The first days of Sunland

The Florida Farm Colony for Epileptic and Feeble-Minded Children admitted its first patients in 1919-1920. Beginning with the 1937-1938 biennial report, the name of the institute was listed as the Florida Farm Colony for Epileptic and Mentally Deficient Children. Until 1957, the Florida Farm Colony was overseen by the Board of Commissioners of State Institutions under the Florida Cabinet. It existed as the only state institute for intellectually disabled children for almost 40 years.

The 1957 legislature re-organized the state institutions in response to the rapid growth of the state and the resulting increase in the number of state facilities. The legislature created a "State Division of Child Training Schools" and appointed Arthur Dozier the director. Dozier, up until this point, had been the superintendent of the Florida School for Boys at Marianna. In his new position, Dozier assumed responsibility for the State Schools for Girls at Ocala and Forest Hill, the Sunland Training Center at Gainesville, and the planned Sunland Center in Lee County (this became the Fort Myers Sunland). In addition, Dozier would direct a new correctional center for boys being constructed in Okeechobee.

All of these schools were renamed by act of the 1957 legislature. Thus the Sunland name came into existence.

Sources: The St Petersburg Times July 16, 1957
Photograph: taken from original document located at the Florida State Archives, Tallahassee.