Mayo, Nathan, 1876-1960

Nathan Mayo (1876-1960) was born in Whitakers, North Carolina, December 1, 1876 and moved with his parents to Ocala, Fla., in 1886 at the age of 10. His first business enterprise as a young man was a country store (later the Mayo-Lyles Store) in Summerfield, to the south of Ocala, in Marion County. In the years leading up to World War I he expanded his business ventures into citrus growing, the turpentine industry (1905) and cotton ginning (1916). Mayo represented Marion County in the Florida legislature in 1921 and 1923. By appointment of Governor Cary A. Hardee, he became the state Commissioner of Agriculture in 1923 and then won re-election eight times, holding the position for 37 years.

Mayo's duties in the Department of Agriculture were the most broad-ranging of any state official. Besides his responsibilities for the inspection of poultry, livestock, citrus, and seeds, he also oversaw the state highway patrol system and the state prison system. In addition, he was head of the state bureau of immigration and ran a full-scale publishing house that churned out bulletins, pamphlets, and promotional materials about Florida, its business opportunities, and its agricultural production. Known as "Mr. Florida" for his boosterism of state interests, Mayo was a fixture in the state government throughout the Depression, World War II, and the Fifties. In the opinion of many, he ran the most powerful political machine in the state (although it still was not sufficient to win him the governor's office). Throughout his political career Mayo maintained his farm, store, and residence in Summerfield where Mrs. Mayo served as post-mistress.

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