Trying again
Fans of cinema history may recall that some beloved movies never nabbed the Oscar for best picture — including “The Wizard of Oz.” Awards may not always go the way we’d like. Nevertheless, when we admire something, we hope to see honors follow. So, naturally, fans of the late journalist Mabel Norris Reese would love to see her gain a place in the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame.
Reese was the subject of a Flashback in March, when she was honored by the Orange County Regional History Center and county’s League of Women Voters. In the 1950s and ‘60s, she opposed segregation and injustice. Author Gilbert King brought attention to her in his 2018 book “Beneath a Ruthless Sun.”
“We’ve nominated her twice before,” note Jill Moss Greenberg and Frankie Smith, part of a Central Florida coalition hoping the third time might be the charm for Reese to take her place on the Hall of Fame’s honorary wall in the Florida Capitol.
How it works
Established by statute in 1982, the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame has been overseen since 1991 by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women, which is nonpartisan — although its 22 members are appointed by political figures. The Florida House speaker, senate president, attorney general and governor each appoint four members, while the chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner each appoint three.
The commission accepts nominations to the Hall of Fame. The acceptance period began March 1 and extends through May 31. From nominations, commissioners recommend 10 finalists to Florida’s governor, who chooses three inductees for the year.
In at least three other states (Maryland, Colorado and Michigan) that have women’s halls of fame, inductees are chosen by an independent panel; the governor’s role as final arbiter in Florida is unusual.
With only three places a year, it’s not surprising that candidates are often nominated many times, unsuccessfully. In 2017, the distinguished Florida historian Gary Mormino wrote that he had nominated state legislator Mary Lou Baker at least a dozen times before she was chosen that year by Gov. Rick Scott.
In 1942, Baker won election to the Florida House of Representatives, becoming only the second woman to do so, after Edna Giles Fuller of Orlando in 1928. (Fuller is not in the Hall of Fame.) But it was not just Baker’s election that deserved honors.
In the midst of World War II, Baker introduced a bill that gave married women the legal right to carry on business while their husbands were away at war. The proposal sparked furious debate, but Baker’s cause prevailed. She failed, however, in her efforts to grant women the right to serve on juries — almost unbelievable from today’s perspective.
In all, 109 women have been named to the Hall of Fame since it began in 1982. They include entertainers such as Gloria Estefan and athletes such as Chris Evert. Some are familiar names (Janet Reno, Toni Jennings); others, not so much. Some made their contributions long ago in the past, while many are still with us, with birth dates in the 1940s through early 1960s.
Will journalist Mabel Norris Reese find a place among them? Writing in 2019, Lauren Ritchie, then the Sentinel’s Lake County columnist, wondered if perhaps Reese’s story was “just a bit too real” for the folks who make the choices. But maybe we’re ready for “real” in 2021.
In the meantime, here’s some good news. In late December, Congress passed the Smithsonian Women’s History Act, the culmination of a decades-long effort to create a national women’s history museum in Washington, D.C. Enacted with bipartisan support, the measure authorizes such a museum on the National Mall, funded by both federal and private money. Stay tuned.