Jacksonville
The Consolidation Story, from Civil Rights to the Jaguars
In the 1950s and “60s Jacksonville faced daunting problems. Critics described city government as boss-ridden, expensive, and corrupt. African Americans challenged racial segregation, and public high schools were disaccredited. The St. Johns River and its tributaries were heavily polluted. Downtown development had succumbed to suburban sprawl. Consolidation, endorsed by an almost two-to-one majority in 1967, became the catalyst for change. The city’s decision to consolidate with surrounding Duval County began the transformation of this conservative, Deep South, backwater city into a prosperous, mainstream metropolis. James B. Crooks introduces readers to preconsolidation Jacksonville and then focuses on three major issues that confronted the expanded city: racial relations, environmental pollution, and the revitalization of downtown. He shows the successes and setbacks of four mayors—Hans G. Tanzler, Jake Godbold, Tommy Hazouri, and Ed Austin—in responding to these issues. He also compares Jacksonville’s experience with that of another Florida metropolis, Tampa, which in 1967 decided against consolidation with surrounding Hillsborough County. Consolidation has not been a panacea for all the city’s ills, Crooks concludes. Yet the city emerges in the 21st century with increased support for art and education, new economic initiatives, substantial achievements in downtown renewal, and laudable efforts to improve race relations and address environmental problems. Readers familiar with Jacksonville over the last 40 years will recognize events like the St. Johns River cleanup, the building of the Jacksonville Landing, the ending of odor pollution, and the arrival of the Jaguars NFL franchise. During the administration of Mayor Hazouri from 1987 to 1991, Crooks was Jacksonville historian-in-residence at City Hall. Combining observations from this period with extensive interviews and documents (including a cache of files from the mezzanine of the old City Hall parking garage that contained 44 cabinets of letters, memos, and reports), he has written an urban history that will fascinate scholars of politics and governmental reform as well as residents of the First Coast city. A volume in the Florida History and Culture Series, edited by Raymond Arsenault and Gary R. Mormino
A well-crafted case study of urban rebirth in the South. . . . Balanced and thoughtful.’—Choice ‘A brilliant narrative that explains how the city has grown from a small cow town on the narrowest portion of the St. Johns River to a major metropolis in the sun belt.’—H-Net ‘Crooks, the historian-in-residence during the administration of Jacksonville mayor Tommy Hazouri (1987–1991), was in an excellent position to observe community development at close range. His experiences and insights are quite evident in this solidly researched study.’—Journal of American History ‘A reminder of just how backward a city Jacksonville was in many ways in the 1950s and 1960s.’—Florida Times-Union ‘Particularly useful for its examination of how blacks viewed their prospects in this ‘Bold New City’ and how civil rights activists pressed their claims within the new consolidated government. . . . A primer for those concerned about southern growth in the twenty-first century.’—Journal of Southern History ‘In 1967, voters in Jacksonville and the suburban areas of Duval County supported a successful city-county consolidation that transformed Jacksonville into Florida’s largest city. James Crook’s detailed study of Jacksonville before and after the consolidation provides a wealth of information and insight about the community.’—Florida Historical Quarterly
A fascinating account of how the city of Jacksonville met the major challenges of the last half of the 20th century, from those posed by race relations to downtown development to the environment. Crooks has provided a well-written, clear, and thoughtful analysis of the need for and movement to establish a consolidated government, and the early years of that government. His understanding of Jacksonville and of the times is impressive.'—Joan S. Carver, Jacksonville University
James B. Crooks, emeritus professor of history at the University of North Florida, is the author of Jacksonville After the Fire, 1901-1919: A New South City, Politics and Progress: The Rise of Urban Progressivism in Baltimore, and Creating a University: University of North Florida Faculty and Staff Remember 35 Years.
