Collection Index

In 1997, Dr. Charles Mahan, then dean of the USF College of Public Health, Sam Fustukjian, director of the USF Libraries, and Dr. E. Charlton Prather, a former Florida health officer, established the Florida Public Health Oral History Program. Dr. Prather interviewed administrators, physicians, laboratory managers, epidemiologists, nurses, and many other experts, prominent in the field of public health in Florida. The interviews were conducted at Florida Department of Health units in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach from 1997-2002. 

In this collection, the 60 interviewees discuss their motivation to pursue a career in the field, their education, the challenges and highlights of their jobs, and their determination to ensure the health of the people of Florida despite organizational upheaval and the vicissitudes of state politics.

Note: Audio files for all of the interviews are currently available online, but transcripts are not yet available for all interviews.  The Oral History team is working on the transcripts and the transcript pdfs will be added as they are completed.