Mr. Flagler’s St. Augustine

Acknowledgments

499 Acknowledgments For the better part of three years I spent many pleasant days reading blurry microfilm and scanning small type in old publications in the Research Library of the St. Augustine Historical Society. My constant companions and guides have been the very competent and knowledgeable staff of the library: Senior Research Librarian Charles Tingley, Chief Librarian Robert Nawrocki, and Assistant Librarian Debra Willis. Dr. Susan Parker, executive director of the St. Augustine Historical Society, has also been of invaluable help. At Flag­ ler College Peggy Dyess, interlibrary loan specialist, obtained many rare research materials, while archivist Christine Wysocki led me through the Henry Flag­ ler materials preserved at the college. Larry Weeks, director of business services, gave me access to the McGuire Letterbooks. Plant Superintendent Vic Cheney helped with college property. Susan Swiatosz, archivist at the Henry Morrison Flag­ ler Museum in Palm Beach, led me to important materials preserved there. Tracy Kamerer, chief curator , also made me welcome there. While in Palm Beach I was helped at the archives of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County by Debi Murray, chief curator. At the George A.Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, curator James Cusick directedmetomaterialsintheirholdings,andLaurieN.TayloroftheDigital Library Center supplied me with images. Illustrations credited to the Library of Congress are drawn from the online catalog of the Prints and Photographs Division. Sister Catherine Bitzer introduced me to the Historical Archives of the Diocese of St. Augustine at St. Joseph’s Convent. Ben DiBiase did the same at the Florida Historical Society Library in Cocoa. Dawn Hugh, archives manager at the HistoryMiami Archives and Research Center, sent me valuable Flag­ ler material from their collection. James A.Ponce Jr. supplied me with some previously unavailable Flag­ler letters. Others to whom I owe debts of gratitude are Richard Backlund, Beth Rogero Bowen, Seth Bramson, Karen Harvey, Kevin Kelshaw, John Nelson, Craig Pres­ ler, Tom Rahner, Jay Smith, and Joe Woods. 500 · Acknowledgments Gail Akin, widow of Dr. Ed Akin, provided me with some of the research materials gathered by her late husband in preparation for his scholarly biography Flag­ler: Rockefeller Partner and Florida Baron. These research notes were simply indispensable in the writing of my book. Finally, I am most deeply indebted to my wife Susan who is my constant companion and support as well as a critic with years of experience. The Historic St. Augustine Research Institute provided a grant to assist my research. A generous grant from the St. Augustine Foundation facilitated the publication of this book. ...