Page 28 - Florida Sentinel 2-4-22

Black History: The History Behind The Names
Arbors At Rubin Padgett Estates
A Tampa native, Rubin Padgett was born on No- vember 22, 1930. He at- tended the public schools of Hillsborough County and continued his education at St. Petersburg Junior College and the University of Chicago.
Padgett returned to Tampa and worked at his family’s business, Padgett’s Nursing Home, for several years, eventually becoming its CEO.
Padgett also established himself as a community ac- tivist. He became the first African American elected to serve on the Hillsborough County Board of Commis- sioners and later was chosen as its first Black Chairman. Another first was his ap- pointment to the Aviation
first Black Chairman of that board.
Padgett also served a second term as a member of the Tampa Housing Author- ity.
In 1980, the Tampa Housing Authority named a new housing complex, the Arbors at Rubin Padgett Es- tates, in his honor. The Rubin Padgett Sports Complex also bears his name.
RUBIN PADGETT
Authority, where he also served as Secretary of the Board.
Padgett was the first Black appointed as Chairman of the State License Board Nursing Home Administra- tion. He also served as the
C. Blythe Andrews Homes
A native of Apalachicola, Florida, Cyril Blythe An- drews was born to William Wallace and Geneva Smith Andrews July 6, 1901. He attended elementary school at Baptist Academy and Stanton in Jacksonville, and graduated from Florida A & M High School, in Tallahas- see. He continued his educa- tion at Atlanta University, where he earned a B. A. de- gree. While in college, he played football and baseball and served as the Editor-In- Chief of the college magazine known as “The Scroll.” He was also president of the chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Andrews entered the University of Chicago Law School, and during his spare time was a journalism intern for the two largest Black newspapers.
After his father became critically ill, Andrews re- turned to Jacksonville and became the Editor of his fa- ther’s newspaper.
In 1936, Andrews, his wife, Johna Belle Thomp- son Andrews, and their two sons, C. Blythe Andrews, Jr., and W. W. Andrews, III, moved to Tampa and en- tered the insurance business and he served as secretary and treasurer at Central Life Insurance Company.
An entrepreneur, An- drews sold his stock in Cen- tral Life and entered the real estate industry. He also be- came a member of the Lily White Pallbearers Union, an organization formed as a bur-
CYRIL BLYTHE ANDREWS July 6, 1901-
April 2, 1976
ial society for African Ameri- cans. Under his guidance, the name of the organization be- came the Grand Assembly of Lily White Security Benefit Association, Inc., and grew to 650 units with membership of 20,000.
In 1945, Andrews resur- rected the Florida Sentinel newspaper, and purchased the Tampa Bulletin in 1959.
Other accomplishments include serving as Co- Founder of the Tampa Park Apartments Complex and Plaza along with Perry Har- vey, Sr., owner of a Negro League Baseball team, and life membership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and NAACP.
In 1985, the Tampa Hous- ing Authority named a new complex located at the corner of N. 22nd Street and E. Os- borne Avenue in his honor.
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