Richard J. Wills Jr (born 3 August 1942) is a bishop of the United Methodist Church , elected in 2004.
70-616: He married Eileen (Willis) Wills on 12 June 1965. They have four children: Richard J. Wills III of Lakeland, Florida ; Suzanne Wills Hart of West Palm Beach, Florida ; Johanna Wills Clark of Orlando, Florida ; and Rebekah Wills Stephens of Sebring, Florida . Richard graduated in 1964 with a B.S. degree in Psychology from Florida Southern College . He earned an M.Div. degree from Candler School of Theology , Emory University in 1967. He has received Honorary Doctorates from Bethune-Cookman College and from Florida Southern. Rev. Wills
140-403: A Roman citizen enjoyed not only passive freedom from ownership, but active political freedom (libertas) , including the right to vote. A slave who had acquired libertas was known as a libertus ("freed person", feminine liberta ) in relation to his former master, who was called his or her patron ( patronus ) . As a social class, freed slaves were liberti , though later Latin texts used
210-507: A female householder with no husband present, and 39% were individuals and nontraditional families. About 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.82. In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
280-464: A large digital collection with over 7,000 images of the city of Lakeland, its landmarks, significant historical moments, cultural institutions, and prominent citizens. The LHR provides one-on-one assistance with historic research, a history lecture series with prominent local historians, a DIY Digitizing Lab for personal material preservation, and genealogical programs and resources. In 2019, an initiative led by Lakeland City Commissioner Phillip Walker,
350-408: A larger group), or self-purchase. A fugitive slave is a person who escaped enslavement by fleeing. Rome differed from Greek city-states in allowing freed slaves to become plebeian citizens . The act of freeing a slave was called manumissio , from manus , "hand" (in the sense of holding or possessing something), and missio , the act of releasing. After manumission , a slave who had belonged to
420-452: A number of other bodies of water unnamed, mostly phosphate mine pits that eventually filled with water. The largest of these is Lake Parker , which is 2,550 acres (10.3 km ) in size. Much of the culture of Lakeland revolves around its many lakes, and many people use the lakes as reference points in much the same way people in other towns use streets as reference points, such as "I live near Lake Beulah." In addition to Lake Parker, some of
490-529: A precedent whereby freedmen could be used as civil servants in the Roman bureaucracy . In addition, Claudius passed legislation concerning slaves, including a law stating that sick slaves abandoned by their owners became freedmen if they recovered. The emperor was criticized for using freedmen in the Imperial Courts. Some freedmen enjoyed enormous success and became quite wealthy. The brothers who owned House of
560-582: A product of the 1920s boom), Park Trammell Building (formerly the Lakeland Public Library and today the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), and others. The city also has several historic districts that have many large buildings built during the 1920s and 1940s. The Cleveland Indians held spring training there from 1923 to 1927 at Henley Field Ball Park . Parks were developed surrounding Lake Mirror, including Barnett Children's Park, Hollis Gardens, and
630-513: A routine traffic stop in the Wabash area of Lakeland. More than 500 police officers from a variety of law enforcement agencies joined in a search for Angilo Freeland, suspected of murdering Williams and stealing his gun. Freeland was found hiding in a rural area the next morning. Nine officers from five different law enforcement agencies surrounded Freeland and shot him when he raised Williams' stolen gun at them. A total of 110 shots were fired, and Freeland
700-426: Is a vocational school . Webster University offers on-site, regionally accredited graduate degree programs in business and counseling at their Lakeland Metropolitan Campus Freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery , usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of
770-830: Is a basketball team playing in the NBA G League and is an affiliate of the Orlando Magic . The Florida Tropics SC is an indoor soccer team playing in the Major Arena Soccer League . The Tropics organization also operates an outdoor team, the Lakeland Tropics, which competes in the Premier Development League . The Florida Tarpons were an indoor football team playing in the American Arena League for one season after relocating from Estero, Florida . In
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#1732883661831840-481: Is a special collections archive established in 1987 housed within the Lakeland Public Library 's main branch. The Lakeland History Room maintains the City's collection of historical materials as well as other locally relevant collections composed of documents, photographs, maps, building plans, audio/visual media, scrapbooks, specialty items like citrus crate labels, artwork, yearbooks, posters, and postcards. The LHR maintains
910-633: Is home to several colleges and universities. Lakeland Linder International Airport is in Lakeland as is the corporate headquarters of Publix , a supermarket chain. European-American settlers arrived in Lakeland from Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina in the 1870s. The city expanded in the 1880s with the arrival of rail service, with the first freedmen railway workers settling here in 1883. They and European immigrants also came because of land development opportunities with farming, citrus, cattle and phosphate industry developing. Lakeland
980-583: Is home to the 1,267-acre Circle B Bar Reserve (513 ha). In the 18th century Native Americans groups, collectively called " Seminoles ", moved into the areas left vacant. In 1823, the United States and the various tribes in Florida signed the Treaty of Moultrie Creek , which created a reservation in central Florida that included what is now Polk County. Starting in 1832, the United States government tried to move
1050-584: Is home to the Swaminarayan Hindu Temple , which was established in 2005. In 1994, the first and only mosque in the county was established. It was called Masjid Aisha, but is now called the Islamic Center of Lakeland. Christianity makes up the largest religious group in Lakeland. As of 2013, an estimated 300 churches existed with an address in the city. Lakeland is the largest city on Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa. Large industries in
1120-418: Is no longer the largest industry in the area, it still plays a large part in the economy of Lakeland and Polk County. Phosphate mining is still important to the economy of Lakeland, although most of the mining now takes place farther south. The Bone Valley produced 25% of the U.S. phosphate supply. Lakeland's largest employer is Publix Super Markets . Publix is one of the largest regional grocery chains in
1190-456: Is the largest university in the area, with undergraduate enrollment around 6200. Southeastern is affiliated with the Assemblies of God . Florida Southern College , established in 1883 and with a current undergraduate enrollment of just over 2600, is on Lake Hollingsworth . Florida Southern is the home of the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. In July 2008,
1260-479: Is used extensively on the campus. The concrete blocks he used are in need of restoration. Wright titled the project Child of the Sun , describing his Florida Southern buildings as being "out of the ground, into the light, a child of the sun." It is the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world, and attracts 30,000 visitors each year. In 1975, the "Florida Southern Architectural District"
1330-562: The American Civil War . They supported the Confederacy during the war, supplying some warriors in the West, as they were promised their own state if the Confederacy won. After the end of the war, the U.S. required these tribes to make new peace treaties, and to emancipate their African slaves. They were required to offer full citizenship in their tribes to those freedmen who wanted to stay with
1400-771: The Arab - Muslim world . They also enslaved Europeans (known as Saqaliba ), as well as Caucasian and Turkic peoples, from coastal areas of the Mediterranean Region , the Balkans , Central Asia , and the Eurasian steppes . The offspring of Mamluks were regarded as Muslim freedmen, and hence excluded from the Arab-Muslim slave trade; they were known as the awlād al-nās ("sons of respectable people"), who either fulfilled scribal and administrative functions or served as commanders of
1470-853: The Atlantic slave trade . The slaves of the Eastern slave trade came mainly from Sub-Saharan Africa , Northwestern Africa , Southern Europe , Slavic countries , the Caucasus , and the Indian subcontinent , and were imported by the Arab-Muslim slave traders into the Middle East and North Africa , the Horn of Africa , and the islands of the Indian Ocean . For centuries, Arab-Muslim slave traders took and transported an estimated 10 to 15 million native Africans to slavery throughout
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#17328836618311540-621: The Lakeland Derby Dames ; however, the team was dissolved in November 2015. The Lakeland Center also hosts the Florida High School Athletic Association 's state basketball finals. Lakeland is governed by a six-member city council. Four members are elected from single-member districts ; the other two are elected at-large , requiring them to gain a majority of the votes. The mayor is elected. The City of Lakeland
1610-520: The Lakeland Municipal Airport . In 1938, Florida Southern College President Ludd Spivey invited architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design a "great education temple in Florida." Wright worked on the project for over 20 years as Spivey found ways to fund it and find construction workers during World War II . Wright's original plan called for 18 structures; in total he designed 30, but only 12 were completed. Wright's textile block motif
1680-550: The early Muslim conquests throughout the Arab - Muslim world from the 7th to the 20th centuries, peaking in the 18th and 19th centuries. This term, which covers the Arab-Muslim slave trade, is symmetrical with the term "Western slave trade", which refers to the triangular trade on the Western coasts of Africa that supplied the European colonization of the Americas , and which includes
1750-534: The "Civil War Amendments" or the " Reconstruction Amendments ". To help freedmen transition from slavery to freedom, including a free labor market, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln created the Freedmen's Bureau , which assigned agents throughout the former Confederate states. The Bureau also founded schools to educate freedmen, both adults and children; helped freedmen negotiate labor contracts; and tried to minimize violence against freedmen. The era of Reconstruction
1820-780: The 1980s, the Lakeland Center briefly played host to the indoor version of the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team. The Lakeland Center has also hosted a few hockey teams, the Lakeland Ice Warriors, the Lakeland Prowlers, and the Lakeland Loggerheads. The United States Basketball League once had a team here as well called the Lakeland Blue Ducks . Sun 'n Fun was home to Lakeland's only roller derby league,
1890-530: The Confederacy —states in rebellion and not under the control of the Union —to be permanently free. It did not end slavery in the four border states that had stayed in the Union. African slavery elsewhere was abolished by state action or with the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in December 1865. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 , passed over the veto of U.S. President Andrew Johnson , gave
1960-790: The General Board of Discipleship for twelve years. He was a member of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy (1996-2004). He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Bethune-Cookman College (1995-2000). He held many other local and regional offices, as well. Rev. Wills was elected a delegate to the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference and the General Conference of the U.M. Church 1988-2004, leading his delegation in 2000, and 2004. He
2030-402: The Lakeland area are citrus, cattle, and phosphate mining . In the past few decades, tourism, medicine, insurance, transportation, and music have grown in importance. Citrus growing dates back to the early settlers who planted trees in the area, in the 1850s. After a series of freezes in counties north of Polk County, the area became the focal point for citrus growing in Florida. Although citrus
2100-533: The NYPD, and one new hire used to work in the NYPD's notorious anti-crime units which were disbanded after high-profile scandals. The 28 elementary schools, seven middle schools, five traditional high schools, and three magnet-choice high schools in the Lakeland area are run by the Polk County School Board . A number of opportunities exist for higher education around the Lakeland area. Southeastern University
2170-719: The Seminoles in Florida west to the Indian Territory . Most of the Seminoles resisted, resulting in the Second Seminole War , 1835–1842. By the end of that war, most of the Seminoles had been sent west, with a few remnants pushed well south of what is now Polk County. Florida became a state in 1845, and Polk County was established in 1861. After the American Civil War , the county seat was established southeast of Lakeland in Bartow . While most of Polk County's early history centered on
Richard J. Wills Jr - Misplaced Pages Continue
2240-537: The South via military districts enacted by the Reconstruction Acts ; they protected freedmen in voting polls and public facilities from violence and intimidation by white Southerners, which were common throughout the region. The Cherokee Nation , Choctaw Nation , Chickasaw Nation , Seminole Nation of Oklahoma , and Creek Nation were among those Native American tribes that held enslaved Africans before and during
2310-509: The United Kingdom and Europe voluntarily, planning to settle in Australia, some as pastors and missionaries, others seeking to make a living by trade or farming. When convicts finished their sentence, they were freed and referred to as "freedmen" or "freed men". However, many of these who were freed wanted to claim the label "free men". But those who had come freely to Australia wanted to reserve
2380-570: The United States with over 1,200 stores across the American South . Publix employs over 6,500 people in the Lakeland area including headquarter and warehouse employees. Lakeland is a transportation hub. FedEx Freight and FedEx Services and the Saddle Creek Corporation employ over 600 people in the area. Other large employers in the area include Amazon , GEICO , Rooms To Go , and Lakeland Regional Health. The Lakeland History Room
2450-652: The University of South Florida's Lakeland campus was granted partial autonomy by Governor Charlie Crist and became Florida Polytechnic University. Florida Polytechnic (FLPoly) is just inside the Lakeland's northeast border at the intersection of I-4 and Polk Parkway. They also have some administrative offices on the campus of Polk State College on Winter Lake Road. FLPoly is focused on STEM degree programs, such as engineering and computer science. Both Everest University and Keiser University , two multisite, accredited universities, have locations in Lakeland. Traviss Career Center
2520-570: The Vettii , one of the biggest and most magnificent houses in Pompeii , are thought to have been freedmen. A freedman who became rich and influential might still be looked down on by the traditional aristocracy as a vulgar nouveau riche . Trimalchio , a character in the Satyricon of Petronius , is a caricature of such a freedman. The term "Eastern slave trade" refers to the Arab slave trade that supplied
2590-609: The capture of two of the royal swans, and the swans now on the lakes of Lakeland are the descendants of the one surviving royal swan sent by the Queen. In July 2006, Scott Lake, one of the city's lakes, was almost totally drained by a cluster of sinkholes . Later the lake partially refilled. Lakeland, like most other parts of Florida north of Lake Okeechobee , is in the humid subtropical zone ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa ). Typically, summers are hot and humid with high temperatures seldom dropping below 90 °F and 70 °F for
2660-504: The city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal city of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area . Lakeland is situated among several lakes including Lake Morton downtown and is sometimes locally referred to by the nickname "Swan City" due to its sizeable population of swans, all of whom are descendants of two mute swans given to Lakeland by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Lakeland
2730-517: The city has an area of 67 sq mi (173.5 km ), of which 45.84 sq mi (118.7 km ) is land and 5.61 sq mi (14.5 km ) (10.90%) is covered by water. Lakeland is within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain , with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills. The dominant feature in Lakeland is the city's many lakes. Thirty-eight lakes are named, with
2800-500: The city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 97,422 people, 40,529 households, and 24,654 families residing in the city. Between 2008–2012, the per capita income was $ 23,817 and the median household income was $ 40,284. Persons below the poverty line in 2008–2012 were 17.5% according to the US Census. As of 2000, 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had
2870-404: The formerly enslaved peoples full citizenship in the United States , though this did not guarantee them voting rights. The 14th Amendment made "All persons born or naturalized in the United States" citizens of the United States. The 15th Amendment gave voting rights to all adult males; only adult males had the franchise among White Americans . The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are known as
Richard J. Wills Jr - Misplaced Pages Continue
2940-449: The more prominent lakes in the Lakeland area are Lake Hollingsworth , Lake Morton , Lake Mirror, and Lake Gibson . Swans are one of the most visible features on the lakes near downtown Lakeland. They have a long history, the first swans appearing around 1923. By 1954, the swans were gone, eradicated by alligators and pets. A Lakeland resident who mourned the passing of the swans wrote to Queen Elizabeth II . The royal family allowed
3010-488: The nation, the Florida peninsula was used as a launching point for military forces in the war. The then small town of Lakeland housed over 9,000 troops. The 10th Cavalry Regiment , one of the original Buffalo Soldier regiments, were housed on the banks of Lake Wire. Soon after being stationed there, the black troops faced conflict with the local white population. In one event, a local druggist refused to sell to black soldiers and an argument ensued which eventually escalated to
3080-631: The newest, Allen Kryger Park. The "boom" period went "bust" quickly, and years passed before the city recovered. Part of the reemergence was due to the arrival of the Detroit Tigers baseball team in 1934 for spring training. The Tigers still train at Lakeland's Joker Marchant Stadium and own the city's Class A Florida State League team, the Lakeland Flying Tigers . In the mid-1930s, the Works Progress Administration built
3150-653: The non-Mamluk ḥalqa troops, serving the ruling Arab and Ottoman dynasties in the Muslim world . In the history of the United States , the terms "freedmen" and "freedwomen" refer chiefly to former African slaves emancipated during and after the American Civil War by the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution . African slaves freed before the war (usually by individual manumissions , often in wills ) were generally referred to as "free Negroes" or "free Blacks". In addition, there
3220-700: The north of the island. Some went first to Spanish-ruled Cuba , from where they immigrated to New Orleans in 1808 and 1809 after being expelled when Napoleon invaded Spanish territories in Western Europe . Many brought slaves with them. Their numbers strengthened the French-speaking community of enslaved African peoples, as well as the free people of color. Other refugees from Saint-Domingue settled in Charleston , Savannah , and New York . The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 declared all enslaved peoples in
3290-679: The original group). In addition to arguing that the post-Civil War treaties gave them citizenship, the freedmen have argued that the Dawes Rolls were often inaccurate, recording as freedmen even those individuals who had partial Cherokee ancestry and were considered Cherokee by blood. The Choctaw freedmen and Creek freedmen have similarly struggled with their respective tribes over the terms of citizenship in contemporary times. The tribes have wanted to limit those who can benefit from tribal citizenship, in an era in which gaming casinos are yielding considerable revenues for members. The majority of members of
3360-440: The overnight low. Like most of Central Florida, afternoon thunderstorms are the norm throughout the summer. Winters in Lakeland are drier and warm, with frequent sunny skies. High temperatures range in the mid 70s during the day, with lows in the 50s. Cold snaps drop temperatures below freezing twice a year on average. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 112,641 people, 41,750 households, and 24,433 families residing in
3430-662: The pastor of the Englewood U.M.C. in 1978, and the senior pastor of Christ Church United Methodist , Fort Lauderdale from 1986 to 2004. Rev. Wills was also very involved in Annual Conference and General Church responsibilities. He chaired his conference's Board of Ordained Ministry (1984-1988), also serving as a member (1980-1988 and 2002–2004). He was on the Terring Committee of the Large Church Initiative of
3500-616: The point where the druggist brandished a pistol. The soldiers shot the druggist before he could fire, which resulted in two of the troops being arrested. The Florida boom resulted in the construction of many significant structures in Lakeland, a number of which are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places . This list includes the Terrace Hotel, New Florida Hotel (Regency Tower, currently Lake Mirror Tower), Polk Theatre , Frances Langford Promenade , Polk Museum of Art (not
3570-613: The population, while German came up as the third-most spoken language, which made up 0.8%, and French was fourth, with 0.5% of the population. In 1913, the Wolfson family arrived from Lithuania and became the first Jewish settlers to the area. After some struggles, the Jewish community in Lakeland flourished and the first synagogue, Temple Emanuel opened in 1932. The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute presents classes and seminars in Lakeland in partnership with Chabad of Lakeland. Lakeland
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#17328836618313640-423: The project is currently underway and it is unknown when the project will be completed. Joker Marchant Stadium , north of downtown, hosts spring training for the Detroit Tigers , as well as their Lakeland Flying Tigers class-A Florida State League and GCL Tigers rookie-league Gulf Coast League minor league baseball teams. RP Funding Center is also home to two indoor sports teams. The Lakeland Magic
3710-541: The reason for his decision was that the neurosurgeon who performed his surgery, "indicates my lifestyle (travel and a lot of sitting) is contributing to my ongoing pain and discomfort." Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida , United States. Located along I-4 east of Tampa and west of Orlando , it is the most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release,
3780-556: The school (renamed the Lodwick School of Aeronautics in the midst of this period). From June 1941 until October 1942, 1,327 British Royal Air Force cadets trained at the Lakeland facility. The Lodwick School of Aeronautics closed in 1945. The airport ceased flight operations in the 1960; the site has since then housed the Detroit Tigers ' "Tiger Town" baseball complex. According to the United States Census Bureau ,
3850-465: The terms libertus and libertini interchangeably. Libertini were not entitled to hold public office or state priesthoods , nor could they achieve legitimate senatorial rank . During the early Empire, however, freedmen held key positions in the government bureaucracy, so much so that Hadrian limited their participation by law. Any future children of a freedman would be born free, with full rights of citizenship. The Claudian Civil Service set
3920-450: The tribes have voted to limit membership. Descendants of freedmen, however, maintain that their rights to citizenship granted under the post-Civil War treaties should be restored. In 2017, the Cherokee freedmen were granted citizenship again in the tribe. Many convicted people from the United Kingdom were sentenced to be transported to Australia between 1788 and 1868. Also, many came from
3990-560: The tribes. Numerous families had intermarried by that time or had other personal ties. If freedmen left the tribes, they would become U.S. citizens. In the late 20th century, the Cherokee Nation voted for restrictions on membership to only those descendants of people listed as "Cherokee by blood" on the Dawes Rolls of the early 20th century, a decision that excluded most Cherokee Freedmen (by that time this term referred to descendants of
4060-440: The two cities of Bartow and Fort Meade , eventually, people entered the areas in northern Polk County and began settling in the areas which became Lakeland. Lakeland was first settled in the 1870s, and began to develop as the rail lines reached the area in 1884. Freedmen settled here in 1883, starting development of what became the African-American neighborhood of Moorehead. Lakeland was incorporated January 1, 1885. The town
4130-495: Was ordained a Deacon in the Florida Annual Conference of The Methodist Church in 1965. He was ordained an Elder in 1969. He was appointed pastor of the Crystal Lake Methodist / U.M. Church , Lakeland, Florida, from 1967 to 71. He was pastor of the Mandarin U.M.C. , Jacksonville, Florida , 1971-75. In 1975, Rev. Wills was appointed Associate Council Director on the Conference Council of Ministries, Florida Annual Conference, serving in this capacity until 1978. He became
4200-676: Was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $ 16,119, and for a family was $ 17,468. Males had a median income of $ 14,137 versus $ 9,771 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,760. About 47% of families and 35% of the population were below the poverty line , including 97% of those under age 18 and 9% of those age 65 or over. As of 2000, those who spoke only English at home accounted for 91% of all residents, while 9% spoke other languages at home. The most significant were Spanish speakers who made up 6.4% of
4270-524: Was J.W. Trammell. The first female mayor was Lois Q. Searl, who served in 1965. The 1970 municipal election placed the first African-American on the City Commission, Dr. John S. Jackson . In 1972, he became the first black mayor for the city. In 1980, Carrie R. Oldham became Lakeland's first African-American female mayor. Since 1988, the mayor has been elected by the city's voters. On September 28, 2006, Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Vernon "Matt" Williams and his K-9 partner Diogi were shot and killed after
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#17328836618314340-428: Was a population of African Americans born free. In addition, there were sizable communities of free peoples of African descent in the French Caribbean colonies , such as Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) and Guadeloupe . Due to the violence of the Haitian Revolution , many free people of color, who were originally part of the revolution, fled the island as refugees after being attacked by slave rebels , particularly in
4410-584: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012, Wright's campus was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service . At the beginning of World War II , the Lakeland School of Aeronautics —headquartered at the recently built Lakeland Municipal Airport —became part of a nationwide network of civilian flight schools enjoined for the war effort by the United States Army Air Corps . Between 1940 and 1945, more than 8,000 Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces cadets trained on two-seater Stearman PT-17 and PT-13 biplanes at
4480-429: Was an attempt to establish new governments in the former Confederacy and to bring freedmen into society as voting citizens. Northern church bodies, such as the American Missionary Association and the Free Will Baptists , sent teachers to the South to assist in educating freedmen and their children, and eventually established several colleges for higher education. U.S. Army occupation soldiers were stationed throughout
4550-411: Was elected to the episcopacy at the 2004 Jurisdictional Conference, having been endorsed by the Florida Conference delegation. He was assigned to the Nashville Episcopal Area (the Tennessee and Memphis Annual Conferences). Bishop Wills took volunteer early retirement on September 1, 2011. He announced his retirement 16 months after having back surgery. He said in a letter to the conference that
4620-455: Was established to organize and advise the City in the design, content, and construction of the exhibit. The Lakeland Public Library was eventually chosen as the location of the future exhibit space due to its central location within the city, its status as a community hub, and because it was the current home of the city's local archive, the Lakeland History Room, which would be expanded into the Lakeland History and Culture Center. Construction on
4690-453: Was first presented to the City Commission to create the City's first History and Culture Center. The project was unanimously approved by the Commission and funds were allocated for the project's construction; although, the exhibit's content design would be funded by local donations and grant funding. An advisory committee made up of educators, city officials, local business owners, and civic and community leaders, led by former Mayor Gow Fields ,
4760-429: Was founded by Abraham Munn (a resident of Louisville, Kentucky ), who purchased 80 acres (320,000 m ) of land in what is now downtown Lakeland in 1882 and platted the land for the town in 1884. Lakeland was named for the many lakes near the town site. In April 1898, the Spanish–American War began and started a crucial point in Lakeland's development. While the war ended quickly and had little effect on most of
4830-420: Was hit 68 times, killing him instantly. Multiple investigations concluded the officers' use of force was justified. Deputy Williams and Diogi were laid to rest on October 3, 2006, after a funeral that included a one-hour-and-45-minute procession to Auburndale . In 2021, the Lakeland Police Department hired numerous former NYPD officers. Two of the new hires failed to disclose that they had been disciplined by
4900-451: Was incorporated on January 1, 1885. The mayor is one of seven members of the City Commission, acting as the board chair and performing mostly ceremonial and procedural duties beyond the powers of the other six. Prior to 1988, the City Commission selected Lakeland's mayor from among its members. Mayors can be on the board for up to 12 years in a lifetime, or 16 years in combination with holding a regular commission position. Lakeland's first mayor
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