Seminole Superfans
For a Half Century, Jimmy and Betty Lou Joanos Have Supported FSU, On the Field and Off
by Virginia Newman
There’s something about Florida State fans. They do know how to get worked up for their beloved Seminoles. They’ll be there, do that and most definitely buy the T-shirt — especially if it says something rotten about the Gators. They’ll bring the house down when the flaming spear is thrust into the midfield logo. They’ll tomahawk chop until they get tendonitis. They’ll subscribe to Warchant and parse Jimbo Fisher’s every utterance.
But only a chosen few can reach the pinnacle and become “Superfans.” Here is a story of a couple who have most definitely earned the title — Tallahassee’s Jimmy and Betty Lou Joanos.
Garnet and Golden
In the stadium, on the couch or at the computer, Seminole fans are passionate about Florida State University sports.
’Noles show their pride in scores of ways, but two FSU “Super ’Noles” are supreme sports fans who have also demonstrated their love for FSU for many years in an impressive number of other capacities.
Through more than a half-century of association with FSU, Betty Lou and Jimmy Joanos have cheered the school on through momentous years of sports history and personally amassed an admirable number of achievements for the school, both individually and together.
Graduating in 1956 and 1957, they were students during the “growing pains” years when Florida State was emerging from a small college into a large university. “We got something from Florida State when we were here, and we’ve had the opportunity to repay some of the favor,” Jimmy said.
Among their honors, they are the only husband and wife who have each served as head of the national alumni association. They were co-grand marshals of the 1991 Homecoming parade.
They were recently listed among “100 Distinguished Graduates” by the FSU Alumni Association on the occasion of the 2009 centennial celebration of the university.
“We often call Jimmy and Betty Lou FSU’s ‘First Couple,’” said FSU Alumni Affairs Director Scott Atwell. “They are prototype alumni, who care for the university on every level.”
Said Jim Melton, retired Alumni Affairs director, “I can think of no family that has a more direct connection to the university. Say the Joanos name, and Florida State are the next words heard every time.”
Sports Fans
They show their FSU pride in many ways. Betty Lou has a stylish wardrobe, all in the school colors of garnet and gold. And we’re not talking game-day T-shirts and shorts. Think glamorous gold cocktail dress or a smartly tailored garnet pantsuit — she has a huge selection of clothes in a gorgeous array of garnet and gold styles and shades.
She explains that she started this practice back in the early days when FSU-wear was non-existent. To show support, Betty Lou and friends sewed and painted shirts with logos and slogans.
Later, even after Seminole fashions came on the market, “I just continued my promotion by wearing our school colors,” she said. Now, “There is little time for sewing, so I shop garnet and gold wherever we go — from flea markets to consignment stores to mail order to large and small stores. Jimmy makes a lot of my FSU jewelry.”
They are walking encyclopedias of stories about the history of the school. Jimmy has written dozens of articles about FSU sports. Because of his extensive research and analysis, he has been called the ultimate FSU sports historian. His columns can be accessed in the Wakulla Times or online at nolefan.org (click on “Garnet and Old” articles). He crowned his most recent series of articles with a comprehensive piece titled “FSU Football History in a Nutshell.” It’s a must-read for any Seminole fan who wants to know what happened — and when — in FSU football.
They try to attend every bowl game FSU plays in, and are Golden Chiefs — the top tier of FSU supporters — holding perennial season tickets for football, baseball and basketball. Their sports interest spreads throughout Florida State athletics. Whether it’s girls’ volleyball and basketball, golf or tennis — they want to be spectators in the stands joining in the Seminole war chant.
This is how deep their devotion goes: Betty Lou and Jimmy have a gold car that sports the FSU logo and Sociology Professor Pat Martin once wrote, “I think Betty Lou’s and Jimmy’s commitment to FSU is so strong that they chose a house on Seminole Drive as a sign of loyalty and commitment to Florida State.”
Their supreme homage to Florida State is their game-day condo near Doak Campbell Stadium. Acquired because of its proximity to FSU’s football and baseball fields, it is a Seminole fan’s paradise — filled to the brim with a priceless collection of FSU sports memorabilia of every type and description. Every big game, big moment and milestone is represented as all the walls are lined and all the floor space is filled with Seminole sports mementos.
Jimmy grew up in Tallahassee and saw his first football game when he was about 14. Hooked, he started collecting memorabilia and has never stopped. His collection is so extensive it is believed to be unrivaled by private owners. The condo is a museum of treasures. Upstairs and down, even in bathrooms and in the kitchen — the entire condo is a shrine to Florida State University.
He has every Booster car tag since they began being issued in 1954. A shadowbox holds Deion Sanders figurines. Another holds bobble-head figures representing all FSU sports. There are posters, pins, photos, balls, football jerseys, bedspreads, refrigerator magnets, belt buckles, dishes, helmets, decals, piggy banks — even toilet seat covers.
There are many signed footballs, as well as signed baseball bats from J.D. Drew and Buster Posey and mitts from Deion Sanders and Dick Howser. Jimmy won’t say exactly how he got them, but notes from a Bobby Bowden game plan for the 1998 Florida-Florida State game (Final score: Florida State 23, Florida 12) somehow came into their hands. They have a signed souvenir copy of Charley Ward’s Heisman trophy.
Other treasures include: A huge poster signed by supermodel Gabrielle Reese and the women’s volleyball team; a tribute poster for defensive coach Mickey Andrews on his retirement; the nostalgic sign from Bobby Bowden’s last bowl game in Jacksonville at the Gator Bowl, reading “Thanks Bobby;” the poignant photo that clearly shows Lane Fenner making that touchdown against Florida that was ruled invalid; a prized photo of the inaugural 1947 FSU football squad; a triumphant Chief Osceola atop Renegade; a feathered spear, pointing visitors upstairs; and a copy of a funny cartoon Bobby Bowden drew.
And yes, there is an oversized copy of the famous Burt Reynolds’ Cosmopolitan magazine centerfold.
When asked if there is an inventory, Jimmy responds, “I just collect for the memories, not the value. I can’t keep up with all this. It’s just for fun.”
Committed to FSU Excellence
Their list of FSU honors is extensive. Betty Lou retired several years ago as Florida State’s associate director of Alumni Affairs. She currently serves as national president of the FSU Emeritus Board, which coordinates activities for alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. Now retired as a judge (he served on the 1st District Court of Appeals of Florida), Jimmy was a member of the four-person committee that established the FSU College of Law and selected its first three deans.
Outstanding alums, both have been chosen for membership in the Circle of Gold, the FSU Alumni Association’s highest honor. In 1993, the Panhellenic Association named their outstanding sorority president award the Betty Lou Joanos Award. In 2005, the alumni association presented Jimmy with the Bernard Sliger Award, its highest award for service to the university.
One of the Alumni Center’s conference rooms was named in Betty Lou’s honor when she retired from FSU. Family and friends established a memorial garden for her late parents, Julia and James Whittle of Gadsden County, adjacent to the Longmire Alumni Building.
Betty Lou’s position in alumni affairs has taken them to meet with Seminole Clubs worldwide. The clubs are organized groups of alumni, friends and fans who get together to celebrate and support the school’s athletic and academic missions. “There is even a Seminole Club at the Vatican. We have grads everywhere,” said Betty Lou.
Seminole Booster Director Charlie Barnes emphasizes the couple’s importance by saying, “I’ve traveled with them everywhere, and nobody represents Florida State with more fun and flair.”
When they decided in their 40s to become runners, they didn’t do things halfway. Wearing FSU togs, they ran in 13 marathons — including Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin and the original Greek marathon (twice, as a tribute to Jimmy’s heritage). They don’t run in marathons anymore, but they’re still moving and shaking things up for FSU.
Jimmy grew up in Tallahassee and Betty Lou came from nearby Quincy. They met as undergraduates at Florida State. He was a “big man on campus,” holding offices as president of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), president of Sigma Chi, Gold Key and vice president of the student body. Betty Lou was a Pi Beta Phi sorority member, circus star, Garnet Key member and class officer.
Their first date was Homecoming weekend, which progressed to a fraternity pinning and an engagement. He was president of Sigma Chi and she became the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, inspiring their Greek brothers and sisters to recognize their engagement by throwing them into the Westcott fountain — along with 500 pounds of ice added for the January dunking when Jimmy’s fraternity brothers decided the water wasn’t cold enough.
They were married the week before her graduation.
In the days when attending the commencement ceremony was compulsory, Betty Lou received special permission to forego the graduation ceremony because Jimmy had military orders to report for duty in the Air Force. They lived in Boston and New Haven, Conn., staying on after his military service so Jimmy could graduate from Yale Law School. They returned to Tallahassee in 1962, and Betty Lou went on to gain a master’s degree in home economic education from Florida A&M University in 1976 and a doctorate in educational leadership from Florida State in 1985.
Retired Marine Corps General Mike Sheridan and his wife, Nancy, have been their friends since college days and they remember Betty Lou and Jimmy in leadership roles then and through the following decades. “Even as students, they were active in leadership roles for the university,” said Gen. Sheridan. “They’ve never stopped.”
Betty Lou served as a development officer at the FSU Foundation for the College of Communication and Education, before taking her post with the Alumni Association.
They are now grandparents. Of course, all three of the Joanos children graduated from FSU. The family could field its own baseball team, as four of Jimmy’s siblings also are Florida State grads.
A tribute from Jimmy’s Sigma Chi fraternity perhaps sums it all up: “The real story is not what Jimmy and Betty Lou have accomplished, it is how they have done it. They did it by supporting one another and were physically there during various activities and during times of honor to be the first to congratulate their spouse for another job well done. They are proud of one another and what they have been able to accomplish together.”
Scott Atwell echoes that sentiment, saying, “On a personal level, I have a great love for the history of FSU and very much enjoy their generosity in sharing the wealth of institutional knowledge they have for FSU. They are just plain fun to be around.”
Honor Roll
Betty Lou Joanos
Jimmy Joanos