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Madison. The family will receive friends 6:00 untill 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at T. J. Beggs, Jr. & Sons Funeral Home in Madison.(850)973-2258. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the First United Methodist Church of Madison (348 SW Rutledge St., Madison, FL 32340) and its mission program, or the Gideons International.

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Funeral Arrangements for Joe Akerman

July 17, 2011 Front Page, Obituaries Comments Off

To all family and friends of Joe Akerman. The arrangements are: Viewing will be held from 6-8 PM on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at Begg’s Funeral Home in Madison, FL. Services will be at 11 AM on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church in Madison, FL. The Family appreciates all the thoughts, prayers, and communication that have been received.

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