Recent Announcements

MSG Dan and Christina Hendrex Receive Spirit of Pepper Award

Spirit of Pepper Award

Each year the Claude Pepper Center and Florida State University together with the Claude Pepper Foundation recognizes citizens who have demonstrated acts of outstanding acts of humanitarian service. The Spirit of Pepper Award is a means for distinguishing these outstanding citizens.

Master Sergeant Dan Hendrex and his wife, Christina, were awarded the First Annual Spirit of Pepper Award for demonstrating acts of humanitarian service.

While serving in Iraq, Master Sergeant Dan Hendrex befriended an Iraqi boy who assisted U.S. forces with peacekeeping operations in the troubled Al Anbar region of Iraq.

The boy lost his family to the insurgency during these operations and he turned to his new friends with the U.S. Army for aid and assistance. Along with his wife, Hendrex spearheaded an effort to provide the boy with political asylum and bring him back to the United States.

Media Coverage:

Senator Bayh and Professor Robert Fogel Honored

The Claude Pepper Foundation and The Claude Pepper Center is proud to have been major sponsors of the award given to Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) and University of Chicago professor Robert Fogel for their efforts to promote healthier aging. For more information please go to the Center for Aging Web site.

Foundation Helps Students Participate in the 17th National African American Read-In Chain

On February 6th, 2006, 60 eighth grade students at Havana Middle School in Mrs. Rebecca Gaines Social Studies classes participated in the Seventeenth National African American Read-In Chain by reading books celebrating African and African American history and culture.

Books were contributed by a grant from the Claude Pepper Foundation at Florida State University through the work of Dr. Rosemary Traoré and with the support of Dr. Verna Norris, the Principal of Havana Middle School. The books form the basis for a classroom library that will encourage the students to read more about African and African American history and culture. The students, Mrs. Gaines, and Dr. Traoré will work together to produce an annotated bibliography of the books provided by the Claude Pepper Foundation.

Social Security History Repeats Itself

Realizing that the Social Security system provided a much more efficient means for funding and distributing benefits, Claude Pepper quickly embraced the Social Security system and he became one of the programs staunchest defenders. In 1942 he was selected by Roosevelt to serve on the Special Committee to Investigate the Old Age Pension System.

Later as a member of the House he was one of the most influential Congressmen to support the passage of the Social Security Amendments of 1965. He also supported passage of a Congressional bill in the 1970s which provided a sweeping 5% increase and expansion of Social Security benefits. In the early 1980s, Claude Pepper was part of a reform commission dealing with social security and the problems that would occur. He supported social security passionately and shared his concerns for its future such as the declining amount of money for future beneficiaries.

History has repeated itself. During his 2006 State of the Union speech, President Bush called for another bi-partisan commission to look into the issue:

Congress did not act last year on my proposal to save Social Security&emdash;&emdash;yet the rising cost of entitlements is a problem that is not going away. And every year we fail to act, the situation gets worse.

So tonight, I ask you to join me in creating a commission to examine the full impact of baby boom retirements on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This commission should include members of Congress of both parties, and offer bipartisan solutions. We need to put aside partisan politics and work together and get this problem solved.

- President George W. Bush

For more information about the 1980s Social Security Reform Commission, please visit Claude Pepper Center's Social Security Web Exhibit.

Creation of the Senator Claude Pepper Distinguished Public Service Award

The Claude Pepper Center funded a project this year to the Alliance for Aging Research to help establish the "Senator Claude Pepper Distinguished Public Service Award". The project will be funded over a four year period with a contribution of $25,000.00 a year. The first award was presented at the organization's annual Bipartisan Congressional Awards Dinner, September 13, 2005.

Final Round of the 3rd Annual Pepper Oratory Competition Held at Pepper Center on February 13

The final round of the 3rd Annual Pepper Oratory Competition, a statewide oratory competition featuring gifted student orators from Florida's universities and colleges was held at the Claude Pepper Center on February 13. Betty Castor, candidate for the U.S. Senate candidate and former president of the University of South Florida was the keynote speaker for the competition.

Finalists in the 3rd Annual Pepper Oratory Competition

Oratory Competition

Photo: Pictured left to right - Ben Greiving, Danielle Holbrook, Erin Gallagher, Tom Gay, Jason Todd, Adrienne Dwyer, Betty Castor, Fran Campbell, Director of the Pepper Center, and Dr. John Mayo, Dean, College of Communications

Cash awards ranging from $1,000 to to $100 were given to the six finalists. Ben Greiving of Florida College was awarded 1st Place and was given the top cash prize of $1,000. Danielle Holbrook of Florida State University was awarded 2nd prize and $700 followed by Erin Gallagher of Stetson University who came in 3rd and was awarded $500. The final three awards were given to Tom Gay of Tallahassee Community College (4th place, $300), Jason Todd of the University of West Florida (5th place, $200), and Adrienne Dwyer of Nova Southeastern University (6th place, $100).

The competition is co-sponsored by the Department of Communications and the Claude Pepper Foundation to encourage talented orators in speech-making, delivery, and oratory. The topic for this year's competition was health care and prescription drug legislation and the regional competitions were held between students at Florida State University, Florida College, Stetson University, Tallahassee Community College, the University of West Florida, and Nova Southeastern University. The final round was held at 11 a.m.today in the Broad Auditorium at the Claude Pepper Center.

Castor to be keynote speaker at 3rd Annual Pepper Oratory Competition

Betty Castor

Betty Castor, U.S. Senate candidate and former President of the University of South Florida, will be the keynote speaker at the final round for the 3rd Annual Pepper Oratory Competition to be held Friday, February 13 at the Claude Pepper Center.

The competition begins at 11 a.m. Castor will deliver the keynote speech in the Broad Auditorium at 12:30 p.m. shortly before the awards ceremony. Judges for the competition include Lucy Morgan, St. Petersburg Times, Michael Jackson, President of the Florida Pharmacy Association, Dr. Donna Nudd, Professor of Communication and an expert in advocacy through performance, and Mark Zeigler, Coordinator of FSU Public Speaking Courses. A reception will follow the presentation.

The competition is co-sponsored by the Claude Pepper Foundation and the FSU Department of Communications. It was established to encourage students to cultivate oratory, debate and elocution skills and help prepare them as future leaders. Competitors chose sides debating complicated issues. This year the competitors will debate over the issue of whether the federal government should substantially increase assistance to citizens in need of health care and prescription medications.

Students from Florida State University, Nova, University of West Florida, Florida College, Stetson University, Central Florida Community College, and Tallahassee Community College will compete for six cash prizes ranging from $1,000 down to $100.00.

Claude Pepper Saturday Retreat Relocating on February 7th

On February 7 the Claude Pepper Saturday Retreat respite program will relocate to the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Adult Day Services which is located at 2309 N. Monroe Street. The changed venue offers program participants activities in a new and inviting atmosphere. The Claude Pepper Saturday Retreat respite program has been housed at the Tallahassee Senior Center for the past five years since its creation.

Nadia Werbitsky Art Exhibition December 5-January 31, 2004

Scene from Werbitzky Opening

Opening night of "A Soulful Look: The Paintings of Nadia Werbitzky in the Soviet Context". Over 60 people attended the exhibit opening on Friday, December 5, 2003.

On December 5th the Claude Pepper Foundation's ChangingArt Gallery hosted an opening for a new art exhibit featuring the works of Russian painter Nadia Werbitsky. The new exhibit is entitled, "A Soulful Look: The Paintings of Nadia Werbitzky in the Soviet Context. Currently, the collection is on display at the Pepper Center Changing Gallery from December 5-January 31st which is open 8-5 Monday through Friday.

Over 60 people attended the exhibit opening and reception and it was one of the featured stops on the Cultural Resources Center's First Friday Gallery Hop. The opening was held from 6-9 pm and featured a guest lecture by Dr. Jonathan Grant, Professor of Russian History at FSU. Grant delivered the lecture in the Claude Pepper Center's Broad Auditorium.

Werbitsky is an award-winning artist whose colorful works reflect Russian folk and religious culture during World War II. Nadia Werbitzkys paintings reflect the dynamic changes in the social and political structure of the Russian people in the Twentieth century. Her vibrant, expressionistic style captures the social and religious life of the Russian people. Her subject matter ranges impressively from scenes of bucolic life and pastoral country sides, to images of spiritual piety and imperial nobility. The paintings also function as a documentation of the folk life of the Russian people, which despite the efforts of the Soviet Government maintained a primacy in the Russian culture.

The collection was well received in European exhibitions in Munich and Frankfurt and at a show in the Radio Gallery in Washington D.C. The artwork was recently rediscovered by Ms. Mimi Shaw of Tallahassee, Fl. Ms. Shaw owns over eighty paintings by Nadia Werbitzky and will be providing a multimedia slide show which will include works not on display at the debut of the collection. This will be the first exhibition of the
collection in the Southeast. An online virtual exhibit featuring the collection is currently being designed for users with high-speed connections is being constructed to accompany the exhibit. The exhibit is being constructed by Robert B. Ryals, Pepper Center POLARIS Project Archivist and web designer.

Dr. Jonathan Grant is a specialist in modern Russian history; he is the author of Big Business in Russia: The History of the Putilov Company in Late Imperial Russia, 1868-1917 (Pittsburgh, 1999). His current research deals with the arms race in the years leading to the outbreak of World War I. Both Ms. Shaw and Dr. Grant will be available to answer questions from the public at the exhibition.

The Claude Pepper Changing Gallery is housed in the Claude Pepper Center Building on the campus of Florida State University. The Gallery features rotating visiting exhibits and compelling artwork on a variety subjects. Exhibits often compliment conferences and seminars on current political and social issues held at the Center.

Pepper Statue Unveiled

Bronze Statue of Claude Pepper

The dedication ceremony for the 8'2" statue was held on Friday August 14, 2003. View Real Player Video.

Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla) and FSU President T.K. Wetherell were among several dignitaries who participated in the dedication ceremony for the new bronze sculpture of Claude Pepper. Wetherell provided welcoming comments to the 100-plus guests in attendance, and Nelson, delivered the keynote speech. Nelson recalled Pepper as an honorable lawmaker who championed the needs of the America's working men and women, the elderly, and the economically impoverished.

The 8'2" bronze statue was sculpted by Neil Estern whose commissioned works include the FDR Presidential Memorial in Washington, D.C., Fiorello LaGuardia, J. Robert Taft, John F. Kennedy, J. Edgar Hoover, Jimmy Carter, and Lady Diana.

"It would give me particular pleasure to be able to repay a personal debt to Claude Pepper, whose impassioned advocacy of the long stalled FDR Memorial, spurred Congress to finally appropriate the funds to begin construction. In my sculpture of Claude Pepper I want those who knew him peronsally as well as those who knew him only by reputation to immediately recognize the man for who he was and what he stood for," said Estern.

The statue was made possible through the generous donations of the late Margaret Mosher of California and the Claude Pepper Foundation.

2003 Claude Pepper Award Presented to Dr. Alice J. Kethley

Frances Campbell with 2003 Award Recipient Dr. Alice J. Kethley

Photo: Frances Campbell with 2003 Award Recipient Dr. Alice J. Kethley

Dr. Alice J. Kethley, retired president and CEO of The Benjamin Rose Institute is the recipient of the 2003 Claude Pepper Award for Excellence in Community-based Long Term Care by the National Institute on Community-Based Long-Term Care (NICLC) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA). A founding member of the National Chronic Care Consortium and a former Chair of the American Society on Aging, Dr. Kethley has gained national renown for her dedication to helping create and improve services for older people.

"She embodies the ideals that made Claude Pepper the champion of the elderly and a champion of mankind," said Foundation President Frances Campbell. "Chief among his ideals was the importance of a person living their life in such a way that it made a positive difference that they had lived. She has a long history of serving others such as being a teacher in Port Arthur, Texas, where she was raised, and then going to Thailand to teach with the Peace Corps. She has also had a clear focus and impact at the national level on U.S. health care policy and planning. All of which makes her a most worthy recipient of this award."

Claude Pepper Study Guide and Lesson Plan Available

Two valuable resources are now available on the Pepper Foundation web site. The first is a Study Guide created to give students of all ages an introduction to Claude Pepper. This guide includes biographical material on Senator Pepper, a political primer, a summary of Pepper's political and social legacy, and discussion questions for further education. The second resource available is a lesson plan entitled Senate Champion of the Allied Cause: Florida's Claude Pepper as Depicted in Political Cartoons, 1940-1941. The lesson plan, which was created by Tallahassee educator, Peter A. Cowdrey, Jr., addresses Senator Pepper's role as this country's leading senatorial advocate for the Allied cause during 1940 and 1941, before the U. S. entry into World War II. It focuses on several representative political cartoons published in U. S. newspapers during those years. It was designed for high school U. S. and world history classes, but can be modified for use in other settings.

Report Examines Claude Pepper, George Smathers, Ed Ball, and the 1950 Senatorial Campaign

A new report by University of Florida doctoral candidate, Steve Hach, examines the role of "dirty" politics in the defeat of Senator Pepper during the 1950 Florida Democratic Primary. Specifically, the report contends that recent scholarship, typified by Tracy Danese's Claude Pepper and Ed Ball: Politics, Purpose, and Power, gives more weight to George Smathers' version of events concerning the 1950 Senate primary election at the expense of Senator Pepper's version. The report is based on research conducted in the campaign files of George Smathers, which are housed at the University of Florida, in addition to oral histories, interviews, and secondary sources. A copy of the report is available in Adobe PDF format, which requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please click here to view this report.

Neil Estern to Create Sculpture of Claude Pepper

Prominent sculptor, Neil Estern, has been commissioned by the Pepper Foundation to create a sculpture of Claude Pepper that will greet visitors to the Pepper Center. Estern recently created the stunning bronze sculptures of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.

It is no coincidence that Estern has been asked to complete the sculpture of Pepper, a lifelong supporter of Roosevelt and of his New Deal programs. In the late 1980s, Senator Pepper was the leading campaigner for the construction of the controversial Roosevelt Memorial. He felt so strongly about the Memorial that Pepper left his sickbed in a D.C. hospital, where he was already dying of cancer, and made an passionate plea before the House Appropriations Committee to approve the funding for the project. The Pepper Foundation believes that Claude Pepper would feel honored to know that the sculptor who created the marvelous likeness of FDR has been commissioned to create a likeness of the Senator.

Special Offer to Senior Citizens

Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, the Claude Pepper Foundation has been able to carry on the efforts of Senator Pepper through research, public policy initiatives, and humanitarian projects. In appreciation for a donation of $25 or more, senior citizens will receive a special thank-you gift. In addition to the thank-you gift for each contribution, donors will also receive invitations to events and programs. Details on this offer can be found online at the Special Offer to Senior Citizens web page.

Traveling Exhibit Available for Display

Sketch of the Pepper Traveling Exhibit

Using an innovative enlarged "book" design, this exhibit is framed on one side by a recreation of the 1938 Time magazine cover that catapulted Pepper into national consciousness. The other side of this "book" is a recreation of the 1983 Time cover. In between the "pages" of this book - which visitors can walk through - are highlights of Pepper's life and beliefs. Each panel captures the look of Time magazine, and contains text and images. Samples of extensive correspondence, documents, and photographs in the Claude Pepper Library are featured along with excerpts from the Senator's diary and quotes from his writings.

The Claude Pepper Traveling Exhibit is available for display at appropriate venues providing at least 700 square feet of space, exhibit security and an opportunity for public viewing on weekends. The Pepper Traveling Exhibit is an exciting, informative and smaller representation of the permanent exhibit which will be part of the Pepper Library and Museum at the Pepper Center on the campus of Florida State University. The Traveling Exhibit spans the inter-mingled history of Claude Pepper, the state of Florida and the nation during most of this century. To make reservations for the Traveling Exhibit, please contact Lisa Maynard at the Pepper Foundation office at 636 W. Call St., Tallahassee, Fl. 32306-1122. Ph: 850-644-9309.