Notes for: John Cowell FOSGATE

John, known as Jack, grew up in Orlando, FL, attended local grade and high school there and spent three years at the University of Florida in Gainsmith. He studied pre-med for a year and a half, then entered Agriculture College and took citrus until he stopped school a year and a half later in 1935. He belonged to the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. After leaving university he started working for his father in the citrus business.

In 1940 he was instrumental in starting the company in an additional business - the manufacture and sales of marmalades, jellies and preserves. He developed and ran this part of the business until he sold it in 1958 to Winn-Dixie Co, a food chain of Jacksonville, FL. He built the preserve business from a "four burner stove operation" in the company restaurant to a complete and very modern plant, with total sales of 3 million dollars a year.

While Jack was operating the preserve business, his father sold the citrus packing business to form a co-operative, Fosgate Growers Co-operative, which further expanded to fertilizer manufacturing and frozen concentrated citrus juices. The name was changed to Fosgate Citrus Concentrate Cooperative and later to Mid-Florida Citrus Cooperative. Jack was elected president of the latter following the resignation of his father in 1958. The Cooperative was sold in 1959.

Jack was elected President of the Chester C Fosgate Company, which, after its various sales, ended up with grove holdings it had been accumulating over the years. The company joined Cypress Gardens Citrus Products in Winter Haven, FL, to process and sell their fruit in 1960. In 1961 Jack was elected president of that cooperative and remained so until he resigned in 1968. The Company then joined Golden Gem Growers in Umatilla, FL and Jack was elected to that Board of Directors.

He suffered a heart attack 23 Aug 1962 but with proper care and treatment emerged in good health. He had a 2nd heart attack 11 May 1970 but again emerged in good health.