The Ruth Shack Papers archive the life of a remarkable woman who was elected to her first of three terms as a Dade County Commissioner in 1976. She had an unsuccessful campaign for Dade County Mayor which led to her taking over as the President of the Dade Community Foundation in 1984. She led the Dade Community Foundation with great distinction for 25 years until her retirement in 2009. As president she expanded the Foundation's finances exponentially and was able to positively affect the community of Miami Dade County. She received the Susan B. Anthony Award in 1975 and the Sojourner Truth Award in 1977, she has been recognized as the Citizen of the Year, honored with the Spirit of Excellence Award and countless other recognitions for her service. Known as the “Kissing Commissioner” for her affectionate demeanor, she was proud to sponsor the Human Rights Ordinance and admired by the Gay Community for her dedication to fighting discrimination.
The Katy Sorenson papers document the career of Kathryn “Katy” Sorenson, a former Miami-Dade County Commissioner (District 8) for 16 years, from 1994–2010. As commissioner she was concerned with human rights, the environment, child welfare and the arts. After leaving the County Commission, Sorenson founded the Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami to cultivate strong political leaders in South Florida. The collection consists primarily of campaign files, along with a number of scrapbooks and government and other documents relating to Sorenson’s terms as commissioner.
The Emilio Nuñez Portuondo Papers contain the personal papers and collections of former Cuban Prime Minister Emilio Nuñez Portuondo. They include hundreds of newspaper clippings, sorted by date, mostly dealing with talks, conferences, and speeches given by Nuñez from the late 1950s to mid-1970s. The collection also includes correspondence with Richard Nixon, his supporters, and others; articles and papers written by and about Nuñez; and a personally signed portrait from Nixon.
Daniella Levine Cava was elected as the Miami-Dade County Commissioner in 2014 and 2018, representing District 8. Her collection contains materials from her successful 2014 campaign, including correspondence, interviews, and periodicals documenting her initiatives on the campaign trail.
The Dr. Carlos Prío Socarrás papers document the life and career of politician Carlos Prío Socarrás, President of Cuba from 1948 to 1952. The materials include correspondence, interviews, photographs, illustrations, and other memorabilia.
