Oral histories --Florida

The focus of this interview was the life history of Boettner Rodger Jumper a
member of the Seminole Indian Nation in South Florida. Boettner's mother was both a
prominent figure in the local Seminole Indian community and National. He was born just when
the Seminoles were becoming an organized tribe. He became an accountant and helped to broker
his Tribe's purchase of the Hard rock International. Stories include his life as a child in rural
Davie, being the son of a prominent and powerful woman, being a man of faith and a mentor to
children, being a husband, a father and losing a child.

The primary topic of this interview concerned Joan Kovac's experiences in local politics
in the town of Davie, Florida. Mrs. Kovac and her family moved to Davie after forty years in
Akron, Ohio for a new business opportunity. When they opened their frrst automotive repair
franchise in 1975, Mrs. Kovac quickly became involved in the unique community that thrived in
the town. After working with the Chamber of Commerce and the town council, Mrs. Kovac was
elected to office, ultimately serving four terms as mayor. Stories include mayoral duties, changes
in Davie and Broward County, the ''town fathers,'' the Old Davie School, Nova Southeastern,
( Wolf Lake, and leadership.

Polly Lenzen was born in Webster Groves, Missouri, on May 27, 1924. She is not
married, and she has no children. Ms. Lenzen attended Harris Teachers College in St. Louis,
Missouri during and after World War II. After college, she began her teaching career in Ladue,
Missouri, and then moved to Maui, Hawaii, where she taught eighth grade for two years. She
returned to the mainland and began teaching in South Florida, first in Dania, then at Stranahan
Elementary in Fort lauderdale, and then she spent the next 35 years teaching mainly
kindergarten at the Davie School in Davie, Florida. She was able to experience the many
changes that took place there between the 1950s and the present and was able to take part in
the Orange Blossom Festivals, attend the rodeos, and be a part of many school events.
Teaching and traveling have always been Ms. Lenzen's two passions-she has traveled
extensively, both domestically and internationally, taking approximately 100 cruises over the
years. In 1963, for example, she took a trip around the world on three ships, spending three
months abroad; one of those months was dedicated to travel in the Middle East. She also
owned an RV and took a number of road trips in that vehicle.
The best lessons she was able to teach her many young students involved, in her words,
"fair play and kindness.'' Ms. Lenzen would most like to be remembered for her two passions:
teaching and traveling.

Antonio Leon was one of 14,008 Cuban children who were part of
( Operation Pedro Pan (1961-1965). These children immigrated to the United States
unaccompanied by their parents under the sponsorship of the Catholic Welfare Bureau in
conjunction with the United States government. Antonio immigrated to the United States age
fourteen in October of 1961. Antonio's experiences within the Pedro Pan program where unique,
in that after arriving and temporarily settling in Miami, Florida, he was relocated on three
occasions to different regions within the United States- in the West in Reno, Nevada, the
Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and in the Mid-West in Superior, Wisconsin.

The primary topic of this interview concerned the life, teaching, and administrative career
of Kathleen Morris. Kathleen Morris was a teacher at the Davie School House from 1970-1977, a
teacher at Flamingo Eletnentary from 1979 to 1985, and a principal from 1985 to 2005.
Throughout the interview, Kathleen provided an overview of her life that ranged from her
family's move from South Bend, Indiana to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, her time in high school and
college during the 1960s, and finally her career in the education system. Stories in this interview
range from racial integration, urbanization, the trials and tribulations of Elementary Education,
and finally the evolution of the public school system.

The primary topic of this interview was Bob Roth's lifestyle, his family, and the values
important to him. Bob has been a farmer at New River Groves in Davie for over 50 years. He was
able to provide insight into the experiences of the fruit business, which have interested him since
his time as a student at North Miami High School in the 1960s. The discussions in this interview
will cover topics such as early Davie history, Bob's family history, the fruit business, and changes
in South Florida. The interview, which began just before the tape begins, was not interrupted to
begin again. This was done as a means to keep a natural pace and flow to the discussion.

My interview with David Segal was a thorough interview that took almost two hours. I
was a little nervous, but we covered a lot of ground during the interview. Mr. Segal provided a
very sobering picture of the horrors and tragedies of war, so this was an emotional interview at
times for both myself and the interviewee. He recounted an instance of friendly fire with the
Gurkha fighters and was open about many of his hardships such as amoebic dysentery and
malaria. He had many positive things to say about Dr. Norman after the interview and disclosed
to me a great detail about his family life. During the interview, Mr. Segal would often transition
suddenly during mid-sentence and could be difficult to follow at times. Given his age, his life
story frequently merged together during the interview process. His experiences of poor food and
little outside help in the China India Burma war theatre confirmed what historians have called
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Europe First strategy, where all the best food and equipment
went to the European continent to fight the Nazi regime. The subject did most of the talking
during the interview and while I had a complete questionnaire ready, I did not use all of the
questions. Instead, I allowed Mr. Segal to open up about his life and his service, which was a
very insightful and· educational experience. My overall impression of Mr. Segal is that he has
been through an incredible amount of difficulties as a result of his service in India and Burma.
From a medical perspective, it is incredible to note that Mr. Segal is still alive given his exposure
to amoebic dysentery, malaria, and the numerous amounts of surgeries he has had in his lifetime.
The process of interviewing Mr. Segal was an insightful one and I hope will be of use for future
scholars and his family.

The early life history of Mr. T. Edward Thomsen in Albany, New York. Life in the Depression. School
and church life in youth. Hospital confinement. Going to college. Employment in, and description, of the
hotel industry in New York State. Getting married. Traveling to Florida. Employment at the Boca Raton
Resort and Club. Life in Boca Raton in the 1950s. Working life at the club. Famous people met and
scandals endured. Race relations. Circumstances surrounding the buyout of the club in 1956.

Mark Pickering interviewed science professor Khalique Ahmed at his Boca Raton,
Florida, office at Lynn University on February 10, 2015. The interview consisted of
Dr. Ahmed's childhood in Jhelum City, Pakistan, his impressions of the past and
current Pakistan, his graduate studies in Islamabad, Pakistan, his moving from
Pakistan to North America, and his observations of the differences in Pakistan and
North America.

Bobby Wayne Brown Sr. is a retired Navy sailor from Greenville,
Mississippi. He began his service following a poor, rural upbringing in 1970, retiring for
medical reasons in 1993. He served in the Vietnam War, and took the time to be interviewed
by Adam Rea on February 10' 2013, during a vacation to visit his son's family in Hollywood,
FL. Several topics were covered, including his personal life, military career and political
views.