Scott K. Wagman - Class of 1971

Scott K. Wagman was born in New York City and grew up in Sarasota, Florida. He graduated from Sarasota Riverview High in 1971 where he was the President of the Student Body. As President of the student body, he joined forces with Student Council of Sarasota High School to develop an activity that would ease racial tensions at both schools as this was the time of school desegregation in Florida. Scott’s idea culminated in the performance of the World Record basketball marathon game played between Riverview and Sarasota High Schools for 177 continuous hours from December 26, 1970 to January 2, 1971. It was a tremendous success that produced the hoped-for camaraderie between schools while soothing racial tensions. During this time, the City of Sarasota Bi-racial Council elected Scott it’s youngest committee chair ever at 17 years of age.

Scott graduated from Tulane University of Louisiana in New Orleans in 1975 having served as the President of the Associated Student Body and more importantly, meeting his wife of 40 years, Beth Houghton. Returning to Sarasota, Scott grew his family’s business, Scott Paint Corp., a paint manufacturer, from 6 to 150 employees and 24 stores, before selling it in 1998. Then Scott turned his attentions to building up a commercial real estate portfolio concentrating on Florida’s west coast.

Having more discretionary time allowed Scott to pursue a growing passion, that of community service. Instilled in him by his parents and encouraged by his community involved wife, Scott volunteered time and financial resources to a variety of St. Petersburg institutions, including American Stage Theater, Great Explorations, the Houghton Wagman Children’s Museum, the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, All Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Lawyers for Literacy, the Canterbury School of Florida and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Scott graduated from Leadership Sarasota in 1987 and from Leadership St. Petersburg in 2009. He’s also a graduate of Pinellas Citizen University. Scott’s love for St. Petersburg culminated with a run for Mayor in 2009. While unsuccessful, the effort allowed Scott to learn so much more about St. Petersburg enabling him to serve his adopted city even better. Scott has 3 adult children with his wife Beth and three terrific grandsons.

Dr. Randall Wells--Class of 1971

Dr. Randall Wells is employed by the Chicago Zoological Society and based at Mote Marine Laboratory as the Director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, "the world's longest-running study of a dolphin population". This study, initiated at Mote in 1970 and continued through a partnership involving Mote, CZS and collaborators from around the world, examines the biology, behavior, ecology, health and human impacts on dolphin populations in Florida and elsewhere, and engages in conservations research training, education, and mitigation activities.  Randy has more than 35 years experience working with marine mammals, including bottlenose, spinner and spotted dolphins, as well as gray, bowhead, blue and humpback whales, and manatees. He is a 1971 graduate of Riverview High School.  He earned his BA in Zoology at the University of South Florida in 1975 and his MS in Zoology at the University of Florida in 1978.  He completed his PhD in Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  In 1987 he received post-doctoral Fellowship in Biology at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.