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Robert T. "Bob" Caldwell Alumni Collection, 1938-1942

 

Summary

Extent:
1.08 Linear Feet 1 Standard Banker's Box
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains the bugle used by Mr. Caldwell during his student years at FSC, as well as two framed photos of him playing the bugle. Also included is a link to the transcripts of an oral history interview conducted by the college archivist in 2013.

Biographical / historical:

Robert T. "Bob" Caldwell attended Florida Southern College from 1938-1942. He was best known as "The Bugle Boy of FSC," as he blew the bugle for the college at 6:30 every morning before the start of classes, and then throughout the day to signal the end of one class period and the beginning of the next. He also blew taps every night at 10:30.

Robert is from Mulberry, Florida, and he first came to Florida Southern when he was 16. He was put to work pouring concrete into the forms during the construction of the first Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings, specifically the three seminars. In lieu of pay, he was given credit for college, which he could then apply when he was admitted upon his graduation from high school.

While working on the buildings, he had an opportunity to observe Frank Lloyd Wright in action. He related one story during an oral history interview: "Frank Lloyd Wright, was a, strange sort of person. I know one day there was a lot of hangover on one, along the side of the building [Annie Pfeiffer Chapel] coming this way I guess. And one day when he was here, while the engineering officer who was in charge of the construction said to, to Mr. Wright, "You have this information about this hangover in here, you got ah, but there's no definite instruction about how we tie it into the main building." I'm not going to say what he [Frank Lloyd Wright] said back. But in order to get his point across he said, "I draw the pictures, you're the engineer you figure it out." He was a very tough man to talk …"

Bob initially majored in industrial arts, however, by his senior year he had decided he wanted to be a pilot. He was sponsored by the U.S. Navy, and took his training at the old Lodwick Field north of downtown Lakeland. Upon graduation, he went on active duty with the Navy and flew combat in the Pacific Theater. He remained in the Navy after the war, becoming a career officer. He earned a masters degree in education administration from Auburn University, where he also taught ROTC.

After 22 years in the Navy, including service in Key West during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he worked for the State of Florida under the supervision of Roger Williams, who had once been his professor at FSC, and was now the state director of vocational-technical and adult education. During his time in this department, they built 37 vocational technical centers and instituted technical associate in science degree programs in the community colleges. They worked closely with NASA in developing the technical workforce needed for the space program.

Bob passed away on August 14, 2025 at the age of 104.

Acquisition information:
The items in this collection were donated to the archives by Robert T. Caldwell in 2013.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Researchers must contact McKay Archives in advance for access to unprocessed born digital materials in this collection. Collection restrictions, copyright limitations, or technical complications may hinder the archive's ability to provide access to unprocessed born digital materials.

Terms of access:

This collection is owned by Florida Southern College. This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Location of this collection:
Florida Southern College
111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr.
Lakeland
FL
33801
USA