“Five ‘Fishing Buddies’ Who Happened to Shape Florida, in Key Largo, 1960.” --Paul Hampton Crockett Here is a rather ordinary shot of five friends gathered for a relaxing weekend of fishing in the Keys, who were each anything but “ordinary.” For better and for worse, these five men collectively played an immeasurable role in the shaping of Florida as we have come to know it. The group photos were taken at “the Sanctuary” Fishing Camp in Key Largo,“before Hurricane Donna,” which hit in 1960. They are, left to right: John D Pennekamp, hugely influential Editor of then all-powerful Miami Herald. The underwater State Park in Key Largo now bears his name. Ed Ball, brother-in-law to the late Alfred I DuPont of Jacksonville, FL. Following DuPont’s death in the 1930’s, assumed role of controlling Trustee of his multimillion dollar estate ($27 million, after taxes, in 1934). Having decided to headquarter his Florida National Bank in Miami, he bided his time and finally picked up at auction the land on which the Halcyon Hotel stood, on the corner of Flagler St and NE 2nd Avenue in downtown Miami, and had the DuPont building constructed there in 1939. He also owned and continued to expand the St. Joe Paper Company, and acquired Flagler’s railroad shortly after his death, among numerous other business interests. Grudgingly admired, and sometimes hated businessman. Erwin Muscat, Chairman of the InterRama project (originally Inter-American Project) once planned for North Dade County. It never materialized, but was to be an International exposition (similar in presentation to exhibitions in a “World’s Fair,” but lasting longer than six months) celebrating Latin American culture and its long history of interaction and trade with the United States. He requested and received an annual salary of $1.00 for his services; his patented invention of fiberglass assured his financial security, many times over. Ben McGhee, President of Florida National Bank, headquartered in the DuPont Building in downtown Miami. Popularly known as Ed Balls Right Hand Man. His family owned a prominent Chrysler Dealership also in downtown Miami. McGregor Smith. President and Chairman of the Board of FP& L for over thirty years, starting in 1939. An unusually charismatic entrepreneur and scientific genius who employed an “aww, shucks, I’m just a hillbilly out of Tennessee” persona as he proceeded to strategically select and attain his goals, using a razor sharp, focused intelligence, deeply held moral standards, and a lifetime of solid networking with his peers in the community likewise on the ascent. He successfully courted the participation of New York investment interests in his ever-growing utility, a coup that allowed the business to keep growing and re-investing in its infrastructure as it did. Famed for such disarming tactics as suddenly whipping out from his shirt pocket a harmonica at a formal stockholder’s meeting in New York City and breaking into a soul-stirring rendition of some “down-home” melody, utterly charming the crowd. He spearheaded the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant now named in his honor. An 8,000 acre Boy Scout Camp near Sebring, Florida that would not exist but for his contribution and efforts, similarly bears his name. Thank you.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 03:24:46 +0000
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