Join the St. Petersburg Museum of History on Thursday, May 12 as the museum, UPC Insurance and Florida Humanities welcomes Dr. Gary Mormino and his presentation, “Dreams in the New Century: Instant Cities, Shattered Hopes and Florida’s Turning Point,” with a special book signing.

Gary Mormino is an author of a wide range of academic and popular books. Immigrants on the Hill (University of Illinois press, 1986) won the Howard Marraro Prize as the outstanding book in Italian history. The Immigrant World of Ybor City (University of Illinois Press, 1987) received the Theodore Saloutos Prize for the outstanding book in ethnic-immigration history. In addition, two of his articles have received prizes for the best writing in Florida history. He has written for the St. Petersburg Times, Orlando Sentinel, and Miami Herald.

Almost two decades ago, Mormino began to research a social history of modern Florida. Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida was published in the spring of 2005 by the University Press of Florida. Readers have called it a seminal study in state history. In 2006, the Florida Historical Society awarded the book the Charlton Tebeau Prize. Dr. Mormino received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina and has taught at USF since 1977. In 2003,  Florida Humanities named him its first Humanist of the Year.