As the Will McLean Music Festival nears, organizers are celebrating another major development cementing his legacy. In recent weeks the song lyrics, poems, recordings, correspondence and personal items from the late Will McLean (1919-1990) have been transferred to the University of Florida. McLean, known as the “Black Hat Troubadour,” is the first folk artist inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.
McLean’s guitar
On behalf of the Will McLean Foundation I am thrilled to have Will McLean’s song lyrics, correspondence and personal artifacts such as his guitar, harmonica and black hat preserved in the Special Collections Area of the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries,” said Margaret Longhill, President Emeritus of the Will McLean Foundation.
McLean’s black hat, harmonica, glasses and whet rock
Will McLean is considered to be the Father of Florida Folk. “Inspired by his travels with his grandfather, Will McLean captured the heart of Florida in his poetry and lyrics. As the late Pete Seeger once said, ‘Will’s songs will be sung as long as there is a Florida.’ Having Will’s special collection at the University of Florida will make it possible for a wide audience to research his materials,” said Longhill.
Curator of Popular Culture Collections in the Department of Special and Area Studies of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida, Jim Liversidge, said UF is excited about the opportunity to celebrate the life and art of the “Black Hat Troubadour.”
McLean’s poem, My Soul Is a Hawk
“This extensive and colorful research collection of Will McLean’s personal ephemera, recordings and artifacts is now available to students and researchers who will have the opportunity to relive or discover the musical and poetic output of the “Father of Florida Folk,” said Liversidge.
The Will McLean Collection is housed at UF alongside the papers of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Zora Neale Hurston, John D. MacDonald and others in support of Florida history, popular culture and the performing arts.
“The George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida is proud to preserve and present the historic and culturally-important legacy of the state’s premier folk artist,” added Liversidge.
Meanwhile, festival goers and organizers are gearing up for the 29th Annual Will McLean Music Festivalscheduled for March 9 – 11th at the Sertoma Youth Ranch near Brooksville. The festival features multiple stages and acoustic instrument and vocal workshops for adults and youth throughout the weekend as well as activities for children, food and vendors featuring arts and crafts.
Click here to see the evening lineup for the festival.
To learn more about Will McLean, the Father of Florid Folk click here.
(Listen to 23 minute interview with Reaves from 1997 below)
Former All-American quarterback at the University of Florida and pro quarterback for the Tampa Bay Bucs and Bandits, John Reaves, was found dead in his South Tampa home on Tuesday. Authorities are investigating the cause of death. Reaves, who was 67, was found by his son David on Tuesday afternoon. He told authorities it looked as if he had passed away in his sleep.
Editor’s note:
Reaves was considered to be a legend at the University of Florida. He was the starter on the 1969 Gator team that finished the season 9-1-1. By the time his career ended at UF in 1971 he was the NCAA’s all-time leading passer and held the SEC record for touchdown passes with 54.
He then went on to be a first-round draft choice in the NFL and played pro football for 14 years from 1972 to 1987. Ten years were in the NFL and 4 in the USFL. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Houston Oilers, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Bandits, and the Bucs. From 1990 to 1994 Reaves was an assistant coach at the University of Florida. In 1995 he became an assistant football coach at the University of South Carolina where he worked coaching quarterbacks and serving as the passing game coordinator.
He also struggled with demons, namely alcohol, with a variety of sessions in rehab. It was a subject he was not afraid to talk about during a 1997 interview with me, just before the 1997 NFL draft.
Reaves weighed in on the subject of Gator players leaving school early for a chance at the pros, as in the case that year for Gator players Reidel Anthony and Ike Hilliard who were expected to be first-round NFL draft choices. It was just four and a half months after the Gators won the College National Championship beating FSU 52-20 under the leadership of signal-caller, QB and Heisman Trophy winner, Danny Wuerffel.
In our interview below from 1997, Reaves talked about the pros and cons of leaving school early. He also addressed how academic standards had changed since he was in college and how he thought that was a good move to help players find more meaningful paths once their football careers were over. And he addressed his struggle with alcohol after growing up with family members who also faced the same addiction.
Short segments from the interview above were included in an award-winning sports feature titled, “The Dream To Go Pro.”
It was one of my favorite features to work on and included interview segments from not only John Reaves, but also Peyton Manning, Danny Wuerffel, Chris Weinke, Billy Donovan, Jeremy Foley and Perry McGriff to name a few.
Reaves, who divorced some time after the interview above, continued to battle drugs and alcohol throughout his life, but turned to religion for solace. At times in his life he was active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, his son David Reaves said his father was among the plaintiffs in a suit filed by former NFL players against the league over concussions and brain trauma. The family is looking to donate Mr. Reaves’ brain toward research for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head hits
He had three grown children and five grandchildren. A public funeral will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at South Tampa Fellowship Church at 5101 Bayshore Blvd.
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Tampa Bay Times article:
John Reaves, former Robinson, Gators and Bucs quarterback, dies at 67
TAMPA — He sprouted on the college football landscape when psychedelia was at its heyday. In the immediate wake of Woodstock, John Reaves dropped back and tossed spirals with fearless, free-spirited aplomb.
“I never saw him intimidated, afraid, in the least,” former University of Florida backup center Larry Morris said.
“He would throw an interception and never think twice about dropping back the next time he got the ball and letting it go. He was just a damn gunslinger.”
It was the type of abandon that partially defined the era. On and off the field, Mr. Reaves experimented, took risks, flourished, fizzled. As decades passed, he became a legend.
And a cautionary tale. Click hereto read more of this article in the Tampa Bay Times
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Former Gators QB John Reaves, one of school’s most prolific passers, dies at 67
John Reaves, one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Florida Gator history until the Fun and Gun Era under Steve Spurrier, died on Tuesday at his Tampa home. He was 67.
According to tampabay.com, Reaves was found by his son David, who checked on him after he was not heard from in several days. His death is under investigation by the Hillsborough County Medical examiner.
Reaves played at Florida from 1969-1971 and broke the passing records that were held by Spurrier. Reaves is still seventh on UF’s all-time school career passing yardage list with 7,549 in three years (freshman could not play varsity sports at the time) and eighth in TD passes (54).
When he left school, Reaves was the NCAA career leader in yardage and touchdowns. UF went 20-12-1 during his three years, including a 9-1-1 record when he was a sophomore.
To read more of the Jacksonville Times Union story Click here:
Click here to hear full length archival interviews with Will McLean (recorded by Donna Green-Townsend in 1985 & 1987)
CD cover for a live recording by WUFT of Florida’s Black Hat Troubadour, Will McLean, just 5 years before his death in 1990.
Will McLean is considered the “Father of Florida Folk.” The “Black Hat Troubadour” travelled all across his beloved state writing hundreds of poems, songs and stories. After his death in 1990 he was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Each year Florida singer songwriters gather at the Will McLean Folk Festival to honor him. McLean wanted to save Florida through his music. Each year the Will McLean Foundation holds a “Best New Florida Song Contest“ to keep McLean’s mission alive.
To watch archival video of Will McLean CLICK HERE:
Will McLean waiting to perform
Donna Green-Townsend interviewed McLean 5 years before his death in 1985 and again in 1987. She also talked with some of the musicians who were inspired to write about Florida because of Will McLean. (Scroll down to see the full feature transcript. You can also hear Will’s most popular songs below)
In 1988 Will McLean joined storyteller Cousin Thelma Boltin and his music buddy Gamble Rogersin Cross Creek, FL for the 50th Anniversary of “The Yearling” celebration at the farm of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. See a few snippets from a rare video recorded at that event below:
On January 24th, 1990, following the memorial service at Gainesville’s Historic Thomas Center in Gainesville, FL, friends gathered at Gore’s Landing to disperse Will McLean’s ashes into the Ocklawaha River. Before he died, McLean told Margaret Longhill that he had hoped to light a small campfire one last time at Gore’s Landing by the Ocklawaha River in Marion County, his favorite campsite. Some of those in attendance were Margaret Longhill, Don Grooms, Dale Crider and family, Donna Green-Townsend and family, Wayne Martin and Bobby Hicks to name a few. In this brief recording, you will hear a small portion of that special ceremony at the river.
Gamble Rogers speaking at the dedication at Gore’s Landing
A few months after the memorial service for McLean, friends gathered once again at Gore’s Landing for a special dedication. A special sign was placed at the site marking the place considered as Will’s favorite camping spot. Speakers included Margaret Longhill, Gamble Rogers, Frank Thomas and Bobby Hicks among others. See additional pictures from the ceremony below.
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In 1996 Will McLean was officially inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. He was the first folk musician given this honor in Florida. Margaret Longhill accepted this award from then Secretary of State Sandra Mortham in Tallahassee. Performing some of McLean’s songs that day were Frank Thomas (who is also now in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame), Mary Ann Dinella and Wayne Martin. See additional pictures from the ceremony below.
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Transcription of the feature above:
Will McLean performing (photo courtesy of the Will McLean Foundation)
Will McLean, “It’s very important that Florida keep her past and I’m but one of the few writers and I have not even scratched the surface of the richness and the deepness of the lore and legends of Florida.” (Florida Sand)
Singer Songwriter Pete Seeger, a good friend of Will McLean
Musician Pete Seeger once wrote, “Will McLean’s songs will be sung as long as there is a Florida.” McLean lived a simple life, always steering away from fame and fortune just when it seemed he had achieved it. Most of the time he travelled the state in dilapidated vehicles, only taking with him a bag of taters and onions, a fishing hook and a bottle of cheap wine, pawning many of his guitars. In a never-before aired interview, McLean shared his story in 1985, just five years before his death.
Will McLean, “I’m a millionaire a million times over. I’m not talking about money rich. I’m rich in the beauty of Florida and nature.”
That earthy spirit lives on today in many of the Florida songwriters attending the annual Will McLean Music Festivalnamed in his honor. Singer Songwriter from Windsor, Dale Crider, “I think he made a lot of people in Florida aware that they could write and sing and dance and perform Florida.”
Will McLean by his travel van (photo courtesy of the Will McLean Foundation)
Florida’s Black Hat Troubadour was known for his genteel manner, but his voice thundered on the marble stage of the Florida Folklife Festival in White Springs as he captured stories in song about green turtles laying eggs on the shores of St. Augustine (Conch Island)
and Sandhill Cranes in Payne’s Prairie, and some not so pretty stories about a wild hog in Gulf Hammock (Wild Hog)
and a panther chase resulting in a deadly encounter with a snake in Tate’s Hell. (Tate’s Hell)
Don Grooms & Will McLean sitting on stage. (photo courtesy of the Will McLean Foundation)
Singer-Songwriter Don Groomswas one of Will McLean’s closest musical buddies, “Will liked songs about individual human beings and if you pay attention to his repertoire of songs there was Cush Holston, Scotty the drummer, the guy in Tate’s Hell, Osceola.” (Osceola)
Will McLean inspired many songwriters to explore the heritage of the state and themselves. Grooms, a Native American, remembers how McLean encouraged him to write the story of the bloody skirmish between the Spanish explorers and Native Americans in Payne’s Prairie.
Don Grooms, “I came up with a five minute song called “Vitachuco” and I played it for Will and he said play that for me again and after I finished he said, ‘Grooms you have finally justified your existence.” (Vitachuco)
Early performance photo of Dale and Linda Crider after he started writing Florida songs inspired by Will McLean. (Photo courtesy of Dale Crider)
One of the first singer/songwriters to carry on Will McLean’s love for Florida through song is musician and wildlife biologist Dale Crider. Crider has entertained national and international audiences with his wildlife and wilderness songs, and he credits his beginning to Will McLean: (Hold Back The Waters)
Dale Crider, “Hold Back the Waters was the song that started my whole career in writing about the environment. Will was singing that on stage at the Florida Folklife Festival and I said, ya, ya, if it can be that good you know to sing about a place or a region or an object in Florida, I can do that.”
Both Dale Crider and Don Grooms helped to disperse Will McLean’s ashes into the Ocklawaha River on January 18th, 1990. Dale emotionally recalls how his friend’s last wishes coincided so well with his on-going desire to return to the land where the wind is born.
Dale Crider, “And I envisioned that that night there were herons and egrets that caught minnows that had Will’s ashes in them and flew him up to the tree tops and roosted him that night and actually his soul could have been transferred to something like a hawk.” (My Soul Is A Hawk)
Painting of Will McLean by Mary Ann DiNella
The Will McLean Music Festivalhonoring the Father of Florida Folk is held each March at the Sertoma Youth Ranch located seven miles west of Dade City in Central Florida. For more information go to the website www.willmclean.com.
Will loved to watch the Florida Sandhill Cranes “dance and prance” on Payne’s Prairie near Gainesville, FL. One of his more beloved songs described the experience. Here’s a video recorded of sandhill cranes produced by Donna Green-Townsend with Will singing his “Courtship Dance of the Florida Sandhill Crane” to music played by musician and luthier David Beede and Kate Kennedy (music recorded at one of Will’s last live recorded concerts at the historic Thomas Center in Gainesville in Nov. of 1985).
Will McLean and Cousin Thelma Boltin Share Christmas Memories (aired on WUFT in December of 1987)
Early photo of Will McLean and his sister Lottie (photo courtesy of the Will McLean Foundation)
Transcription of the Feature: (Oh Christmas Tree) Computerized teddy bears and video cassette recorders are a long way from the gifts of fruit and simple toys of Christmases past. Folklorist Cousin Thelma Boltin and singer song writer Will McLean share some of their most memorable Christmases.
Cousin Thelma Boltin: “In early times everybody went out and cut their own Christmas trees. It was unthinkable to buy a tree and there was no such thing as an artificial tree. That would have been disgraceful to have an artificial tree. And it was always a great day when we decided we’d go get the tree and we didn’t get it too long before Christmas. But in the early days we’d go out with the horse and wagon and then in modern times we’d go out in the model T or in the Coca Cola Truck because my daddy was the Coca Cola man. And we loved to get a Cedar, that was our favorite kind. But if we couldn’t find a Cedar, as they got scarce, um, we’d get a shortleaf pine. It smells so wonderful in the house. It’s a little more difficult to decorate than the Cedar and a Cypress was pretty but boy it was sticky and hard to handle and do anything with. And once or twice I can remember, and this was before our Cedar was protected, and thank goodness it is protected, it’s against the law to cut Cedar down anywhere, I mean cut Holly, and we would get a Holly tree. And of course that was sticky, but it was beautiful because especially if it were full of berries.” (OH CHRISTMAS TREE).
Cousin Thelma Boltin (photo courtesy of Will McLean Foundation)
Cousin Thelma Boltin: “We never did decorate our tree until Christmas Eve and we used the parlor on state occasions and this was a state occasion so the fire would be built in the fireplace and the candles put on the mantlepiece and then we’d decorate our tree. In early days, I don’t believe, we never did put candles on our tree. Momma considered that too dangerous and we hailed with delight the day when we could get strings of electric lights to put on the tree. And of course, it was easy to get pretty ornaments from Woolworths and from what was the other ten cent store, we had two in town, McCrowry’s and get beautiful ornaments. We never did string popcorn to go on our tree but we put ropes of tinsel on it. And oh we just thought our tree was the prettiest one in the neighborhood of course. A child asked me today if we ever slept in the living room you know with the tree and we said ‘oh no, Santy Claus couldn’t come if we stayed with the Christmas tree. But of course we were up long before day to see what Santy had left us.” (Jolly ‘Ole St. Nick)
Early photo of Will McLean’s grandparents
Will McLean: “Well, my first recollection is of a contraption bought that you could ride on. I got a little ‘ole bitty, tiny kind of like a kitty car thing. It was all painted up good uh, kind of a tricycle and I don’t know why I thought about that. It was the first thing that came to my mind. And of course over the fireplace we’d hang uh an old knit, Thelma you remember those old socks that uh they used to cost about a nickel a pair, old red and blue socks. Kind of cotton socks. We’d nail them up over the mantel and this was Christmas Eve.” (Silent Night)
Will McLean, Florida’s Black Hat Troubadour (photo courtesy of the Will McLean Foundation)
Will McLean: “Lady Boltin asked me once about if I could recall shootin’ firecrackers on Christmas. And uh, I couldn’t remember ever at that early stage, early Christmases, shootin’ any kind of a firecracker or explosives. But to get back to the stockin’ and Christmas mornin’, uh most the times I would have a little ‘ole 25 cent American Ace harmonica in the stockin’ wrapped in tissue paper and I’d have a piece of ‘ole peppermint stick candy and usually an apple, and an orange and a banana and I hope this won’t create any problems, three little nuts that uh, they were Brazil nuts. You remember what we used to call them?(laugh) But anyway, that was Christmas and of course on Christmas Day the big ‘ole table in the dining room. There’d be about 25 or 30 people there. And kids runnin’ around everywhere. All the families and mothers and their children there. Uh, lord you could just smell the wonderful, wonderful and that, those were my Christmases up until I was about nine years of age. And it’s good to go back there and think about it in time and place, be with my granddaddy and the people that I loved and who loved me.” (Chesnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
Cousin Thelma Boltin, Gamble Rogers and Will McLean 1988 50th Anniv of The Yearling in Cross Creek (photo by Iris Greenfield)
Cousin Thelma Boltin: “One of the things that we always got, we wore them out one year to the next were skates. We loved Skates and always asked Santy to bring us skates (laugh). And always on Christmas Eve for supper we had oyster stew. That was the Christmas Eve supper ‘cuz it was easy to fix and everybody liked it. We could do it in a hurry and get in the living room to fix the tree (chuckle). And that went on for many, many years. And then I went off to college and I shocked the neighbors by not going to FSU or Florida State College for women in those days. They weren’t allowed. Ladies didn’t go to the University until the late 40s you know. So I went to Emmerson College in Boston and that was truly Yankee land in everyway and so I had my first White Christmas up there. (White Christmas) I was such a long way away that I stayed up there for the Christmas holidays and I had made friends with a fellow freshman. Her name was Juliet Phillips and she took pity on me and invited me out to her home in Jamaica Plain and oh it was a thrill. Everybody in Jamaica Plain it seemed to me put lighted candles in their windows from the attic to the basement and to get out on the street and see all those candles just after dark was a thrilling thing. And we decided that we would go into Boston. This was on Christmas Eve and up on Beacon Hill there was a tradition of having carol singers and bellringers and no cars were allowed up there. Everybody walked. And uh, many homes up there had open house and they’d be serving oh hot cider and goodies, doughnuts and the carol singers would be first on this corner and then on that corner. And then we’d come upon the bellringers. Then right at midnight over on the piazza a beautiful old Trinity church uh trumpeters stepped out and played ‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful’.” (Oh Come All Ye Faithful)
Many of Will McLean’s stories, poems, music recordings, correspondence and photos are now being housed in the Special Collections area of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida.
Gallery of Photos below are courtesy of the Will McLean Foundation
It’s that time of year again when North Central Florida serves as host to migrating sandhill cranes. Floridians are very familiar with the loud, squawking sounds of these tall birds with wing spans as wide as 6 feet as they circle above and fly to favorite feeding grounds around the Gainesville area, especially Payne’s Prairie and the shoreline and marshes of Orange and Lochloosa Lakes in Alachua County. The father of Florida folk, the late Will McLean (1919-1990), was inspired by the “dancing and prancing” of the cranes and penned the song called, “The Courtship Dance of the Florida Sandhill Cranes.” McLean is accompanied in this 1985 live recording by Kate Kennedy on bowed psaltry and David Beede on hammered dulcimer.
Cover photo of CD recorded in 1985 at the historic Thomas Center of Florida’s Black Hat Troubadour Will Mclean
Sandhill cranes flying over Watson Prairie near Cross Creek, FL.
In the news video below produced by Donna Green-Townsend on nesting ecology of Sandhill Cranes in Florida, you will hear the melody of McLean’s song performed by Melrose singer-songwriter David Beede and Kate Bostrum. The nesting ecology research was a cooperative effort between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Wildlife and Range Sciences Department at the University of Florida. (this report originally aired statewide on the IFAS program Florida File in 1990)
Aired on NPR’s Morning Edition on December 13th, 1996
(Original Intro) In New York tomorrow (Dec.14th,1996) the Heisman Trophy will be awarded to the nation’s top college football player. One of the top finalists is Danny Wuerffel, the quarterback from the University of Florida who’s helped the Gators win four consecutive Southeastern conference titles and a place in this year’s Sugar Bowl. But in his home state of Florida, Danny Wuerffel is known for being much more than just a great football player. From member station WUFT in Gainesville, Donna Green-Townsend has this profile.
On December 10th, 2013 Danny Wuerffel was named to the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Induction Class. Voters said he had one of the most impressive records ever compiled. Wuerffel was the only player in college football history to start at quarterback for a conference champion four straight years — plus win a national title and the 1996 Heisman. In addition, Wuerffel, a two-time first-team academic All-American, was awarded the Draddy Trophy (also called the “academic Heisman”) presented annually by the College Football Hall of Fame, to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete.
And then there were his statistics. In Wuerffel’s career at UF he completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 10,875 yards, 114 touchdowns and 42 interceptions in starting 36 of his 46 games.
During Wuerffel’s four seasons, Florida won four-consecutive SEC title games. As a senior, Wuerffel’s 3,625 yards passing yards were an SEC record. He also set a national record for his 39 touchdowns. In his final two games in a Gator uniform, Wuerffel threw for 401 yards and 6 touchdowns to beat Alabama (which at the time was the No. 1-ranked pass defense) for that fourth-straight league crown. In the Sugar Bowl national championship rematch over rival Florida State, Wuerffel threw for more than 300 yards and 3 touchdowns (also rushing for a TD) in a 52-20 victory against the top-ranked defense in the country
Danny Wuerffel on his Christmas CD Project to Benefit Desire Street Ministries
Cover of Danny Wuerffel’s Christmas CD
Aside from football, Danny Wuerffel has dedicated his time to the work of Desire Street Ministries. Danny produced “Heaven & Nature Sings” Christmas CD to help with the goals of the ministry which is transforming impoverished urban neighborhoods into flourishing, healthy communities.
Gator fans gave a warm welcome to former University of Florida Quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel during the UF-TN game on Saturday. Wuerffel, a member of the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Induction Class, sauntered onto the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as the guest celebrity to lead the Orange and Blue in the cheer made famous by “Mr. Two-Bits.”
Danny Wuerffel surrounded by Gator fans and friends on the sidelines of the UF-TN game on Saturday
Afterwards, Wuerffel greeted fans on the sidelines before making a second appearance on the field to receive a special award from the University of Florida for being voted into the College Football Hall of Fame for all of his outstanding achievements while playing for the Gator Football Team.
(Listen below to the original story about Danny Wuerffel as a Heisman contender. The story aired on NPR’s Morning Edition on December 13th, 1996.)
Bronze statue of #7 Danny Wuerffel in front of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
(Original story and intro aired on NPR’s Morning Edition on Dec.13th, 1996)
In New York tomorrow the Heisman Trophy will be awarded to the nation’s top college football player. One of the top finalists is Danny Wuerffel, the quarterback from the University of Florida who’s helped the Gators win four consecutive Southeastern conference titles and a place in this year’s Sugar Bowl. But in his home state of Florida, Danny Wuerffel is known for being much more than just a great football player. From member station WUFT in Gainesville, Donna Green-Townsend has this profile.
Danny Wuerffel – played for the Gators from 1993 to 1996
On December 10th, 2013 Danny Wuerffel was named to the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Induction Class. Voters said he had one of the most impressive records ever compiled. Wuerffel was the only player in college football history to start at quarterback for a conference champion four straight years — plus win a national title and the 1996 Heisman. In addition, Wuerffel, a two-time first-team academic All-American, was awarded the Draddy Trophy (also called the “academic Heisman”) presented annually by the College Football Hall of Fame, to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete.
And then there were his statistics. In Wuerffel’s career at UF he completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 10,875 yards, 114 touchdowns and 42 interceptions in starting 36 of his 46 games.
During Wuerffel’s four seasons, Florida won four-consecutive SEC title games. As a senior, Wuerffel’s 3,625 yards passing yards were an SEC record. He also set a national record for his 39 touchdowns. In his final two games in a Gator uniform, Wuerffel threw for 401 yards and 6 touchdowns to beat Alabama (which at the time was the No. 1-ranked pass defense) for that fourth-straight league crown. In the Sugar Bowl national championship rematch over rival Florida State, Wuerffel threw for more than 300 yards and 3 touchdowns (also rushing for a TD) in a 52-20 victory against the top-ranked defense in the country
Danny Wuerffel on his Christmas CD Project to Benefit Desire Street Ministries
Aside from football, Danny Wuerffel has dedicated his time to the work of Desire Street Ministries. Danny produced “Heaven & Nature Sings” Christmas CD to help with the goals of the ministry which is transforming impoverished urban neighborhoods into flourishing, healthy communities.
Following the 2000 college national championship game thousands of Gator fans held up this sign at a celebration in the Odome on campus to encourage Mike Miller to stay at Florida another year.
Mike Miller at the University of Florida
Miller playing for the Magic in Orlando
In March of 2000, University of Florida Sophomore forward Mike Miller sank the final shot in the 69-68 buzzer beater against Butler to take the Gator Basketball Team from the Final Four to the National Championship game. The dramatic win led to a celebratory pile-up on the basketball court. The Gators lost to Michigan State in the championship game. Despite the loss the city of Gainesville held a celebration for the team in the Odome. Despite the pleas from Gator fans to play one more year at UF, Mike Miller went pro with the Orlando Magic. He was the 5th overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft in 2000. As Donna Green-Townsend reports, after another successful year on the hard court, Miller became the NBA rookie of the year. From my audio archives from the summer of 2001
In an effort to reduce America’s reliance on imported oil, the University of Florida has been awarded $5.4 million from the USDA and Department of Energy for Biomass Research and Development Projects. According to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the funding is designated to help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S. and is considered part of President Obama’s comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices.
The University of Florida’s share of the funds will go towards research on ways to improve the production and sustainability of sweet sorghum as an energy crop. Seven other organizations and institutions have received part of the overall $47 million dollars available for the production of biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products from a variety of biomass sources. The projects are funded through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative and will help increase the availability of alternative renewable fuels and biobased products to diversify the nation’s energy resources. Funding is provided through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and DOE’s Biomass Program. Each award was made through a competitive selection process.
Grant recipients are required to contribute a minimum of 20 percent of matching funds for research and development projects and 50 percent of matching funds for demonstration projects. Awardees must pursue projects that integrate science and engineering research in three areas: feedstocks development, biofuels and biobased products development, and biofuels development analysis.
Here is the list of funded projects around the country:
• Cellana LLC, Kailua Kona, Hawaii, $5,521,173. Cellana will work to develop a protein supplement from algae as a byproduct of algal biofuels production, by demonstrating its nutritional and economic value in livestock feeds. The project will characterize types of algae, assess the nutritional values of algal proteins, assess the potential for algal proteins to replace soybean meal, and develop algal protein supplements.
• Domtar Paper Company, LLC, Fort Mill, SC, $7,000,000. This three-year project will work to build a demonstration plant using two technologies to convert low-value byproducts and wastes from paper mills into higher-value sugar, oil, and lignin products.
• Exelus Inc., Livingston, N.J., $5,185,004. Exelus will work to develop energy crops with improved tolerance to drought and salt stress to enhance yields on marginal lands. The project will also redesign a process to make hydrocarbon fuels using new catalysts and chemistry that avoids the high temperatures and large energy inputs required by current processes.
• Metabolix, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., $6,000,001. Metabolix will enhance the yield of bio-based products, biopower, or fuels made from switchgrass. The project will use high temperature conversion to produce denser biomass and other products that can be further processed to make fuels such as butanol, chemicals such as propylene and other materials to improve the economic competitiveness of future biorefineries.
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $5,430,439. The purpose of this project is to improve the production and sustainability of sweet sorghum as an energy crop. The University will identify genetic traits in sorghum associated with drought tolerance through genetic mapping and will select strains that produce high biomass yields and can be easily converted to fermentable sugars.
• University of Kansas Center for Research, Lawrence, Kan., $5,635,858. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate a novel, sustainable technology at a pilot scale that produces diverse products, including advanced fuels, industrial chemicals and chemical intermediates.
• University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., $6,932,786. The purpose of this project is to improve the economics for biorefineries by using on-farm processing to convert biomass to a mixture of butanol, ethanol, acetone and organic acids. The product can then be easily transported to a biorefinery for further processing. The project will integrate input from experts in a variety of disciplines, including plant and soil scientists, horticulturists, chemical engineers, and economists.
• U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, Mont., $5,309,320. This project will develop an integrated approach to investigate biomass feedstock production, logistics, conversion, distribution and end use centered on using advanced conversion technologies at existing forest industry facilities.
More information is available at the Biomass Program website at www.eere.energy.gov/biomass
A dozen University of Florida students are currently studying abroad in Japan. The Executive Director of the International Center at UF, Susanne Hill immediately tried to communicate with the students following the 8-point-nine-magnitude earthquake off Japan’s coast. Hill spoke with WUFT’s Donna Green-Townsend:
One researcher who’s closely monitoring the situation in Japan is Assistant Professor of Geological Science at the University of Florida, Mark Panning. Panning specializes in earthquake research. He spoke with WUFT’s Donna Green-Townsend.
As the Will McLean Music Festival nears, organizers are celebrating another major development cementing his legacy. In recent weeks the song lyrics, poems, recordings, correspondence and personal items from the late Will McLean (1919-1990) have been transferred to the University of Florida. McLean, known as the “Black Hat Troubadour,” is the first folk artist inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.
(Listen to 23 minute interview with Reaves from 1997 below)
To watch archival video of Will McLean 
Here is the audio of the eulogy given by the late Gamble Rogers 
In 1996 Will McLean was officially inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. He was the first folk musician given this honor in Florida. Margaret Longhill accepted this award from then Secretary of State Sandra Mortham in Tallahassee. Performing some of McLean’s songs that day were Frank Thomas (who is also now in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame), Mary Ann Dinella and Wayne Martin. See additional pictures from the ceremony below.
