Merritt Island is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

, commonly referred to as an island, in Brevard County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, located on the eastern Floridian coast, along the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. It is also the name of an unincorporated town in the central and southern parts of the island and a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP). The population was 34,518 at th
2020 census
It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

John F. Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968, ...

is located on Merritt Island to the north of the town, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is located north of the space center. The central part of Merritt Island, previously known as Merritt City, is home to the majority of the population and includes the local high school, library, and shopping district. The southern area is heavily residential, with centralized light commercial and light industrial areas.

History

Etymology

Merritt Island owes its name to the

King of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

. The entire island was part of a land grant given by the King to a nobleman named Merritt.

Pre-Columbian

Archaeological excavations have uncovered the fossils of extinct animals such as

mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of the ...

s, giant land tortoise, camel,

glyptodont Glyptodonts are an extinct subfamily of large, heavily armoured armadillos. They arose in South America around 48 million years ago and spread to southern North America after the continents became connected several million years ago. The best-k ...

, horse,

mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks an ...

giant armadillo The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the glyptodonts, were much larger). It live ...

, peccary, and

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...

, which lived in the area up to 11,000 years ago. Their extinction was part of a larger

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

n die-off in which native

horses The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million ...

, mastodons and other

camelidae Camelids are members of the biological family Camelidae, the only currently living family in the suborder Tylopoda. The seven extant members of this group are: dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, wild Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas ...

s also died out. Possibilities for extinction include global climate change and hunting pressure from the arrival of the Clovis people, who were prolific hunters with distinct fluted stone tools which allowed for a spear to be attached to the stone tool. This megafaunal extinction coincided roughly with the appearance of the big game hunting Clovis culture, and biochemical analyses have shown that Clovis tools were used in hunting camels. By at least 800 to 900 BC, permanent Native American structures occupied the area. Their mounds populated the lagoon margin.

Post-Columbian

In 1605, Spanish explorer Álvaro Mexía visited while on a diplomatic mission to the local tribes living in the Indian River area. He called the local tribe of Ais people, part of the native province of Ulumay. Merritt Island is the prominent island on a color map he drew of the area, a copy of which is in the archives at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

and the archives in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Penins ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. Within a few years, all but a handful of these natives were dead from an epidemic that plagued the area after the arrival of a shipwrecked British merchant. In the 1760s, the Elliott Plantation grew sugar and milled it. Remains of the plantation can be found in the Wildlife Refuge. In April 1788, French botanist André Michaux traveled in Merritt Island, near

Cape Canaveral , image = cape canaveral.jpg , image_size = 300 , caption = View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991 , map = Florida#USA , map_width = 300 , type = Cape , map_caption = Location in Florida , location ...

. He spent five days looking for plants. He wrote a letter on April 24, 1788, from St Augustine. He reported discovering the flag or bigflower paw-paw, ''

Asimina ''Asimina'' is a genus of small trees or shrubs described as a genus in 1763. ''Asimina'' is the only temperate genus in the tropical and subtropical flowering plant family, Annonaceae. ''Asimina'' has large simple leaves and large fruit. It is ...

obovata'' (''

Annona ''Annona'' (from Taíno ''annon'') is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/ sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after ''Guatteria'', containing approximately 166

grandiflora'' (Bartr.)). In 1837, Fort Ann was constructed on the east coast of Merritt Island near the present day Haulover Canal, to protect the area against the Seminoles. Merritt Island's recent history dates back to the mid-19th century and centers on the growth of

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

, stressing the cultivation of

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

s and oranges. The Indian River oranges and

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit ...

come from this sandy area. Freezes destroyed the local pineapple industry in the late 1890s. Freed slaves constructed small towns in the area after the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, including Haulover, Clifton, and Shiloh. The island's population grew in the 1950s and 1960s as the

Space Race The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the t ...

began and nearby

expanded. Construction of a barge canal to the Intracoastal Waterway from the

(for power plant oil shipments) cut off the northern half of the island for many years. To this day, the northern portion of the island remains slightly less developed, with a few areas remaining as cattle pasture or citrus land. The small towns on the island vanished with the coming of the

Space Age The Space Age is a period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events, beginning with the launch of Sputnik 1 during 1957, and continuing ...

, and now only live on in the names of streets and historic churches. In 1988, citizens defeated a proposed incorporation into a city, 77% opposed to 23% in favor. Sea Ray Boats operated a factory on Merritt Island from 1978 to 2012. At one time it employed 1200 people. It closed the plant in 2013.

Geography

Merritt Island extends some from the

Volusia County Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the ...

line to

Dragon Point A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

near

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

. It connects to the Florida mainland where SR 3 now intersects US 1 in

. To the west it is separated from the mainland by the Indian River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. To the east it is separated by the Mosquito Lagoon and the

Banana River The Banana River is a lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it is the only ...

from the

barrier island Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a ...

on which

and Cocoa Beach stand. The east side of Merritt Island splits and is divided by

Sykes Creek Sykes may refer to: People * Sir Alan Sykes, 1st Baronet, businessman and British politician * Annette Sykes, New Zealand human rights lawyer and Māori activist * Bob Sykes (American football), American football player * Bob Sykes (baseball), ...

and Newfound Harbor. In the north, the Haulover Canal, first dug in the 19th century, separates the island from the mainland. To the west, the island is connected by causeways to mainland Brevard County near Titusville and

Cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter an ...

on its northern end, and in

on its southern end. To the east the island is connected to Cape Canaveral by the Crawlerway, and by causeways to Cocoa Beach and

Satellite Beach Satellite Beach is a coastal city in Brevard County, Florida, U.S. The population was 11,346 at the 2020 United States Census, and it is located with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Indian River to the west. Satellite Beach is part of t ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 62.88%, is water.

Fauna

To the north, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, along with a narrow

that make up Canaveral National Seashore, offer an unpopulated protected buffer area for rocket launches at

Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 196 ...

. There are about 356 species of birds on the peninsula, one of most diverse in the country.

Migratory birds Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting b ...

join the more resident

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

, including alligators, manatees,

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...

sea turtles Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhe ...

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the ...

s, and the elusive

Florida panther The Florida panther is a North American cougar (''P. c. couguar'') population in South Florida. It lives in pinelands, tropical hardwood hammocks, and mixed freshwater swamp forests. It is known under a number of common names including Costa ...

. A number of bald eagle nests are monitored atop power line poles along SR 3 within Kennedy Space Center. There are about 12,000 feral pigs in North Merritt Island. Licensed trappers catch about 2,000 annually, which keeps the population even. The

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

would like to reduce the population.

Places on Merritt Island

Merritt Island has or had 23 named communities, all unincorporated, including:

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 36,090 people, 14,955 households, and 10,049 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 15,813 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.22%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 5.31%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.41% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.68% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population. There were 14,955 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18, 52.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.8% of households were solely individuals and 11.4% had a lone resident of 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% of 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

Government

Merritt Island is under the administrative care of the local county government, with water being handled by the neighboring city of

. The county maintains

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames ...

, EMS, and sewage.

Economy

Personal income

According to the 2000 Census: * Median household income = $43,532 * Median family income = $52,388 * Median income for males = $41,393 * Median income for females = $25,787 *

Per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

= $23,961 * Below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

: ** Families = 7.2% ** Population = 9.4% ** Those under age 18 = 13.8% ** Those over age 64 = 7.0%

Industry

There are light industrial fabrication centers on the

Merritt Island Airport Merritt Island Airport is a general aviation public airport under the administration of the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority. It located in Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States, northwest of Patrick Space Force Base. Histo ...

, and

-related industrial activities to support the

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program n ...

, which was retired in summer of 2011, and other rocket launches on

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida. Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the stati ...

Air Liquide Air Liquide S.A. (; ; literally " liquid air"), is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, after Linde it is ...

operates a plant there.

Redevelopment

Merritt Island has a redevelopment agency funded by the county.

Education

Merritt Island has several schools. Public schools are operated by Brevard Public Schools: * MILA Elementary * Tropical Elementary * Audubon Elementary * Robert Louis Stevenson School of the Arts * Lewis Carroll Elementary * Gardendale Elementary (Closed since 2014) * Thomas Jefferson Middle School * Edgewood Junior/Senior High School *

Merritt Island High School Merritt Island High School is a public high school located in Merritt Island, Florida. It was built in 1965. Principals #Robert Bruton: 1965 - 1983 #Hank Smith: 1983 - 1999 #David M. Piccolo: 2000 - 2002 #Gary Shiffrin: 2002 - 2013 #Dr. Karyle G ...

Private schools: * Merritt Island Christian * Calvary Chapel Christian School

Library district

The Merritt Island Public Library, though a part of the

Brevard County Library System The Brevard County Library System is a public library system in Brevard County, Florida Brevard County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, maki ...

, is a state-designated special library district. Since Merritt Island is an unincorporated area of Brevard County, in 1965 the area applied for, and was designated, a special library district under Chapter 65-1289 by 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 Co ...

. In 2005, 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, adopt ...

codified all special acts and amendments, in regards to the Merritt Island Public Library District, under HB 1079.

Infrastructure

Roads

The residential areas of Merritt Island, East and West Merritt Island, are only accessible by causeway or drawbridge at all points. The island is linked by causeways, Florida 520

SR 520 (

Merritt Island Causeway The Merritt Island Causeway, mostly in Merritt Island, connects Cocoa, Merritt Island, Florida, and Cocoa Beach, Florida. The causeway transits the Willard Peebles bridge over the Banana River Lagoon. In the 1960s, SR A1A was routed over the ...

, State Road 404 (Pineda Causeway), Florida 405

, State Road 405, Florida 406

, State Road 406, and Florida 528

SR 528, to the barrier island to its east and the mainland to the west. Mathers Bridge connects the southernmost area to the barrier island. Florida 3

SR 3, a 4-lane highway, connects the

for workers from the more densely populated central and southern sections of the island.

Sewage

The lift station near the Pineda Causeway was built to handle per day. It became overloaded after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Trucks were used to dispose of the excess which rose to daily.

Airports

is a public general aviation airport located on South Merritt Island and run by the Titusville-Cocoa (TICO) Airport Authority.

Landmarks

* J. R. Field Homestead * Hacienda del Sol, large historic agricultural estate on South Merritt Island (home still exists, property is now a private estate) * Haulover Canal *

Dr. George E. Hill House The Dr. George E. Hill House is an historic house located at 870 Indianola Drive in Indianola on Merritt Island, Florida. On March 3, 1994, it was added to the U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the Unit ...

* Mather's Bridge Restaurant (now closed), previously Hacienda del Sol's workers mess hall, was joined by former field workers quarters (since destroyed) across South Tropical Trail at Mather's Bridge *

* Merritt Island (Canaveral) Barge Canal *

Merritt Island Dragon The ''Merritt Island Dragon'' or ''Merrit Island River Dragon'' was a dragon-shaped green concrete structure that stood at the southern tip of Merritt Island, known as Dragon Point, where the Indian River Lagoon splits to form the Banana River La ...

* Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge *

Kiwanis Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizat ...

Island Park * Merritt Island Rotary Park Nature Trail and Center * Pine Island Conservation Area, preserve. Pine Island contains Sams House, built in 1875. It is Brevard's oldest standing structure. * Old St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Cemetery
Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary
* Futch Cove on Banana Creek (location of Apollo/Saturn Visitors Center) * Merritt Square Mall

Notable people

* Emory L. Bennett,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient; lived in Indianola briefly as a child * Marco Dawson, professional golfer *

David Max Eichhorn David Max Eichhorn (January 6, 1906 – July 16, 1986) was an American rabbi of Reform Judaism, a director for Hillel, a chaplain in the Army, an author, and an authority within Reform Judaism on the subjects of interfaith marriage and relig ...

(January 6, 1906 – July 16, 1986) was a

Reform Jewish Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

, author, and a chaplain in the Army. He was among the troops that liberated Dachau. He founded Merritt Island's Temple Israel. *

Tony Gayton Tony Gayton is an American movie producer and screenwriter. Early life Gayton graduated from Merritt Island High School in 1977 in Merritt Island, Florida. Gayton is also a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he received the Jack ...

, film producer with his brother Joe ''Florida Today'

7 January 2012, "Brevard brothers land second season for their Western TV saga" * Clint Hurdle, former manager of the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

and the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

(

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

) (MLB) * Zora Neale Hurston, novelist, folklorist, anthropologist *

Taylor Jordan Taylor Jordan (born January 17, 1989) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Profe ...

, professional baseball player * Mathew Martoma (born 1974 as Ajai Mathew Mariamdani Thomas), hedge fund portfolio manager, convicted of insider trading *

Roy Padrick Roy C. Padrick (born 4 April 1975) is an American actor and journalist. He was raised in Merritt Island, Florida, then joined the U.S. Navy in 1994 to begin his career in journalism. Military career Padrick has covered some of the Navy's more im ...

, Navy journalist and actor, born on Merritt Island *

William H. Peck William Henry Peck (December 30, 1830 – February 4, 1892) was a writer from the Southern United States. Biography Peck was born in the Sand Hill section of Richmond County, Georgia, part of Augusta. He was the son of Samuel Hopkins Peck, a ...

, college professor, novelist; postmaster for Courtenay *

Adrian Rogers Adrian Pierce Rogers (September 12, 1931 – November 15, 2005) was an American Southern Baptist pastor and conservative author. He served three terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (1979–1980 and 1986–1988). Rogers was born ...

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptists, Baptist denomination, and the Protestantism in the United States, largest Protestantism, Protestant and Christia ...

pastor and author * Eric Robert Rudolph, Olympic Park bomber *

Patrick D. Smith Patrick Davis Smith (October 8, 1927 – January 26, 2014) was an American author. His work was nominated seven times for the Pulitzer Prize and five times for the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame i ...

, novelist, author of ''

A Land Remembered ''A Land Remembered'' is a best-selling novel written by author Patrick D. Smith, and published in 1984 by Pineapple Press. It is historical fiction set mostly in pioneer or "cracker" Florida. The story covers over a century of Florida history fr ...

'' * Cecil W. Stoughton, photographer for John F. Kennedy *

Günter Wendt Günter F. Wendt (also spelled Guenter Wendt; August 28, 1923 – May 3, 2010) was a German-born American mechanical engineer noted for his work in the U.S. human spaceflight program. An employee of McDonnell Aircraft and later North American ...

, engineer noted for his work in the U.S.

human spaceflight Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, often with the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be ...

program *

Arias Deukmedjian Arias Deukmedjian (born 25 November 2004) is an American racing driver of Korean and Armenian descent. A podium finisher in the Formula 4 United States Championship, he currently competes in the Italian F4 Championship and the ADAC F4 Champi ...

, racing driver

References

{{Authority control Census-designated places in Brevard County, Florida Landforms of Brevard County, Florida Populated places on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida Former islands of the United States Peninsulas of Florida