Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

F lorida Alpha has a rich history at the University of Florida. Through its halls have passed over 3,000 young men, many of whom have left a legacy about which we can all be proud. Military veterans ranging from privates to generals from World II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan have worn the SigEp pin before and after serving their country. There is a special group of Florida Alpha brothers who distinguished themselves in service to Florida Alpha, their community, the University, the State of Florida, and the Nation. We, who came after them, stand on the shoulders of their greatness. Here are impressive biographies of five of them. Dan McCarty '34 – the 31st Governor of Florida. Brother McCarty was the son of a citrus grower and rancher from Ft. Pierce. He attended UF in the early 1930s and was a campus leader in Florida Blue Key, student government, and SigEp. Following his graduation in 1934, he entered politics and served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1937 to 1941 and was Speaker of the House in 1941. Dan distinguished himself in World War II and returned as a colonel, having been awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the French Croix de Guerre. Dan was elected governor in 1952, but sadly suffered a disabling heart attack on February 25, 1953, and died on September 28 in Tallahassee. The living room in the Fraternity House is named in his honor. Ralph D. Turlington '42 – elected to Constitutional office in Florida more times than any other person in the history of Florida. At 98 years of age, and still living an active life in Virginia, Brother Turlington was born in Gainesville. He has not one, but two buildings named after him. Active brothers who have classes in Turlington Hall might not know that the classroom building was named for their Fraternity brother. And, the skyscraper State Department of Education in Tallahassee is also named for Brother Turlington, and justifiably so. A leader on campus, Ralph graduated in 1938 and continued his education, receiving a master's in business from Harvard. He served in both World War II and the Korean War, and when not in service was a faculty member in the UF College of Business. Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1950, Ralph served in the House until 1974 and as Speaker of the House from 1967 to 1969. But that was not the end of his service. Ralph was elected as Florida's Commissioner of Education in 1974 and served until 1987. D.R. "Billy" Matthews '29 – Congressman, President, and Vice President of the UF Student Body, Chancellor of the Honor Court, and President of Florida Blue Key. Brother Matthews was born down the road from Gainesville in Micanopy in 1907. Micanopy was too small so the family moved a few miles north and east to the thriving metropolis of Hawthorne. He entered UF in 1925, the year of our founding, and excelled in everything in which he was involved. He earned bachelor's (1929) and master's (1930) degrees in education. Billy was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1935, served one term, and then joined the UF administrative staff until he entered the U.S. Army where he served throughout World War II. After the war he returned to UF and became the first director of the Florida Union – now known as the J. Wayne Reitz Union – and was the first director of Alumni Affairs at UF. In November 1953, Brother Matthews was elected to the 83rd U.S. Congress and to six succeeding Congresses (January 1953 – January 1967). Reapportionment put him in a congressional district in which he had no chance for re-election and he was denied a seventh term. Bill retired to Gainesville where he lived, visited the Chapter House many times during "rush," and spent time getting to know the active brothers. Billy passed away in October 1997 at age 90 and is buried in the Hawthorne Cemetery. James E. "Jim" Alderman '61 served a six-year term as justice for the Florida Supreme Court from 1978 to 1985, retiring after a personal tragedy forced his return to his Ft. Pierce home to tend the family business. Alderman's term notably came about as one of the first appointed justices after an amendment abolished direct elections for vacancies. A sixth-generation Floridian, Alderman grew up working on the family ranch. The Alderman family has raised cattle in St. Lucie County since 1830, well before Florida achieved statehood in 1845. Alderman earned his bachelor's and law degrees from UF and was an active SigEp. He earned the nickname "Checker" for his persistence in collecting dues, rent, and social fees from his Florida Alpha brothers. Jim's first foray into public service began when, in 1971, then Governor Reubin Askew picked him to serve as a county judge for St. Lucie County. Five years later, Alderman successfully ran for St. Lucie county circuit judge in 1976, and was soon appointed to the 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach by Governor Askew. Jim continues to visit the Fraternity and attended the grand opening of the house last fall. Harry L. Anstead '63 – former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court – exemplifies the truism that hard work pays off no matter the hand you are dealt. Harry was raised as the youngest of six children by his mother, Loretta, in Jacksonville's Brentwood housing project just after the Great Depression and in the years during and after World War II. He began work at a young age, cutting lawns, moving furniture, doing anything to help support himself and his family, and ultimately build a future career as a lawyer and public servant. Brother Anstead worked his way through both undergraduate and law school at the University of Florida and later was the first sitting judge in Paying Homage to Some of Florida Alpha's Prominent Alumni "We move through places every day that would never have been if not for those who came before us. Our workplaces, where we spend so much time—we often think they began with our arrival. That's not true." -AUTHOR MITCH ALBOM (Continued on page 6) Page 4 SigEp Gator Heart By Al Alsobrook '60

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