If you ask anybody in Tallahassee for their opinion about the most respected reporter in Florida over the last 40 years, there would be no debate: Lucy Morgan stood above all others.
She was a force to be reckoned with, an honest, tireless, hardworking public watchdog – and my friend.
Lucy passed away this month but will always be remembered by both supporters and rivals for her journalistic integrity, her powerful reporting chops, and her warmth and fairness.
We were not super close, but I considered her to be a valuable friend. If I ever asked Lucy to keep something “off the record,” it stayed “off the record.” She always kept her word and respected everyone in the reporting process. But she was never afraid to go after anybody who broke the rules, violated the public trust, conducted shady business deals, or tried to hide from the state’s Sunshine laws.
She and the late Sandy D’Alemberte — lawyer, politician, and former head of FSU — were adamant defenders of the First Amendment in the state of Florida, as well as the public’s right to know about what the government was doing in their name and with their money.
She always knew where the important meetings were being held, both the public ones and — most importantly — those held in secret where deals were cut away from public scrutiny. Whether it was upstairs in Clydes bar in Florida’s Capital, or in someone’s living room, she wasn’t bashful about walking into any gathering, announcing, “Hi. I’m here to cover the story.”
There are a few things many people may not know about Lucy. One is that she mentored so many people, not just journalists, but government officials and politicians across the state. The second thing was her deep love for her husband Richard; I could see it in her eyes, and she always talked about him.
Lucy always treated everybody the same, whether you were the Governor, a U.S. Senator, a Speaker of the House, or just an ordinary day laborer. Everyone was equal in Lucy’s mind and deserving of fairness.
Lucy helped make the St. Petersburg Times the most respected paper in the state, and in turn, they made her a member of their Board of Directors, which was a highly unusual move, elevating a reporter to such lofty industrial heights.
There will never be another Lucy Morgan. The lives she touched and the legacy she left Florida cannot be measured. She played an outsized role in shaping this state and her absence will be felt even more as time goes by. God bless, Lucy. I miss you already.