Lectures Will Examine Ponce de Leon’s Role In History

By  //  March 20, 2012

Education

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon reportedly landed near Melbourne Beach in 1513.

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Florida Institute of Technology’s Department of Humanities and Communication will host the United Third Bridge’s  lecture series on March 24.

The UTB Royal Order of Don Juan Ponce de Leon Historical V Centennial Celebration Committee will present “Correcting History: The Landing of Ponce de Leon in Florida and the Influence of Spain on Florida.”

The program is free, open to the public and will be presented in the Denius Student Center’s Hartley Room on campus.

It starts with registration at noon and opening remarks by Cocoa mayor Michael Blake at 12:30 p.m.

Professor Robert Taylor, head of Florida Tech’s Department of Humanities and Communication, will be a panel member at the event.

Discussions will include how Europeans discovered and charted the shores of Florida before de Leon’s landing, misconceptions and myths about de Leon’s 1513 voyage and the path he took in his journey from Puerto Rico to Florida.

United Third Bridge, a not-for-profit organization, focuses on the areas of education, culture and civil rights.

The Hartley Room is located on the second floor of the Denius Student Center.

Parking is located on the west side of Country Club Road. For more information or to register, contact 321-863-5165.