$1 million gift names aquarium exhibit at Maritime Museum

The University of West Florida has announced that the Lamar, Switzer and Reilly families have donated $1 million to name the Ocean Aquarium Exhibit at the Vice Admiral John H. Fetterman State of Florida Maritime Museum and Research Center. The aquarium will be named the Charles W. Lamar Sr. Ocean Aquarium. The gift to the UWF Foundation will be submitted for dollar-for-dollar match through the state of Florida’s Alec P. Courtelis program for university facilities, translating into $2 million in support of the museum.

“UWF is a leading Florida educator in environmental sciences, underwater archaeology and Gulf Coast history,” said Charlie Switzer, a great-grandson of C.W. Lamar Sr. “I believe the maritime museum and research center in downtown Pensacola will further that leadership by providing an interactive, hands-on learning experience for area students from first grade to graduate studies. The museum and research center will enhance the quality of education in Pensacola and the greater business community, giving Northwest Floridians another great reason to spend time in historic downtown Pensacola.”

A focal point of the maritime museum, the C.W. Lamar Sr. Ocean Aquarium, a three-story, 135,000 gallon sea water tank, will serve as a representation of the bays along the coast of Florida. It will support educational programs in the marine sciences and underwater archaeology and promote the need to preserve underwater resources.

“We are grateful for this extraordinary gift from a family with such deep roots in Pensacola,” said UWF President John Cavanaugh. “The C.W. Lamar Sr. Ocean Aquarium will serve as a centerpiece for the maritime museum and will have strong connections to UWF’s academic programs.”

Among the most exciting features of the exhibit will be a replica 16th-century shipwreck. Visitors will be able to watch UWF nautical archaeology students lay grids over the wreck and record its dimensions. Certified divers will have opportunities to participate in tank dives.

“Everyone in our family loves to be in or on the water, whether snorkeling, scuba diving, boating, fishing or just plain swimming,” said Charles Lamar III. “An aquarium allows everyone anytime to experience the beauty and fascination of undersea life. Although I live in Baton Rouge, my family has been in Pensacola for more than 100 years. I think the Maritime Museum and the Community Maritime Park will be a great way for residents and visitors to rediscover Pensacola’s waterfront.”

Gift partners to the museum include: Charles Lamar III, Charles Switzer, Bobby Switzer, John Switzer, Kevin Reilly Sr., Kevin Reilly Jr., Sean Reilly, Wendell Reilly, Anna Cullinan and the Lamar Advertising Company.

Founded in 1902 as the Pensacola Advertising Company, Charles W. Lamar Sr. and his descendants built Lamar Advertising Company from a small sign company on the Gulf Coast, into one of the largest publicly-traded providers of outdoor advertising in the nation.

The Vice Admiral John H. Fetterman State of Florida Maritime Museum and Research Center will be dedicated to the continued education, preservation and research of Florida’s cultural and natural maritime resources.

For more information, contact Dean Van Galen, vice president of University Advancement for UWF, at (850) 474-3306.

By Megan Clark, University Marketing Communications