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FL H8023
Resolution
Status
Introduced
4/8/2025
Primary Sponsor
Wyman Duggan
Click for details
AI Summary
- Recognizes May 15, 2025, as "Josiah T. Walls Day" in Florida, honoring the 120th anniversary of his death
- Josiah T. Walls, likely born enslaved on December 30, 1842, in Virginia, enlisted in the Union Army in July 1863 and rose to the rank of Sergeant Major in the United States Colored Troops
- Walls became the first Black Floridian elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1870, serving in the 42nd Congress and winning reelection in 1872 and 1874, introducing at least 51 bills during his tenure
- As a congressman, Walls secured 90,000 acres of land for the Florida Agricultural College, which eventually became the University of Florida, and championed railroad construction, harbor improvements, and mail route expansions for the state
- Walls also served in the Florida House of Representatives, Florida Senate, and Alachua County Commission, and later administered the farm at what is now Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Legislative Description
Josiah T. Walls Day
Last Action
Adopted by Publication
4/16/2025
Full Bill Text
No bill text available