Their home atop the Monte Carlo Towers was designed
to entertain and impress dignitaries, politicians, coaches
and potential players with areas set aside for musicians,
a custom bar, a kitchen large enough to prepare a banquet
and a formal dining room to serve their guests. The view
showcased Hillsborough Bay and downtown Tampa with
its panoramic vistas.
Hugh F. Culverhouse Sr., who was born in Alabama,
relocated to Florida by the 1950s and who died in 1994,
was the first owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and
led the team through its first two decades. He was a tax
attorney and went on to become one of the most prominent
business and civic leaders of the Tampa Bay community. His
interests included a multitude of ventures such as orange
groves, law, golf course communities, banking, utility
companies and real estate development. He served on the
boards of many national and multinational corporations,
including Warner Bros., Chiquita Brands International,
the Professional Golfers Association, Penn Central Corp.
and the National Legal Center for Public Interest. He was
60 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE
| MAY/JUNE 2017
a strong proponent for growth within the entire community
and his impact was significant.
Without him and his efforts within the National Football
League, it is likely that Tampa would not have been the
host city for multiple Super Bowls. His legal expertise was
valued by the former NFL commissioner, and his input
was instrumental in the financial structure and overall
growth of the NFL as we know it today.
His wife Joy was a champion golfer who was known for
her sharp eye for detail and maintained an active interest
in her businesses, investments and philanthropy well into
her 90s. She died in 2016. Her charitable work focused on
many institutions that have shaped the Tampa Bay area
into the thriving community it is today, including the first
million dollar pledge for the construction of the Straz
Center for the Performing Arts, a number of the first and
largest endowments at the University of South Florida,
three acres for Habitat for Humanity, and a history of gifts
to the University of Tampa, Tampa General Hospital, St.
Joseph’s Hospital and the Florida Orchestra, among others.
Luxury abounds in this masterfully designed space by
architect Joel Meyer.
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