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Dr. Tigert kept saying, "Now this will make a wonderful golf
course. Well, that'll be fine. We'll accept the golf course."
I kept saying, "Dr. Tigert, he offered it for a botanical garden."
I don't think he ever heard me. He had that in mind for a golf
course.
P: Is this where the golf course is now?
L: No, you know where Manning lives?
P: Of course.
L: That area all back in there, it may have included Manning's home.
All back in there, out toward the Michigan Road, and there's
a pond back down in there.
P: I lived in that area and of course, Senator Shands applied. .
L: He bought the property.
P: He did?
L: He bought the property.
P: From Donahue?
L: After I left the university, I wrote to Bill Shands and told him
about the project. It would be a wonderful thing if he would
give that property to the university or let the university acquire
i:t and have a botanical garden of Florida native plants, flowering
plants and shrubs. He wrote back and said he'd already made plans
for using the property. But, in 1940 that property was offered
to the university for a botanical garden. Tigert appointed a
committee with two Percys, Percy Reed, Percy Beard. I've forgotten
whether I was a member of the committee, it never did meet.
P: Percy Reed and Percy Beard, not Percy Black.
L: No, no, Percy Black was not on it. I know you must have known
Percy Beard.
P: Oh, of course.
L: Did you know Percy Reed?
P: I knew Percy Reed and Percy Beard is my present back-door neighbor.
Beard lives right behind me now.