UWF LEAD program restores historic anchor for exhibition at UWF Archaeology Institute

A historic 1800s anchor which had been housed in the dark has been brought into the light, following the efforts of a campuswide leadership program. Faculty and staff of UWF’s 2024-25 LEAD, which stands for leadership, enhancement, activities and development, class worked with the Archaeology Institute to prepare the anchor for outdoor exhibition and create an exhibit space at the Archaeology Institute on UWF’s Pensacola campus. Previously, the anchor had been stored for curation in the University’s archaeological collections facilities after being sent to UWF for conservation in 2014. 

“It has been an honor working with my LEAD colleagues on this project,” said Christina L. Bolte, LEAD 2024-25 Project Lead. “All of us brought our enthusiasm and expertise to the table to benefit the UWF campus community and create a lasting space representative of our region’s history and ingenuity that everyone can enjoy.”

In 2013, the anchor was recovered from the Gulf by a contractor working for an offshore energy operator. Since the contractor did not notify the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, he was in violation of regulations protecting submerged archaeological resources. A compromise was reached between the bureau and the operator, who had the anchor on display next to his swimming pool in Texas. The anchor was transported to UWF for conservation and long-term study purposes. Students and faculty in the UWF anthropology department discovered markings which indicate that the anchor was manufactured by R. Flinn & Company in England, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Robert Flinn of R. Flinn & Co. is mentioned in numerous historical sources as the first person to introduce iron chain cable to a ship, a significant development in maritime engineering that is standard on most ships today. 

At an anchor unveiling event on April 8, members of the LEAD 2024-25 class presented “Honoring the Past, Anchoring the Future” to UWF leadership as well as other faculty, staff and students in attendance. The presentation discussed the collaborative and multidisciplinary effort to display the anchor on the UWF campus, inspiring education and fostering community through our collective history. The LEAD class also collected hygiene products as donations for the Argo Pantry and created an ongoing UWF Library archive that showcases LEAD projects through the years and will chronicle program projects in the future.

LEAD 2024-25 is the 30th year of the LEAD program at UWF. Established in 1995 by current UWF President Martha Saunders, then dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, LEAD has played a pivotal role in developing leaders at UWF and beyond. LEAD 2024-25 consists of two year-long faculty and staff programs – LEAD and LEAD2 – designed to help enhance their leadership skills, build relationships across campus, and develop strategies to help them grow as leaders and team members. LEAD2, an inaugural program of LEAD 2024-25, consists of UWF faculty and staff who are LEAD program alumni returning to continue developing their leadership skills and to provide guidance for the LEAD class project. The programs are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and directed by Dr. Athena du Pré, Distinguished University Professor.

“I am really proud of this year’s LEAD and LEAD2 class,” du Pré said. “Their passion and hard work have yielded an enduring legacy for UWF with the historic anchor display, and their donation of personal hygiene items will help students on a daily basis.”

The construction of the anchor’s exhibition platform wouldn’t have been possible without the generous contributions of labor and materials from the Morette Company, GHC and Bradley Masonry. The development of a LEAD 30 plaque to affix to the platform was graciously provided by the UWF Department of Mechanical Engineering. Conservation supplies, support and interpretive panelling were also provided by the Archaeology Institute, Department of Anthropology and the Heritage Roots Garden Project. 

For more information about UWF’s LEAD program, visit uwf.edu/lead. For more information about the UWF Archaeology Institute, visit uwf.edu/archaeology.