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John L. Ducker Collection

 Collection
Identifier: SC-091

Scope and Contents

Series I: Research Files, 1957-2001, includes pamphlets, press releases, invitations, event programs, reports, meeting records, minutes, and miscellaneous documents arranged within their respective subject category.

Series II: Correspondence, 1956-1990, includes incoming and outgoing letters to, from, and about John L. Ducker; incoming letters to the relatives of John L. Ducker; and miscellaneous correspondence.

Series III: Clippings, 1949-1990, includes newspaper, magazine, and newsletter clippings with articles pertaining to the interests of John L. Ducker arranged within their subject category.

Series IV: Certificates, 1946-2007, contains over sixty certificates John L. Ducker received from 1946 to 2007. The items are arranged chronologically by date.

Series V: Medical Documents, 1976-1977, the documents of John L. Ducker's tumor surgery he underwent in 1977, including appointment cards, correspondence between doctors, medical receipts and billing. The documents are arranged chronologically by date.

Series VI: Photographs, 1963-2004, Senator John L. Ducker collected photographic prints over the course of his long career of service to the state of Florida. Individuals include such as Margaret H. Thatcher, Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole, Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich, Norman Schwarzkopf, Mikhail Gorbachev, Louis Sheldon, Claude Kirk, and United States Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.

Series VII: Wills and Estates, 1952-1991, the attorney work of John L. Ducker and that is Last Wills and Testaments, but also includes miscellaneous papers, correspondence between clients, postcards and will drafts. The documents are arranged in alphabetical order.

Series VIII: Scrapbook, 1864, 1943-1970, consists of a scrapbook created by John L. Ducker documents his activities mainly from 1943 through 1970; including awards, certificates, clippings, correspondence, and photographs. Items that were loose in the scrapbook have been removed for preservation and placed in acid free envelopes.

Series IX: Ephemera, 1863, 1968, Undated, includes a large patch for the Florida State Senate, commemorative copy of the Gettysburg Address, and a plate from the 1968 Republican National Convention held in Miami, Florida.

Dates

  • created: 1863-2007

Conditions Governing Access

The entire collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Biographical or Historical Information

Former Florida Senator John Lackner Ducker was born in Fort Thomas, Kentucky on September 3, 1922. He received his bachelor's degree in arts from Yale University in 1944, as well as his law degree in 1951; in addition, Ducker also served in the United States Army, eventually achieving the rank of Second Lieutenant, Signal Corps, during World War II. He had an early familiarity with Florida that was owed to his family owning property in Fort Myers in the 1920's and 1930's, and he later maintained a legal practice in Orlando. An active politician on behalf of the Republican Party, Ducker would come to serve in the Florida House of Representatives from 1960-1968 prior to his election to its Senate, on which he remained until 1971. He enjoyed traveling all over the world, he visited every continent including Antarctica. He was a member of the Episcopal Church, Phi Beta Kappa, Orange County Young Republicans Clubs, American Legion, Bar Association of Florida, Sportsmen's Association, Chamber of Commerce, and Boy Scouts. Due to his poor health, he passed away in Longwood, Florida on April 15, 2014. The memorial service was held in Episcopal Church of the Resurrection on May 7, 2014.

Extent

6.25 Linear Feet (8 Boxes, 1 Flat File)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection is comprised of research files, correspondence, news clippings, certificates, medical records, photographs, and a scrapbook that belonged to attorney and politician John L. Ducker, who was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1960-1968 and the Florida state Senate from 1968-1971. Items in the collection pertain to his personal activities, in addition to his longtime interest in politics, world and local events of the day, as well as legal affairs. John L. Ducker was one of the sponsors of the legislation establishing Florida Technological University (FTU) what is now University of Central Florida (UCF). The entire collection is open for research.

Arrangement Note

The collection consists of materials related to former Senator John L. Ducker's personal, professional, and political life. Among these materials are his research files; correspondence, to, from, and about Ducker; newspaper and newsletter clippings pertaining to his interests; certificates and awards he received during his political career; medical documents related to his tumor surgery he underwent in 1977; personal and event photographs from meetings; wills & estates, the attorney work of John L. Ducker including correspondence between clients, postcards, and will drafts; a scrapbook documents his activities mainly from 1943 to 1970; and ephemeras such as large patch for the Florida State Senate, commemorative copy of the Gettysburg Address, and a plate from the 1968 Republican National Convention held in Miami, Florida.

Method of Acquisition

Stuart R. Ducker donated these materials to the University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives in 2012 (CFM2012_03).

Related Materials

For information on other Florida history collections, please visit our website.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in pH neutral folders and boxes. Processed by Suphi Burak Ogreten, Alexa DeCristofaro, Hannah Baumann, and Megan Humphries; finding aid prepared by Suphi Burak Ogreten

Title
John L. Ducker Collection
Author
Suphi Burak Ogreten
Date
00/00/2016
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the UCF Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Special Collections & University Archives
University of Central Florida Libraries
P.O. Box 162666
Orlando Florida 32816-2666 US
(407) 823-2576