Jack Fortes Oral History

Interview: July 26, 2015

Jack absolutely loves “Big Band” music and it’s no wonder because Jack has always been an “upbeat” kind of guy himself! From an early age Jack was quick to make friends and could find goodness in just about anyone or anything. He has lived his life in service to others through his many years as a journalist, a fund-raiser, and volunteering in numerous organizations and his church. Jack served in WWII at the DeLand Naval Air Station and in the Pacific New Hebrides Islands. After college at the University of Florida Jack became a writer for the Orlando Sentinel and the Daytona Beach News Journal, a public relations specialist for Pan Am, and the first director of Stetson University’s Annual Fund Drive. In retirement Jack has traveled the world attending Big Band concerts, and you will “hear the music” of his memories in this heartwarming interview.