| |
| author |
Jocelyn Freeman
| | title |
Students at Stake in The Sunshine State: How Florida Politicians Used Gay Students to Fuel Statewide Witch Hunts of the Cold War
| | abstract |
This thesis explores the story of how the Florida Legislative Investigations Committee—
Commonly referred to as the Johns Committee— surveilled, interrogated, and intimidated gay
students at the University of Florida (UF) in the late 1950s. The Committee's interest in students
exemplifies how a Cold War culture justified infringements on Civil liberties, attacks on state
universities, and the harassment of gay Ameicans, in the search for political power. I begin with
a short history of the injustices facing gay Americans in the early 1950s during the Lavender
Scare. Then I examine how the Lavender Scare filtered down and functioned within the State of
Florida, through outlining the Committee's creation and early endeavors. I examine the
Committee's investigation into homosexualtiy at the UF. I center the experiences of three
individual students who interacted with the Committee during the investigation through drawing
on oral history interviews with students directly targeted. Importantly, I spend the final chapter
of my thesis exploring the aftermath of the investigation. First, I explore the rise of student
activism on the University of Florida's campus following the Committee's arrival. I also expand
on the stories of the gay students by focusing on their lives post-graduation. I work to explore the
lives of students beyond the context of their interaction with the Committee.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.A. (2025)
|
| advisor |
James Carter
|
| full text | JFreeman.pdf |
| |
