Cody Fowler Named 2013 Honoree for Historic Monument Trail

Dec. 9, 2013 - PRLog -- Tampa, FL -Fowler White Boggs is pleased to announce that the firm’s co-founder, Cody Fowler, has been named a 2013 honoree for Tampa’s Riverwalk, Historic Monument Trail.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn, in conjunction with the Friends of the Riverwalk, unveiled the next six Tampa's greats who are to be memorialized along the new Historical Monument Trail at a ceremony on December 3, 2013.

Born in Arlington, Tennessee, Cody Fowler moved to Tampa in 1924 to practice law. His mother, Maud Fowler, was one of the founders of Temple Terrace. Cody Fowler drafted the city’s charter, served as its first attorney, and served a term as mayor.

Mr. Fowler distinguished himself early in his career by defending African Americans in Tampa’s courts and fighting for unpopular but just causes. In 1943, he joined with Morris White to form the Fowler and White law firm. In 1950 he was the first Tampa lawyer to be elected president of the American Bar Association. The following year, Tampa’s Civitan Club honored him with the prestigious Citizen of the Year award.

In 1959, Mr. Fowler was appointed chairman of both Florida’s and Tampa’s Bi-Racial Commissions. His leadership, along with African American leaders, helped guide the peaceful integration of Tampa’s lunch counters in 1960. For his many deeds, he was awarded the National Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Mr. Fowler died at the age of 85, still a senior partner of the law firm he co-founded.

“Cody Fowler’s visionary spirit and courage were instrumental in shaping the history of Tampa. We are thrilled and honored that his contributions will be shared with generations to come through his monument on the Riverwalk,” said Rhea F. Law, CEO and Chair of the Board of Fowler White Boggs.

Serving as an educational tool to residents and visitors alike, the trail, created in 2012, will use busts, statues, and monuments to represent significant events and noteworthy people that have shaped the history of Tampa and Hillsborough County. Ultimately, more than 30 honored historical persons and numerous historical informational monuments will spread across the length of the Riverwalk.

Providing comprehensive legal services to our clients for 70 years, Fowler White Boggs is internationally connected with a Florida focus with 100 attorneys in five offices located in Tampa, Fort Myers, Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale.