Tribute to Vivian Sherlock, author of The Fever Man

Please join the Apalachicola Area Historical Society & the John Gorrie Museum State Park in a Tribute to Vivian Sherlock in honor of the republication of “The Fever Man” A Biography of Dr. John Gorrie.

Presenters: James Hargrove and Caty Greene

Vivian Sherlock wrote “The Fever Man”, which is considered to be the definitive biography of Dr. John Gorrie. The Apalachicola Area Historical Society has published the second edition of this book with the permission of her heirs. The illustrations and introductory text have been updated. In honor of this republication, the Apalachicola Area Historical Society and the John Gorrie Museum State Park are hosting a celebratory Tribute to Vivian Sherlock on Saturday, July 16 at 4:00 pm at the John Gorrie State Museum, 46 6th Street, Apalachicola, FL. There will be presentations by James Hargrove and Caty Greene. Please come and thank Vivian’s children, a couple should be in attendance.

Dr. John Gorrie became a pioneer in the field of air conditioning and refrigeration by inventing a mechanical device that produced ice and improved room ventilation (what we now call air conditioning). He is honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, in Washington, D.C.

Bio of Vivian Sherlock (1915-2017)
Vivian was born in Apalachicola, Florida on June 26, 1915 to parents Dwight Ione Marshall, Sr. and Ida Maud (Baxter) Marshall. She graduated from Chapman High School in Apalachicola in June 1932, from Florida State College for Women in June 1936, and from Florida State University with a Master’s Degree in 1947.

Vivian was a Renaissance woman. In addition to being a strong and supportive mother, she was an inspiring teacher, a prolific writer and storyteller, a dedicated historian, and a dynamic artist. She wrote in a variety of different formats, including several plays, numerous magazine articles, a regional cookbook and the authoritative biography of Dr. John Gorrie (The Fever Man). She maintained a long term commitment to promoting the history of North Florida both with her writing, her entertaining stories of her early life in Apalachicola and her leadership in the Florida Historical Society.