Tampa Business College was started in 1891* by Professor B. B. Euston on the corner of Franklin St. and Harrison with B. B. Euston as principal.  By June 1892, the college had moved to the corner of Whiting and Marion streets.

*Later ads by Euston and articles by the Tribune would claim it started in 1890, though no ads from that year could be located.

This April 21, 1895 article names 3 graduates and describes the school's diploma as "a beautiful work of art," the seal of which was "unique and appropriate in design."  "It represents Tampa as a maritime city...with a beacon light in the foreground and several vessels entering the port."

In 1895, Euston offered stenography classes, as well as bookkeeping, penmanship, correspondence and business calculations courses.  While ladies were trained for office business, men were trained through an academic and commercial dept.

A NEW BUSINESS SCHOOL

In late Sept. 1895 it was announced that the Tampa Business University would be opening on Oct. 1 in the new Roberts building on Fla. Ave.  The school was started and conducted by Professor R. N. Hadley, and principal of the shorthand dept. Prof. S. L. Patterson.  Hadley was a graduate of three of the leading business colleges of the South and was "an accurate accountant."  Patterson came to the school from Savannah as "one of the best-known short-hand experts in the South...with the highest recommendations."  The curriculum was divided into 5 depts., two of which were Business & Finance, and Shorthand & Typing.  The school was to be located in six rooms of the new Roberts building across from the Presbyterian church on Fla. Ave.  The Stenographic dept. taught courses in shorthand, typing, penmanship, correspondence, language and punctuation.  It even had a telegraphic dept. fully equipped with "instruments of the most approved type, and was under the charge of an expert and experienced operator.  It also boasted of "an admirable system of intercommunication based upon correspondence with no las than 20 business colleges."

Sept. 29, 1895, THE TAMPA TRIBUNE
Owing to the failure to get the necessary material it will be impossible to finish up the rooms of the Tampa Business University by October 1st.  The school will, therefore, occupy temporary quarters at 316½ Franklin Street, where all the departments will be open and through instruction given in all departments.  Day and night sessions will be held from the commencement of the courses.

A month later, on Oct. 31, the university was at it's new location in the Roberts building on the corner of Florida Ave. and Zack St.

For the second time in history, a Tampa man was elected Governor of Florida in 1928. He was Doyle E. Carlton, prominent attorney. He took office in January 1929, and was chief executive for four depression years. During his administration, pari-mutuel gambling was voted by the Legislature, vetoed by Carlton, and passed over his veto.

Locally, in 1928, L.M. Hatton, Jr. was elected Sheriff of Hillsborough County in a freak election. His mother died on election eve and Hatton was swept into office on a big sympathy vote.  In one of the closest races in Hillsborough County history, Hatton defeated three former sheriffs: L. C. Hiers, William Spencer, and A. J. White.

In office only a few months, Hatton was accused of receiving $10,000 a month from the county’s liquor and gambling violators. According to an affidavit signed by Deputy John Harrington, who was Sheriff Hatton’s liaison with Tampa’s underworld:

When Hatton became sheriff [I] was authorized by Hatton to make collections weekly of sums of money from persons violating the liquor and gambling laws, the amount of such collections to be fixed by the affidavit upon the character of the business done by such law violators.

Harrington claimed that Hatton maintained two lists of violators-an active and inactive. Individuals on the active list paid the sheriff and were allowed to continue their illegal operations. Those on the inactive list refused to pay the sheriff and immediately had their "joints" raided.

Upon receiving Deputy Harrington’s sworn statement and other damaging testimony, Governor Doyle Carlton removed the crooked sheriff. His decision was later upheld by the Legislature.   Hatton claimed he was "the victim of one of the rottenest political deals ever handed an officer of this county." 

THE SUNLAND TRIBUNE Volume XI December, 1985 TAMPA’S MOST RAUCOUS, ROARIN’ DECADE By Hampton Dunn

 THE SUNLAND TRIBUNE Volume XVII November, 1991 Journal of the TAMPA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Tampa, Florida  THE DAMNEDEST TOWN THIS SIDE OF HELL: TAMPA, 1920-29. (PART II) By DR. FRANK ALDUINO