75th Anniversary Speek by Derek Bok – 2004
Twenty-five years ago, I was privileged to speak on the occasion of the Bok Sanctuary’s 50th anniversary. I could hardly be confident then that I would be fortunate enough to …
History
The Work of One Man Can Make a Difference – 1979 speech by Derek Bok
Text of speech by Derek C. Bok, President of Harvard University, and grandson of Edward Bok, builder of Lake Wales’ Singing Tower. The speech was delivered February 1, 1979, on …
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Successward: A Few Prefatory Words (Introduction)
Successward is the 1895 book written by Edward Bok. The average young man is apt to think that success is not for him. To his mind it is a gift …
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Why I Believe in Poverty As The Richest Experience That Can Come To A Boy
Written by Edward Bok and published in 1915 by the Curtis Publishing Company I MAKE my living trying to edit the “Ladies’ Home Journal.” And because the public has been most generous …
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What I Owe to America: The Americanization of Edward Bok Chapter 39
Whatever shortcomings I may have found during my fifty-year period of Americanization; however America may have failed to help my transition from a foreigner into an American, I owe to her …
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The Purpose of the Mountain Lake Sanctuary
Rough draft found in the Nellie Lee Bok Archive. Handwritten by Edward Bok in October, 1928. The purpose of the Mountain Lake Sanctuary and the Singing Tower is four-fold. First: …
Where America Fell Short With Me: The Amercanization of Edward Bok Chapter 38
When I came to the United States as a lad of six, the most needful lesson for me, as a boy, was the necessity for thrift. I had been taught in …
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The History of the Easter Sunrise Service
This year, Bok Tower Gardens will host its 97th Annual Easter Sunrise Service. Despite two years of virtual services, the service remains tje Gardens’ first and oldest tradition. The picture …
The Third Period: The Americanization of Edward Bok Chapter 37
The announcement of Edward Bok’s retirement came as a great surprise to his friends. Save for one here and there, who had a clearer vision, the feeling was general that he …
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The Beginning of Bok Tower Gardens: A Historical Perspective
In Chapter 36 of The Americanization of Edward Bok, he discusses his retirement and sets the scene for what he calls the “Third Chapter.” Here are two articles that provide …
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