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PT 6A
Monologue: Steve Kerber Thoughts on Wilson Trammell
December 30, 1975
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K: Today is Tuesday, December 30, 1975. My name is Steve Kerber and I am
going to be interviewing Mr. Wilson Trammell, half-brother of Park
Trammell. His office is located in Suite 1625, Alfred I. Dupont
Building, 169 East Flagler Street, Miami, Florida. The old man didn't
want to talk about anything, so he didn't let me use the tape recorder
to tape an oral history interview. I'm going to try and put down some
of the things that he did finally let me ask about and his responses
as I remember them. He mentioned a man named Taylor Park. I believe
it's Taylor in Tampa, who he thought had some kind of government posi-
tion who was of great use to Park Trammell in getting out the Latin
vote in Hillsborough County. He didn't seem to know much about his
father. The general impression I had was that he simply didn't want
to give away any information of any kind, that he knew more than he
was telling me although he didn't know as much as I would have liked.
He's a very closed-mouthed character, evidentally a prosperous attorney,
well-dressed although not terribly stylish. I did not meet his son.
He said his mother's name was Ruby, that she came from an old Tallahassee
family, that his father and mother and presumably he were living in
Lakeland when the father died and that the mother then moved back to
Tallahassee. He said he did not believe that John Trammell, his first
wife and family, ever lived in Chattahoochee as a family while John
Trammell was superintendent of the hospital. He said that he did not
PT 6A
Page 2. dib
know that the second Mrs. Park Trammell, Beatrice Mesmer Trammell, was
dead, asked me where she died and when she died and if she had been living
in Key West before she died or whether she just happened to be there
at the moment of her death. He did not volunteer any information that
I remember. His responses qame only as responses to my questions. He
seemed curious about who I had talked with, particularly in regard to
the Washington years. I mentioned Mr. Click and I mentioned Mr. Farris
being dead. I don't know if he has been in communication with Mr.
Click. Perhaps I should write Mr. Click quickly, mention that I had
talked to Mr. Trammell. I don't know if he still knows Mr. Click or
if he would attempt to interfere with Mr. Click talking to me. He
made a point of mentioning that he thought his brother was honest, did
not take the bait when I talked about Hillsborough County and the election
of 1934 only in passing. I did not try to bait him at all on that point.
He stated emphatically that he did not wish to be quoted in the context
of the interview or the dissertation research. He stated that having
been raised as a member of the Whitfield family, he did not have much
contact with Park. He said he might have stayed or visited at the man-
sion when Park Trammell was governor of Florida. He showed me a copy
of the eulogies reprinted from the house and senate speeches, a copy
with his own name upon the front cover, presumably given to him by one
of the interim senators or possibly one of Florida's representatives. He
also showed me a copy of Mr. Gray's book, secretary of state, R. A. Gr y.
He also said that he thought it very unlikely that Trammell supported
cas V.
Sidney 4MLe in 1916 instead of William -. Knott. He referred to Knott
as an old, strong friend of the family.
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