This year, 2019, is the 60th year of the bestowing of the Citizen of the Year Award upon a civic-minded Plant City area resident. Let’s look back at the history of this event.
In the chapter, “Parks and Memorials,” in the book, Plant City; Its Origin and History, by David E. Bailey, Jr. and Quintilla Geer Bruton, they state the following:
“Through the years the community service of other citizens has been recognized, not by establishing memorials and parks in their honor, but by presentation of awards and citations. Grateful fellow townsmen have expressed their appreciation to these good citizens for their unselfish giving of their time, talents, and resources for the betterment of the community and the benefit of all.”
In 1956 the Business and Professional Women’s Club began recognizing the outstanding career woman each year. In 1959 the Plant City Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) started conferring Distinguished Service Awards to deserving citizens and in the same year began selecting annual recipients for their Good Government Award. In 1972 the Jaycees added an award to outstanding young men. The Junior Woman’s Club added its Family of the Year Award beginning in 1971. And there are more.
To quote Bruton and Bailey, “Possibly the most prestigious award is that naming the Outstanding Citizen of the Year. This award was first sponsored and established in 1960 by The First National Bank in Plant City,” which was formed in 1956.
The bank was merged into First Financial Corporation, a bank holding company, in 1970. Subsequently, beginning in 1970, the award has been sponsored by the civic clubs under the lead of the Kiwanis Club of Plant City. In the early years the award was presented during the Florida Strawberry Festival week at a joint civic club luncheon. Over the years it has continued to occur in proximity to the festival dates, but not during the festival period itself.
At first, according to the Bruton and Bailey book, “the requirements for selection are that the recipient must be a citizen of Plant City who has performed or taken a leading part in either one or a number of important public services, entirely unselfishly and without compensation. Eligibility is not limited to one year’s service but may embrace continued civic service for a period of years.” This statement was construed to mean resident of the Plant City area and not necessarily within the city limits.
Over time the criteria for selection have been modified somewhat and now read as follows:
• The potential recipient should be considered on the basis of local contributions above and beyond the functions of their job and not necessarily a member of a specific club
• Financial contributions are not a consideration
• The potential recipient cannot be seeking political office or fulfilling their job-related duties
• The potential recipient has given of themselves freely for many years and asked for nothing in return
• Posthumous awards are not permitted
• Clubs should refrain from nominating a current Civic/Service Club President
The first recipient of this award was Arthur Rice Boring, President of Hillsboro Bank, who had served as City Commissioner, Mayor-Commissioner and many other civic positions including Director of the Florida Strawberry Festival from 1934 to 1963. The luncheon was held at the Hotel Plant, the venue for many Plant City ceremonies and banquets. That first certificate, or plaque, read as follows:
The First National Bank in Plant City, Florida hereby awards to Arthur R. Boring this Certificate of Excellence in Citizenship on account of said Arthur R. Boring having rendered to Plant City, Florida and its environs the most outstanding civic service and for having his affection for Plant City by his unselfish devotion to the City and Community. Presented on this 2nd day of March, 1960 A.D.
The first female recipient followed in 1961 when Quintilla Geer Bruton was selected for the Citizen of the Year award. Ten women followed over the next fifty-plus years – totaling eleven in the past 59 years. Two recipients were black – Sadye Gibbs Martin (1997) and Sharon Moody (2016).
The venue changed when the Hotel Plant underwent demolition in 1965 and various halls and restaurants have hosted the event. Today it is held in the Expo Hall at the Strawberry Festival grounds. The wording of the award has changed from “The First National Bank,” as the presenter, to “The Civic Clubs in Plant City, Florida.” The first Citizen of the Year to receive the award under the Civic Clubs of Plant City, at a luncheon held at Johnson’s Restaurant, March 4th, 1970, was Dr. Hal Brewer. This was also the last time the award ceremony was part of the Strawberry Festival events.
This year the luncheon will be held at the Expo Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 13, when Don Walden, Citizen of the Year 2018, will present the award to the Citizen of the Year 2019. Be there. The buffet begins at 11:30 a.m.
For a list of the Citizen of the Year recipients, contact the Photo Archives.
