History of Forman Field, Home of
Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center

In 1910, when Hamilton McLure Forman and Blanche Collins Forman boarded the Florida East Coast Railway, they left behind the security of Illinois for the land boom in Davie.  According to their son Charles Forman, there were approximately 150 to 200 people in the greater Fort Lauderdale area.  The area that Ham and Blanche settled, pitching their tent for a couple years along the North New River Canal, would later become the site of the South Florida Education Center, http://sfec.org which includes the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center.

Besides no roads until 1917, dengue fever and malaria were commonly carried by the hoards of mosquitoes.After nearly half a century of successful farming, Ham persuaded the Florida Legislature to create in 1949 the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District, later renamed the South Florida Water Management District.

During World War II, the Formans made available to the U.S. Navy the 545 acres used for Forman Field, an air naval training base.  After the War, Ham received a firm commitment from Senator George Smathers, with support of Senator Spessard Holland and Congressman Paul Rogers, that the land would never be used for anything other than education.  While the General Services Administration wanted to sell the property, the pledge to the Formans was maintained.  Through eventual transfer to the Department of Health Education, and Welfare, and long-term leases, construction on the property of the SFEC began in 1962.

The dream was carried out first by Dean Dessenberger, Chair of the Broward County School Board.  On March 10, 1960, Dessenberger proposed development of Forman Field into a complex of schools extending from first grade through university, which he proposed be called South Florida Educational Park, the first name for the SFEC.  Through efforts of the school board, an ambitious campus of experimental schools was developed, the Nova schools.  This was followed by the private university, Nova University, Broward Community College (BCC), and in 1968 by the University of Florida.  In the late 1980s Florida International University began operations on the campus of BCC, and by 1994 Florida Atlantic University constructed the first of two 5-story towers for academic education and research.

Dr. Charles Forman was personally responsible, along with concerned farmers, that the property of the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center would be used for agricultural research.  To this end, he and others contributed money and completed the applications to the former Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and to the General Services Administration, to ensure that agricultural research would be conducted.  The Fort Lauderdale REC was then moved to Forman Field in 1968 from its former location at the Peters Farm property, presently Plantation Heritage Park managed by Broward County.

Sources

Allen, Jean.  1962.  Education center opens first doors:  A school like no other in the nation.  Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel.  January 14, 1962.

Forman, Charles.  1979.  The Forman family:  Everglades pioneers.  Broward Legacy 3(nos. 3-4):  2-9

Copies of original applications to HEW, GSA.