History of the Society

The roots of the Seminole County Historical Society can be traced to 1964 when the Seminole County Board of Commissioners authorized the creation of a historical commission to advise on historical matters throughout the county. The county commission named Lorraine Yarborough Whiting, a librarian at Sanford Middle School & a mother of three, to be the first chair of the historical commission. She also served as the first curator of the Museum of Seminole County History. 

On April 14, 1986, 28 people met in Sanford to create a non-profit society to help fundraise & further support efforts at the museum. This group chose fifteen directors-at-large to serve in conjunction with ten members of the Seminole County Historical Commission and the presidents of seven local historical societies. These volunteers elected four officers to lead the society as a part of an Executive Committee that later became the society's Board of Directors.  The board elected Cecil A. Tucker II as the society's first president, Bonnie Ward as its first vice president, Sue Urban as the first secretary, and Bill Alpaugh as its first treasurer. 

The society officially incorporated as a non-profit entity with the State of Florida on January 28, 1994 and later attained 501c3 tax-exempt status.