Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 11-12-19

Local
Popular Activist, Mentor Dies Following Illness
USF President’s
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
An educator, mentor, trailblazer, and community activist, who touched the lives of many, passed away on Friday. Mr. Otis An- thony, 68, passed at Bran- don Regional Hospital following an illness.
A Tampa native, who be- came keenly aware of the po- litical arena at a young age, Mr. Anthony attended the public schools of Hillsbor- ough County, graduating from Blake High School in 1969. He was aware of the changes that took place in Hillsborough County as the segregation era was replaced by integration.
He became part of the first group of Blacks to attend the University of South Florida having been selected as the recipient of Senate Scholarship offered by Maas Brothers. The scholarship fo-
Program as a Distinguished and National Urban Fellow. His degree is in Urban Ad- ministration.
He is credited with serv- ing as the founder of the African American Oral His- tory Project in the latter half of the 1970s. During his Oral History interview in January 2014, Mr. Anthony said he was approached by the Hills- borough County Museum to serve as the Director of the Black History of Tampa Re- search Project. The outcome of the project became the dig- ital African American Oral History Project. Mr. An- thony and his staff of 8 in- terviewed hundreds of African Americans in Hills- borough County and recorded their life stories and experiences on film. The “Otis R. Anthony African American Florida Oral History Project” is cur- rently housed at the Univer- sity of South Florida.
Mr. Anthony was ap- pointed as the Director of Solid Waste for the City of Tampa by Mayor Bob Mar- tinez. He later became the Executive Assistant to Mayor Sandy Freedman.
Mr. Anthony touched other lives as he served as the Diversity Manager for the Polk County School Board and the Director of Partner- ship Development with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hills- borough County.
At the time of his death, Mr. Anthony was the Pres- ident and CEO of Anthony Community Consultant, Inc. He was also continuing in his role as Sunday Radio Talk Show Host that spanned 17 years.
On Sunday, Talk Radio Station WMNF FM, honored his memory.
He is the son of the late
Mr. Otis Anthony, Sr., and Mrs. Bernice An- thony. A divorcee, he is sur- vived by one daughter, Ashaki Anthony, siblings, nieces, nephews, and other family members and friends.
Ms. Anthony said the plans for a Memorial Service for her father were incom- plete at press time. Wilson’s Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrangements for Mr. Anthony.
Scheduled For Nov. 14
MR. OTIS ANTHONY 8-7-1951 — 11-8-2019
cused on leadership rather than academics.
Mr. Anthony became the leader of the African American Student Union during his junior year. He graduated with a B. A. De- gree in Sociology. He contin- ued his education at Bucknell University in the Masters
University of South Florida students, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader Tampa Bay community are invited to participate in the inauguration of Steven C. Currall as USF’s seventh president on Thursday, Nov. 14.
The highlight of the inau- guration is an investiture cer- emony scheduled for 2 p. m. in the Yuengling Center.
The investiture is a formal academic ceremony that al- lows the new president to ad- dress the university community and share his vi- sion for the institution mov- ing forward. The historic event continues a time-hon- ored academic tradition, cel- ebrates the next steps in the life of the institution and pro- vides a moment for the uni- versity to heighten its visibility across the broader higher education community. The event’s theme is “USF: Where Excellence and Oppor- tunity Converge.”
The investiture ceremony features a processional of USF faculty and delegates representing colleges and universities from around the world dressed in academic re- galia, several speakers who have played a role in shaping the new president’s career and a formal installation, when Dr. Currall is pre- sented with the symbolic presidential chain of office.
At the conclusion of the investiture ceremony, a cam- pus-wide inauguration recep-
DR. STEVEN C. CURRALL
tion will take place at 4 p.m. in the Muma College of Busi- ness Atrium.
Although Dr. Currall started his tenure at USF on July 1, it is typical for inaugu- rations to be held several months, sometimes close to a full year, after a new presi- dent assumes office. This al- lows time for important university initiatives to be the initial focus, for ceremonial preparations to be made and for invited guests from across the country to make the proper travel arrangements to attend.
No tickets are required for the event, although guests are encouraged to RSVP. For anyone who is unable to at- tend, the investiture cere- mony will be streamed live at usf.edu.
Dr. Currall previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southern Methodist Uni- versity (SMU) in Dallas.
Inauguration
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