FSU President's Wife Visits Caldecott Grave

Published in The St. Augustine Record on January 10, 2011

Florida State University's first lady visited St. Augustine in December on a mission of continuing education, outreach and tourism. Highlights included a visit to Evergreen Cemetery, where Randolph Caldecott is buried; lunch at the Columbia Restaurant where a discussion centered around the historic Pena-Peck House and the Woman's Exchange and a walk through downtown St. Augustine.

Molly (Mrs. Eric) Barron was joined by Dawn Randle, chief of staff in the office of the president, on the visit to the Oldest City.

Caldecott was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in February 1886, and president Gwen Reichert and treasurer Allan Reichert, founding members of the Randolph Caldecott Society of America, greeted Barron and Randle and shared information about the 19th-century artist. Also in attendance were Caldecott member and FSU alumna, Mary Jane Little; FSU alumna Mollie Pellicer; and Flagler College student Chelsea Walsh, who plans to attend FSU's College of Communication and Information.

Barron placed a floral arrangement provided by Flowerworks owner and FSU mom Beca Cady on the gravesite at the conclusion of the visit.

At lunch, the group was joined by Margo Pope, an FSU Mom and past president of the Woman's Exchange; Nila Watson and Betty Crosby also FSU alumnae and members of the Exchange, as are Pellicer and Little. There the topic of discussion was the historic Pena-Peck House, co-located with the exchange at 143 St. George St. Pope said British Gov. Patrick Tonyn was the last British governor of Florida and lived in the Pena-Peck House at the time. A Tonyn letter is part of FSU's Special Collections (from Strozier Library) and was on display at an August reception and faculty lecture at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. The occasion was a reception with FSU alumni and friends. Pope thanked FSU dean of libraries Julia Zimmerman and Sammie Morris, special collections associate director, for providing a copy of the letter which will become part of the Pena-Peck House Tonyn exhibit. After lunch, Pellicer and Little provided a guided tour of the Pena-Peck House.

A walk through downtown St. Augustine followed that tour.