The Honorable Thomas LeRoy Collins (1909-1991) was the first Southern Governor in the United States to support civil rights and desegregation. He served as Florida’s 33rd Governor from 1955 to 1961. He denounced the Florida legislature’s attempts to nullify the Brown v. Topeka, Kansas Board of Education decision, promoted desegregation and vetoed bills that tried to block change. He was appointed by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve as the first director of the Community Relations Service under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In this role, he negotiated a peaceful end to the 1965 voting rights march in Selma, Alabama. He became a prominent voice for civil rights in Florida and the nation and in 1991, was declared “Floridian of the Century” by the Florida Legislature. During his tenure as Governor, he advocated for improving Florida’s public school system, and he established the state’s first community colleges. He also endorsed a more diverse economy, encouraged state-sponsored tourism, promoted agriculture and industry, and was a proponent of creating good race relations. Collins also chaired the Southern Governors’ Conference and the National Governors’ Conference during his term.