Julian Lane

Julian Barnes Lane (October 21, 1914 – May 4, 1997) was the forty-eighth mayor of Tampa, Florida, and later a member of the Florida Legislature.

Julian Barnes Lane
48th Mayor of Tampa
In office 1959–1963
Preceded by	Nick Nuccio
Succeeded by	Nick Nuccio
Florida House of Representatives
In office 1970–1972
Preceded by	Guy Spicola
Florida Senate
In office 1972–1976
Preceded by	Ray C. Knopke
Succeeded by	Betty Castor
Personal details
Born	October 21, 1914 Tampa, Florida
Died	May 4, 1997 (aged 82) Tampa, Florida
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Frances LaMotte
Profession	Business Executive
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1940-1946
Rank	Lieutenant colonel

Early life and education

Lane was born in Tampa, Florida, He grew up in the Seminole Heights neighborhood and graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa. Afterward, Lane attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Dutch Stanley and coach Josh Cody's Florida Gators football team from 1934 to 1936, and of which he was team captain in 1936.[1] He was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity (Alpha Omega Chapter). Lane graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1937, and would be inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "distinguished letter winner" in 1990.[2][3] After graduating from college, he would work for Firestone for the next three years.[4]

Wartime service and aftermath

After graduating from Florida, where he was also a member of ROTC, he became a commissioned officer in the United States Army. During World War II, he was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel, being stationed for a time in Bournemouth, England before being discharged on February 28, 1946. Upon returning to Tampa, he eventually became the president of the Tampa Bay Milk Producers.[5]

During Daniel T. McCarthy's 1952 gubernatorial election run, Lane would serve as McCarthy's campaign manager in Hillsborough County.[4]

Political career

In 1959, Lane campaigned against three other candidates for mayor and defeated Nick Nuccio in a run-off election. During his term, Lane faced a depleted treasury and a city budget of thirty million dollars. The municipal hospitals were unable to pay their bills and storm sewers were desperately needed after the havoc created by Hurricane Donna. Mayor Lane enforced stricter adherence to Civil Service hiring guidelines. He closed the Clara Frye Hospital for blacks and merged its services with the Tampa Municipal Hospital. Mayor Lane helped establish the Tampa Hospital Board and removed the hospitals from the city's direct administration.

During his term of office, Julian Lane and the City Council expanded the construction of storm and sanitary sewers and the pavement of over two hundred miles of streets. Construction of a new public library building was approved and Redland Baseball Field was completed replacing Plant Field. Improvements were made along the public beach on Davis Causeway and 12.7 acres of riverfront land was purchased along the Hillsborough River. The city also began the Maryland Avenue Urban Renewal Project and built Community Centers in Interbay, West Tampa, and Forrest Hills. Mayor Lane also appointed a committee to study the proposed construction of Tampa Stadium.

The Fire Department's manpower was increased by the addition of two hundred new firemen. There were also ninety-nine new fire hydrants installed in the City. In 1961, Lane supervised the transition when the City of Port Tampa and surrounding industrial areas were annexed into the City of Tampa.

At the end of Mayor Lane's term, in September 1963, the first black children were enrolled in traditionally white schools at Jackson Heights and Westshore Elementary Schools. He worked closely with the Bi-Racial Committee to facilitate peaceful integration of downtown businesses. The Tampa Tribune also worked with the mayor to help ensure that integration in Tampa was as orderly as possible.

Lane was defeated for re-election in 1963 by former mayor Nuccio, whom Lane had defeated in 1959.

Lane served terms as a state representative, from 1970 to 1972, and as a state senator, from 1972 to 1976.[5]

Retirement and legacy

Julian and his wife Frances Elizabeth LaMotte (1917-1998), had 4 children - Susan LaMotte Lane, Julian B. Lane Jr., Virginia Lane, and William Lane (d. 2012), and seven grandchildren.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Tampa.

Lane returned to Tampa to retire after his state political career. He died there in 1997; he was 82 years old. He is buried at Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Tampa.

The Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa is named for him. It underwent an extensive renovation during Mayor Bob Buckhorn's tenure and re-opened in 2018.

See also

• Florida Gators
• Florida Gators football, 1930–39
• List of Alpha Tau Omega brothers
• List of mayors of Tampa, Florida
• List of University of Florida alumni
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members

References

1. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 123 & 183 (2011). Retrieved August 30, 2011.
2. F Club, Hall of Fame, Distinguished Letterwinners. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
3. "Sports Briefs: UF Lettermen's Hall will induct four April 6," The Gainesville Sun, p. 4C (March 15, 1990). Retrieved July 24, 2011.
4. Mormino, Gary (September 15, 1981). Julian Lane Oral History Interview. p. 12.
5. "Julian Barnes Lane – 48th Mayor". City of Tampa Government. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2009.

Bibliography

• Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
• McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
• McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.