Ben Hill Griffin Jr. (October 20, 1910 – March 1, 1990) was a prominent American businessman,
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...
producer, politician, and philanthropist who was a native and resident of Florida. He was an
alumnus
Alumni (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...
of the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
, a former legislator, one-time candidate for governor, and a patron of college sports and higher education in Florida. Several of his grandchildren remain active in Florida politics. Griffin is the subject of the final chapter of
John McPhee
John Angus McPhee (born March 8, 1931) is an American writer. He is considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction. He is a four-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in the category General Nonfiction, and he won that award on the fourth ...
's work of
creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction or literary journalism or verfabula) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contra ...
''Oranges''.
Early life and education
Griffin was born during a
hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
in the former town of Tiger Bay, near
Fort Meade, Florida. He attended
Frostproof High School in
Frostproof, Florida, where he was responsible for starting the
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
program in 1929. After graduating from high school, Griffin studied economics, marketing, and agriculture at the University of Florida in
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...
,
[University of Florida Foundation, Named UF Facilities]
B.H. Griffin – W.L. Floyd Hall
Retrieved August 22, 2009. where he was a member of
Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
(
Alpha Epsilon
Alpha Epsilon () is a scholastic honor society recognizing academic achievement among students in the fields of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering.
History
Alpha Epsilon Honor Society was founded at the University of Missouri on May ...
chapter).
Citrus and agri-business
In 1933, Griffin left the University of Florida, after three years and without earning a
degree
Degree may refer to:
As a unit of measurement
* Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement
** Degree of geographical latitude
** Degree of geographical longitude
* Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics
...
, to find a job during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
.
He unsuccessfully sought work in New York City, then returned home to
Frostproof, Florida and began his business with a orange
grove, a wedding gift from his father, and built it into a citrus business empire.
In 1961, Griffin was named to the board of directors of Atlantic Land & Improvement Company, the land-holding subsidiary of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...
and commonly known as Alico.
[FundingUniverse.com]
Alico, Inc. Company History
Retrieved August 22, 2009. Alico, Inc. became a publicly traded corporation engaged in citrus fruit,
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
and
sod
Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls.
In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricult ...
production, cattle ranching, and
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
. Griffin acquired a majority of the outstanding stock of Alico in 1972 and became chairman of its board of directors in 1973.
Griffin was also chief executive officer of Ben Hill Griffin, Inc., a family-owned business with citrus and other agriculture interests. In 1989, the year before his death, he was ranked 261st on the
Forbes 400 list of richest Americans.
[Alfonso A. Narvaez,]
Ben Hill Griffin Jr., 79, is Dead; Leader in Florida Citrus Industry
" ''The New York Times'', Section A, Page 18, Column 4 (March 2, 1990). Retrieved August 22, 2009.
Florida politics
Griffin, a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
, was a member of the
Florida Legislature
The Florida Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. State of Florida. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article III, Section 1 of the Florida Cons ...
for twelve years—four years in the
Florida Senate and eight years in the
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...
. In 1974, he lost the Democratic primary for
Governor of Florida
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
to
Reubin Askew
Reubin O'Donovan Askew (September 11, 1928 – March 13, 2014) was an American politician, who served as the 37th governor of Florida from 1971 to 1979. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 7th U.S. Trade representative from 1979 ...
.
Philanthropy
Griffin and his family have been generous donors to higher education in Florida, especially his alma mater, the University of Florida; over the years, he donated more than $20 million to the university and its athletic programs. In 1989,
Florida Field
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (in full Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium), , one of the university's historic academic buildings, was restored due in part to Griffin's donations and was renamed Griffin-Floyd Hall upon its reopening in 1992.
For his support of the
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...
sports programs, Griffin was inducted into the
University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
The University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame includes over 300 former Florida Gators athletes who represented the University of Florida in one or more intercollegiate sports and were recognized as "Gator Greats" for their athletic excellence ...
as an "honorary
letter winner
In sports or activities in the United States, a letterman is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity team.
Overview
The term comes from the practice of awarding each such parti ...
" in 1982.
After Griffin's death, Alico, Inc., the company he built into an agribusiness, contributed approximately in
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is located in Southwest Florida on the Gulf Coast. As of the 2020 census, the population was 760,822. The county seat is Fort Myers (with a population of 86,395 as of the 2020 census), and the largest city is Cape Coral with an esti ...
for the development of
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Florida's tenth
state university.
Alico Arena
Alico Arena is a multipurpose arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. It is the home of the FGCU Eagles volleyball and men's and women's basketball teams. It holds 4,633 people in basketball configuration. I ...
, FGCU's indoor sports arena, is named for the company. The elementary school in his hometown of Frostproof is also named for Griffin.
Family and legacy
When Griffin died in 1990, he was survived by his wife Eleanor, a son, four daughters, and sixteen grandchildren.
Griffin's only son, Ben Hill Griffin, III, carried on his father's family business and served as the CEO of Alico until 2004, and Alico was sold in 2014. Griffin's son continues to serve as the chairman of Ben Hill Griffin, Inc., and one of FGCU's primary academic buildings, Griffin Hall, is named for him. Griffin's grandson and namesake, Ben Hill Griffin, IV, serves as the current president of Ben Hill Griffin, Inc., which is one of the member companies of the
Florida's Natural
Florida's Natural Growers (stylized "Florida✾s Natural") is an agricultural cooperative based in Lake Wales, Florida. It is currently owned by over 1,100 grower members. It was the only national orange juice maker that uses only US-grown frui ...
cooperative.
![Dsg UF Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Inside 20050507](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Dsg_UF_Ben_Hill_Griffin_Stadium_Inside_20050507.jpg)
Following in the family footsteps, three of Griffin's grandchildren have served in elected political office in Florida. Republican
Katherine Harris
Katherine Harris (born April 5, 1957) is a former American politician. A Republican, Harris served in the Florida Senate from 1994 to 1998, as Secretary of State of Florida from 1999 to 2002, and as a member of the United States House of Represe ...
, a former member of the Florida Senate, former
Florida Secretary of State (best known for her role in the disputed 2000 presidential election), and former
United States Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
Sarasota, is Griffin's granddaughter. Republican
J.D. Alexander, a former member of both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, is his grandson. Republican
Baxter Troutman
Baxter Troutman is a Winter Haven, Florida Citrus Grower, businessman, and Republican politician who served as the representative for District 66 in the House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Florida. He was first elected to the Flori ...
, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, is also Griffin's grandson.
In 1998, a panel of Florida historians and other consultants named Griffin one of the fifty most important Floridians of the twentieth century.
[''The 50 Most Important Floridians of the 20th Century'', newspaper magazine published by ''The Ledger'', Lakeland, Florida (March 1, 1998).]
See also
*
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of ...
*
History of Florida
*
History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida originated as several distinct institutions that were consolidated to create a single state-supported un ...
*
List of Pi Kappa Phi alumni
The Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi (), commonly known as Pi Kapp(s), is an American Greek Letter secret and social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the Col ...
*
List of University of Florida alumni
*
List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, Ben Hill Jr.
1910 births
1990 deaths
Businesspeople from Florida
Citrus farmers from Florida
Democratic Party Florida state senators
Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives
People from Fort Meade, Florida
University of Florida alumni
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American philanthropists