Five new members were inducted in the Florida FFA Hall of Fame on Sept. 30. The Hall of Fame inductees in 2013 are Thomas Barrineau (deceased), Robert Philpot Jr., Larry Reese, Edward Swindle and Jack Williams.
The induction ceremony took place at the Florida FFA Leadership Training Center near Haines City.
The Florida FFA Hall of Fame began in 2007 to pay tribute to those outstanding individuals who have helped make the Florida FFA Association the premier youth leadership organization in the state.
“We are proud to honor these wonderful leaders for their commitment and dedication to the Florida FFA over the years,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “Their efforts have helped the FFA in our state to better educate students, parents and entire communities about the importance of Florida’s agriculture industry.”
Florida FFA Foundation Board of Directors President Bill Hamm said, “These individuals are to be highly commended for their years of service and dedication to the enhancement of agricultural education and FFA.”
Some of the contributions of this year’s Florida FFA Hall of Fame inductees are as follows:
Thomas “Tom” Barrineau taught agriculture education in Florida Panhandle schools. Later, Barrineau mentored hundreds of local agriculture teachers for more than 30 years. He passed away in 1980.
Robert E. Philpot, Jr., taught agriculture education at Williston High School for 37 years before retiring in 2010. He trained national- and state-winning Career Development Event teams and taught seven students who served as State FFA officers.
Larry Dale Reese served as a vocational agriculture teacher at Santa Fe High School, area supervisor and executive secretary of Florida FFA. Reese later served as the supervisor of agricultural markets for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Reese retired in 2004.
O. Edward Swindle and his wife, Myrtle Lou, are active members of the Plant City community. In 2010, he received the Plant City Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year Award for his community work. Swindle has contributed much time and support over the years to Florida FFA.
Jack L. Williams taught agriculture at Baker County High School, where hundreds of young people learned to love and appreciate agriculture. He was awarded Baker County’s Teacher of the Year in 1975. Williams retired in 1996.
For more information regarding the 2013 Florida FFA Hall of Fame inductees, contact Florida FFA Foundation director Gary Bartley at 863-439-7332 x 6321 or ggbartley@hotmail.com.
