McGriff, Perry Colson (sold)

Perry Colson McGriff (May 16, 1909 - September 2, 1997) was a surveyor and map publisher based in Gainesville, Florida. Born in Lakeland, Florida, McGriff's family moved around the state frequently in his childhood, settling finally in Gainesville by 1930. McGriff founded a land surveying business in Gainesville, Florida, in 1947 and quickly established himself as a leading member of the profession in the city and Alachua County more generally. Most of his limited run of published works are maps of Gainesville. He also produced work for private clients and local governments, and McGriff served as the County Surveyor of Alachua County for much of the 1950s. He was also a charter member, director, and an early president of the Florida Society of Professional Land Surveyors when it was founded in 1955. In 1967, McGriff was elected as the Secretary of the Florida State Board of Examiners, a body tasked with certifying engineers, the first instance of a land surveyor holding that position. Of note, McGriff's son, Perry C. McGriff, Jr. (1937 - 2017), was a football and basketball star at the University of Florida and then went into politics, serving as the Mayor of Gainesville, Chairman of the Alachua County Board of Commissioners, and in the Florida House of Representatives. Several other members of McGriff's family (cousins, nephews) were also prominent athletes at the University of Florida, including Travis McGriff (1976 - present), who played for several years in the National Football League.