Rhea Chiles, the widow of former governor Lawton Chiles, died last November in her home on Anna Maria Island, at the age of 84. She dedicated her life to improving the lives of children in Florida.
The University of South Florida’s College of Public Health recently held a symposium to honor the legacy of Rhea Chiles' work. This week on Florida Matters (Tuesday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 6 at 7:30 a.m.) we bring you highlights of the discussion.
"Knowing the honoree, we know what an advocate she was, and we said it's not enough to have a memorial service, we need to be able to advocate and talk about children's issues,” said College of Public Health Advisory Board chair Sam Bell.
Chiles’ efforts to improve public health was carried out in part at the Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center For Health Mothers And Babies, which was founded two decades ago on the USF Tampa campus.