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Location: AC.2.B.2.4.4 - AC.2.B.3.1.3

Arthenia L. Joyner born 1943 in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in Tampa. She emerged as a leader during the Civil Rights Movement, participating in protests as both a high school and college student at Florida A&M University. Joyner attended the original FAMU College of Law, graduating in 1968, and went on to break significant barriers as the first Black woman to practice law in Hillsborough County and the first African American to practice law in Polk County. She later served as a legislative aide to State Representative Joe Lang Kershaw, the first Black legislator in Florida since Reconstruction, and was elected to three terms in the Florida House of Representatives representing the 59th District.

The Senator Arthenia L. Joyner Collection consists of eight boxes of materials documenting her career in law, public service, and civil rights advocacy. The collection includes correspondence, meeting records, travel documents, and speeches that reflect her work as an attorney, legislative aide, and elected official.

These materials provide insight into Joyner’s role in shaping public policy, her legislative activities, and her engagement with constituents and colleagues. The collection also highlights her involvement in civil rights initiatives and her contributions to expanding opportunities for African Americans in the legal and political arenas. Collectively, the records document her impact on Florida’s political landscape and her legacy as a pioneering African American woman in law and government.

Location: AC.2.A.3.3.1 - AC.2.A.3.5.2

Born April 11, 1903 in Dayton, Tennessee, Alonzo S. "Jake" Gaither was head football coach of the FAMC Rattlers from 1945 to 1969. During his 25-year tenure, Gaither compiled a record of 203 wins, 36 losses, and 4 ties - for a winning percentage of .844, the highest for any college coach of his time, Black or white, with 200 victories.

Forty-two student athletes under Gaither's coaching went on to play in the National Football League including: "Bullet" Bob Hayes, a star wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys who also earned two gold medals for track during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo; Willie Galimore, an acclaimed running back with the Chicago Bears; Ken Riley, a defensive back with the Cincinnati Bengals; and Robert Paremore, a halfback with the St. Louis Cardinals. Under his leadership, the Rattlers won 6 Negro Collegiate Football championships. Recognizing the dynamic impact of his coaching career, Gaither was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1975.

Gaither retired on August 31, 1973. He died February 18, 1994, at the age of 90. In Tallahassee, a FAMU gymnasium, community playground, public golf course, recreation center, street, and neighborhood are named in his honor. His private home, located at 212 Young Street, which he shared for more than 40 years with his late wife, Sadie (an English professor at Florida A&M University), has been preserved as a cultural center and museum to honor the Gaithers, the people of Tallahassee, the State of Florida, the nation, and the world. A historic marker was also installed in the home’s hilltop yard and the home listed on the National Register of Historic Places.