This fund was established in 2011 by a group of donors in memory of Sam Proctor to support lectures in Florida history at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida.

Sam was born in 1919 in Jacksonville, FL. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in history from the University of Florida in 1941 and 1942, respectively. Sam is the founding director of UF’s Oral History Program and the first University of Florida historian and archivist. He taught at UF for 50 years, starting in 1946.

Sam passed away in 2005.