Celebrate The 145th Birthday Of Pioneering Educator And Philanthropist Ivy Stranahan With Special Tea Event At History Fort Lauderdale

“At age 19, Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan became our city’s first teacher and matriarch,” said Patricia Zeiler, Executive Director of History Fort Lauderdale. “This birthday lunch is a beautiful tribute and celebration of life for a woman who is revered as Fort Lauderdale’s first humanitarian, ecologist and suffragist.”

As an outspoken advocate for the Seminole Tribe, Stranahan taught them English, was responsible for building their first school and instilled practical skills such as how to use a sewing machine. Her humanitarian efforts eventually helped the Seminoles to set themselves up as a business, allowing them to organize themselves as the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. in 1957. In 1911, she helped to found and initially lead the Fort Lauderdale Woman's Club. In 1916, Stranahan served as the first president of the Women’s Suffrage Association of Florida and later founded the local Audubon Society and was active in the Fort Lauderdale Garden Club continuing to oppose the growing commercialization of her beloved city. She organized the first group of Camp Fire Girls in the city and was a member of the exclusive 1919 Study Club. She is credited with founding the first Broward Red Cross Chapter in 1918 and was treasurer for Provident Hospital which served the Black community before Broward General was integrated. She was also a founder of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society in 1962.

Attendees will have the exclusive opportunity to view a curated selection of objects and artifacts from the Stranahan Collection, including photographs, personal papers and letters, ledgers, clothing and accessories, books, and ephemera donated by Ivy Stranahan to History Fort Lauderdale. The display offers a unique and intimate glimpse into her life, work, and enduring legacy. Mary Cromartie Morris, Ivy Stranahan’s niece, will provide attendees with a meaningful family connection to the woman whose influence continues to shape the Fort Lauderdale community.

In honor of Ivy Stranahan’s birthday, all gifts made through February 24, 2026, will be matched, doubling the impact of donations in support of History Fort Lauderdale’s mission to preserve and share the stories that define the city’s past, present, and future.

History Fort Lauderdale offers a variety of engaging multicultural experiences throughout the year. It seeks to bring awareness to the community through both traveling exhibits and multiple permanent displays including “Women Trailblazers,” “Fort Lauderdale – the Early Years,” “Roots of Resilience: The Journey of Black Broward,” “From Dugouts to Dream Yachts: The Story of Boatbuilding Along the New River,” “Seminole Arts & Culture,” “New River Archaeology,” “Viva Fort Lauderdale: Celebrating Hispanic Art & Culture,” “The Growth and History of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office,” and “Take PRIDE, a Retrospective on LGBTQ Life in South Florida.”

History Fort Lauderdale is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with docent-guided tours offered daily at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. Group walking tours are available upon special request. Admission is $15 for adults; $12 for seniors; and $7 for students (through age 22 with a valid student ID). Admission is free for members, military personnel, and children aged six and under. Tickets are available online at HistoryFortLauderdaleTickets.

Tickets for the Ivy Stranahan Birthday Tea are $125 each and include a Sustainer Individual Membership to History Fort Lauderdale with free entrance to the 1905 New River Inn Museum, free entrance to special exhibit opening and programming events, four free museum guest passes, a 10% Museum Store discount, an annual Southeastern Reciprocal Membership and a North American Reciprocal Membership for family (includes free admission to hundreds of museums nationwide).

Attendance is limited. RSVP at: bit.ly/IvyBirthdayTea2026 - Or contact Patricia Zeiler at: pzeiler@flhc.org. Or: (954) 463-4431.

For more information about History Fort Lauderdale, call (954) 463-4431 or visit historyfortlauderdale.org.

About History Fort Lauderdale

Since 1962, History Fort Lauderdale has been committed to preserving our collective heritage, promoting historical literacy, and fostering a sense of pride and stewardship for the vibrant tapestry of our region’s history. Through dynamic exhibitions, engaging educational programs, and meaningful community initiatives, we strive to connect individuals of all ages and backgrounds with the stories, artifacts, and experiences that shape our shared past, present, and future. Guests to Fort Lauderdale are invited to explore the city’s rich past that is housed in historic buildings on a lushly landscaped campus - the History Museum of Fort Lauderdale situated in the 1905 New River Inn, the 1907 Pioneer House Museum, the 1899 Ivy Cromartie Schoolhouse Museum and the Hoch Research Library, South Florida’s foremost history center housing print resources and newspapers from 1910 - present plus 400,000 archival photos, 2,500 maps and 5,000 architectural blueprints. History Fort Lauderdale is located at 231 SW Second Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are available online at HistoryFortLauderdaleTickets. History Fort Lauderdale is a nonprofit agency supported by memberships, grants and charitable contributions.

For more information, call (954) 463-4431. Or visit: https://historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ftlhistory, on Instagram @ftlhistory and on Twitter @FTLHistory. Subscribe to us on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.