James E. Shepherd, Jr. was born on November 1, 1944 and grew up in the small town of Sanford, Florida. By his own admission, he got in trouble with local police department, resulting in his commitment to a mental institution. He had amassed financial problems, social problems, and educational deficiencies before he had reached maturity. Since that time, he has authored a book variously titled "Portrait of a Genius", "Portfolio of an Undiscovered Howard Hughes", and "Portrait of Genius: A Collage in the Key of Life". His collection also includes excerpts from "Insight on the Scriptures", an essay titled "The King James Version of the Holy Bible- The Only True Bible?", various letters addressed to world leaders, and his comprehensive resume.
Six accordion files, including correspondence and collected publications related to Junction B, the Nautilus Foundation, Francois Bucher, William S. Burroughs, the Collins Center for Public Policy, and Florida State University.
The Joel Strack papers document Strack's involvement in the Central Florida LGBTQ+ community from the late 1980s to 2019. The collection contains programs and promotional material from the Orlando Gay Chorus, photos, newspaper clippings, planning documents, and other materials pertaining to LGBTQ+ activism in the Central Florida area, and personal items from Strack such as a jean jacket and letters. Joel Strack was born in Sycamore, Illinois on February 29, 1960. In 1982, he moved to Orlando to start at the Disney College program at Magic Kingdom. Strack worked in several areas at the Walt Disney World parks as an entertainer and a training and development specialists. His career at Disney World spanned about three decades. In 1990, Strack joined the Orlando Gay Chorus as a founding member. The following year, Strack helped to organize GayDays® at Disney World, an event where participants wear red shirts to theme parks to be visible amongst the crowds. Joel also held the role of Vice President for Gay Community Services (GCS), later known as Gay and Lesbian Community Services (GLCS). He later resigned from the role to focus attention into other projects to better serve the Gay and Lesbian Community. Joel played a role in founding of We the People, The Gay and Lesbian Coalition for Human Rights for All People. Joel passed from a longtime illness on July 15, 2019. In September 2021, Joel Strack was posthumously awarded the Orange County Regional History Center's John Young History Maker Past Award.
