NOTABLE PERSONS OF BROWARD COUNTY FLORIDA
A-C D-E F-G H-L M-P Q-S T-V W-Z
Rocco Francis "Rocky Marciano" Marchegiano (Sep. 1, 1924 Brockton, MA - Aug. 31, 1969)
Boxer & Heavyweight Champion of the World 1954-1956. Known as "The Broxton Blockbuster, Marciano died in a plane crash
en route to Fort Lauderdale to celebrate his birthday. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
in 1990. Buried Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Roger Maris (Sep. 10, 1934 Hibbing, MN - Dec. 14, 1985)
Died of lymphatic cancer. Buried Holy Cross Cem., Fargo, ND. Funeral attended by numerous
celebrities incl. NY Mayor Ed Koch & President Richard Nixon.
Roger Maris was a New York Yankee Outfielder who on Sept. 26, 1961 hit his 61st home run to break Babe Ruth's record (60) in a season competition
(unofficial) with Mickey Mantle who managed to hit 54 homers. Maris hit 275 career home runs and the New York Yankees
retired his number "9" in 1984. Maris retired to Gainesville, FL, but also lived in South Florida while training.
Mayor William H. Marshall (Aug. 25, 1876 Lowndes Co., GA - Aug. 15, 1956 VA Hosp. Coral Gables, FL.
Buried at Lauderdale Memorial Park.
(Complete sketch featured in First Families of Broward, Imprints 17.1-1998, p. 9.)
Fort Lauderdale's first Mayor in 1911. Was also a farmer and opened the County's first realty office; became
Justice of the Peace, 1903, and a charter member of the First Methodist Church in 1903. In 1913, he and Frank Stranahan formed the
Fort Lauderdale Harbor Company and proceeded to create the Lake Mabel Cut that opened access from the New River area to the sea
for small boats. This area is Florida's largest harbor & was named Port Everglade. Served 1915-1921 in State
Legislature and later a bridge over the New River was named after him (SW 7th & SW 4th Aves.). William H. Marshall was the son
of Henry Marshall (1849-1927) and Margaret (Powell) Marshall (1853-1931). He was a veteran of the Sp.-American War and when mustered out stopped in
Ft. Lauderdale to visit family and settled here soon after. Married c. 1905 Lula Hatchett
of Brooks Co., GA. 2 children, Catherine and Lula. Married c. 1910, Emma Llewellyn Hudlow, d/o Dr. Hudlow
of Lumpkin Co., GA. Ch: Margaret Marshall.
George G. Mathews
President and General Manager of the Sentinel Company, Publishers of the Fort Lauderdale Sentinel. (See R. L. Polk & Co., Florida Gazetteer of
1925).
Dr. Lewis H Maxwell
Physician and Surgeon (See R. L. Polk & Co., Florida Gazetteer of 1925).
John D. McDonald ( July 24, 1916 Sharon, PA - Dec. 28, 1986 Milwaukee, WI)
Harvard Business School (MBA) educated author who wrote about South Florida. Although a resident of Clearwater
& later Sarasota, McDonald immortalized Fort Lauderdale's Bahia Mar with his portrayal of P.I./salvage consultant Travis McGee who lived on
the Busted Flush, a 52-foot barge/houseboat moored at Slip F-18. McGee won
the boat in a poker match and his typical clients were women in need of help.
The first book in the 21 series (the 22nd was never finished) was The Deep
Blue Good-By written in 1964 and the last one was The Lonely Silver
Rain. Although works of fiction, many tourists make a pilgrimage to see
the berth at Bahia Mar.
William Duncan McDougald (Jan. 8, 1888 - Dec. 13, 1976)
& Sarah (Sellers) McDougald (Nov. 18, 1905 - Apr. 20, 1979)
Both buried in Pioneer Section of the Pompano Beach South Lawn Cemetery.
Sarah Sellers was the acting postmistress of Deerfield Beach, Fl. and William D. McDougald
served in WW I in the US Navy (Sr. Sea 2). He was also a farmer, a Broward County School System trustee, Deerfield City
Commissioner, Deerfield Chief of Police, and a Broward County Deputy Sheriff.
In August of 1943, the couple purchased the 17-room
Georgian-style Old Sample Estate and Pine Haven from Albert Neal
& Margaret "Maggie" (Henderson)
Sample. Since the house was purchased during wartime, Maggie was needed as
postmistress and the family didn't move to the property until she was
released from her duties in May of 1944. This historic home is now part of
the Sample-McDougald House Preservation Society and
was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Harry McNab
Brother to Bob, both of whom were early farmers of Pompano.
John D. McNab (Oct. 12, 1873 - Jan. 1, 1902)
Buried in Pompano City Cemetery near Reube D. & Eliza Catherine. From the
prominent McNab family of Pompano, whom McNab Road is named after.
Robert Albert "Bob" McNab (Jun 09 1882 - Jan 19 1958)
Brother to Harry, both of whom were early farmers of Pompano. Registered for
the draft in Palm Beach on Sep. 12, 1918 with occupation farmer - self. Listed Allene McNab as his closest
relative. Listed on 1920 Pompano Census as a farmer of a truck farm with wife
Alenne and children James A., Robert L. and Elyn A. Listed in 1930 as a truck farmer with wife Aleen and children james,
Robert Lee, Evelyn and Sadie.
C.E. and Bonnie (Heaton) McKinney.
Married Sep. 7, 1922 Blue Ridge, GA.
Large farmer and grove owner of the Colohatchee neighborhood. (Marriage notice reprinted in Imprints 22.1-2003, p. 27 from
Fort Lauderdale Herald of Sep. 25, 1922.)
Dr. Mae McMillan (May 9, 1898 SD - Apr. 10, 1985)
Entrepreneur, Administrator & Teacher. Wife of Albert Lincoln McMillan.
Founder of Pine Crest School. Mae McMillan began by tutoring English, French, Latin, and algebra to the children of Fort
Lauderdale's winter visitors in the 1930s. By 1939 she adopted the name Pine Crest & opened a facility on East
Broward Blvd. that included boarding. After 26 years, the private school was moved to NE Fort Lauderdale
& now has campuses in both Fort Lauderdale & Boca Raton.
Isadore S. (1883 Jasper, Hamilton Co., FL - 1986)
and Minnie (Moore) Mizell (1895-1990)
Tomato farmer & carpenter. Built Dania's first school for blacks. Isadore was the son of Angela and Henry Mizell, who had been a Georgia
slave. Minnie was the daughter of William and Fanny Moore. Employed at John Bryan's Pine Grove for 7 years until the family settled in Dania, traveling
by train. Retired to Fort Lauderdale in 1963. 14 Children. (See First Families of Broward, Imprints 17.4-1998, pp.
103-104.)
Judge John Randolph Mizell
The first Mayor of Pompano after incorporation in 1908.
Dr. Von Delaney Mizell (1910 Fort Lauderdale - 1973)
Physician and Civil Rights activist. Veteran of WW II. Son of Isadore S. and Minnie (Moore)
Mizell. Husband of Alpha Campbell by whom he had two children. Von D. Mizell was educated at Morehouse
College in Atlanta and became the second Afro-American physician of Broward
County, Florida. In 1938, he co-founded with Mrs. Leona Collins and Dr. James Sistrunk,
Provident Hospital, the first hospital for African-Americans in Broward
County. In the 1960s, this hospital was converted into the Von Mizell Cultural
Center and Library, but after it outgrew that location, it was moved to 1409 Sistrunk Blvd.
Dr. Mizell also formed the first NAACP chapter in South Florida and was instrumental in the
boycott of Fort Lauderdale's "Colored School" practice of split-year classes in 1942. At the time, the school year was
split for blacks so that the children could work in the fields in the winter. He also sued for and won admittance to the Broward County Medical
Association.
Addison Mizner (1872 Benicia, CA -1933)
Architectural genius who, although formally untrained, designed inspirational
Mediterranean and Spanish revival architecture. Mizner was the son of the US
Minister to Guatemala and found inspiration from 16th and 17th century designs. He attended the University
of Salamanca in Spain and began his career in San Francisco.
In 1925, Mizner founded Mizner Development Corporation in order to transform Boca Raton
into a luxury resort, but went bankrupt after 2 years despite having famous
investors such as Elizabeth Arden, Irving Berlin, T. Coleman DuPont and W.K. Vanderbilt. He achieved world-wide
fame as an architect with signature features such as red-tile roofs and arcaded entrances. He lived and designed numerous residences in Palm
Beach, but also designed in Broward County, including the Deerfield Beach Elementary School
at
Settled in Dania in 1906 and opened a restaurant, ice cream parlor and soda fountain in the center of town in a building owned by J. W. Mullikin. (See Miami Metropolis, May 1, 1909 or Imprints 13.1-1994)
John W. Mullikin
Mayor, citrus farmer and worked in general contracting handling lumber, stone and concrete. John W. Mullikin came to Florida
from Kentucky c. 1888 and settled in Dade County for 9 years. Became the first mayor of Dania when it was incorporated
in 1904. The first Councilmen who served with him were C. M. Nelson, Geo.
Jones, Hand . T. Tubbs. Roy Roper was Clerk and Mr. Steinhouser, Marshall.
Commodore Ralph M. Munroe
Coconut Grove (Miami) boat builder, naturalist & photographer whotook the first known photographs of Broward
County, shot along the New River. His home, The Barnacle, is the oldest home in Miami-Dade
County still in the original location at 3485 Main Highway. The property is also known for it's Miami
Hammock (trees), a species that is nearly extinct.
Charles E. (d. c. 1917) &
Eva (Lewis) Newland (b. St. Louis, MO - d. June 1922)
Charles died in a dredge accident and Eva died at Bay View Sanitarium. Eva is buried
in Evergreen Cemetery. She died during an operation to remove her tonsils.
Dredgers. Arrived in Fort Lauderdale in 1911. Eve's funeral was held at the Ft. Lauderdale Baptist
Church. (See Imprints 18.4-1999, p. 111)
2nd Lt. Alexander Ramsey "Sandy" Nininger (1918 Gainesville or Atlanta, GA -
Jan. 12, 1942 Battle of Bataan, Philippines)
Buried WWII Manila American Cemetery & Memorial, Philippines
Graduate of West Point 1941. Served 57th Infantry, US Army in the Philippines,
WWII under command of General Douglas MacArthur. Lived Sail Boat Bend area of Fort
Lauderdale. Chairman of the Key Club at Fort Lauderdale, HS & graduate in 1937. Sandy Nininger was the first recipient of the prestigious Medal
of Honor for WWII. Awarded posthumously to his father by General Douglas Mac
Arthur. Finding that the Japanese had occupied Allied foxholes, he ran from
foxhole to foxhole with grenades fighting the enemy and died valiantly.
Numerous awards & buildings are named after him including the U.S. Army
Reserve Center's 841st Engineering Battalion Center at the Ft. Lauderdale Executive
Airport & the State Veterans Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines.
"Old Doctor" Ocheshachee (d. Sep. 1905)
From his obituary in The Miami, Fla. Metropolis of Sep. 22, 1905:
The Fort Lauderdale correspondent of THE TIMES UNION under date of the 16th inst., says
A letter from TOM TIGER to FRANK JUMPER, tells of the death of
OCHESHACHEE, one of the oldest Seminoles in the Everglades. Ocheshachee was better known among the white people as
Old Doctor, and was a typical indian in every way,
and ranked high in the counsils of the Seminoles.
There are only a few of the old Seminoles now living in the
Everglades, which has been their principal place of living since the days of
AHSEEYOJOLA, osceola, the great chief and warrior.
Among those who can relate the history of the years from 1837 to 1858,
there are old TALLAHASKEE of Cow Creek, Old MENATHBE of Big Cypress and Old BILLY HARNEY of Miami
village. During the past four years, four of the oldest have died, JOHN
JUMPER of New River, TOMMY TIGER of Miami
River, HOTALKEYOHOLA of Big Cypress and
OCHESHACHEE of Miami river.
Old Doctor was about 6 feet 4 inches tall, and would weigh about 170
to 180 pounds, and in carriage was erect and straight as an arrow.
His features were above the average and he was very intelligent, and
enjoyed a quite conversation, and took a great interest in the probabilities
of the future welfare of the Seminoles.
D. D. Oliver
Listed in R. L. Polk & Co., Florida Gazetteer of 1925 as.Secretary-Treasurer
of The South Florida Builders Supply Co. and President
of The Pioneer Department Store Inc.
F. R. Oliver
Listed in R. L. Polk & Co., Florida Gazetteer of 1925 as Vice President of The South Florida Builders.
Russell T. Pancoast
Renowned Florida architect who designed numerous houses and buildings including the Bass Museum of Art
(formerly the Miami Beach or John S. Collins Public Library),considered the finest example of Art Deco in
South Florida. He also assisted Frederick C. Peters in creating the master plan for Plantation.
Russell Pancoast attended Miami High School and received a degree from Cornell. He was also the grandson of John S. Collins.
P. W. Paradise
Grocer. Listed in the R. L. Polk & Co. Florida Gazetteer of 1925 as
operating a grocery in Hallandale, Florida.
Frederick C. Peters (1900-1964)
and Bernice (Todd) Peters
Cattle growers, farmers & founders of Plantation, FL which was incorporated April 30, 1953. Purchased
10,000 acres of mostly undeveloped land in 1941 for $250,000. Introduced "Florida's Red
Potatoes" and discovered Plantation Pride, a variety of sorghum suitable for livestock feed. Developed a water control system whereby water flowed
from his land to the New River using gravity. Original homes (which are still in existence) were constructed on
William Alonzo (1878 SC - 1931)
and Mary W. (Rucker) Petsch (Sep. 6, 1891 Pleasureville, KY - Feb. 9, 1917)
William is buried in Pompano's South Lawn Cemetery; Mary's internment in S. Florida is not known.
Truck farmer, general store merchant, tomato packer, President of the Pompano
City Council (1913-15) and Pompano Justice of the Peace.
Married c. 1908 in Grand Island Florida. William's packing house was one of the first in Pompano. Ch: two sons & 1
dau. Mary was the daughter of M/M A. W. Rucker who moved from SC to Altoona, Lake Co., FL. She was active in the Pompano
Baptist Church.
(See First Families of Broward, Imprints 17.4-1998.)
T. A. Price
Postmaster, tomato grower and merchant. Early settler to Dania in 1906. (Miami Metropolis May 1, 1909, Imprints 13.1-1994)