RAYMOND B. VICKERS
210A Eppes Hall
College of Criminology and Criminal Justice
112 S. Copeland St.
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-1273
rvick33333@aol.com
rvickers@fsu.edu
CURRENT POSITIONS
2013-present
Research Scholar and Director, Institute for the Prevention of Financial Fraud, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University. The mission of the Institute is to promote and conduct research related to financial fraud in the banking, insurance, and financial industries in order to expand the role of scholarship in public policy aimed at the prevention of financial fraud. The general failure to research and provide better means to prevent future financial crises has prompted the establishment of the Institute.
2013-present
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University.
2013-present
Director, FSU Management Councils in London of the FSU Florida Trustees, LTD, and FSU Europe Trustees, LTD, which are responsible for the activities of the Florida State University International Programs
Association, UK. The UK charity owns and operates the FSU Study Center in London, which was established for the academic and cultural benefit of students and faculty.
1979-present
President, Raymond B. Vickers, P.A., a law firm that has represented more than a hundred financial institutions throughout the United States and Europe, as well as more than a hundred maritime companies, associations, and other entities.
1994-present
Attorney, Director, and then owner of Eller & Company, Inc., Eller Maritime Company, and Continental Stevedoring & Terminals, Inc., which owns equity interests in the Port of Miami Terminal Operating
Company, the Port of Miami’s only non-carrier-owned cargo terminal providing maritime services to the global shipping industry; and Eller-ITO Stevedoring Company, the largest stevedoring company in Florida operating in the Port of Miami, Port Everglades, and Port Canaveral.
1995-present
Vice President, Siona-Secoya Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the tropical forest culture of the Siona and Secoya Indians of northeastern Ecuador and the northwestern reaches of the Amazon Basin.
1995-present
President and owner of Sentry Press, Inc., Tallahassee, Florida, which has published more than fifty academic and scholarly books since 1972.
POSITIONS HELD
1982-1999
Attorney and director of Hvide Shipping, Inc. and then Hvide Marine Incorporated, one of the world’s leading providers of marine support and transportation services, which owned a fleet of 217 vessels, including chemical and petroleum product tankers; tugboat towing operations in Port Everglades, Tampa Bay, Port Canaveral, Mobile Bay, Lake Charles, Port Arthur, Savannah, Charleston, and Puerto Rico; and oilfield support vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico, Europe, West Africa, Middle East, Asia, and South America.
1999-2006
Co-Trustee of the Hans J. Hvide Trust, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
1990-1995
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of History, Florida State University.
1983-1992
President and owner of the Florida Research Company, an economic research company. With offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Houston, Texas, FRC was involved in the formation of more than sixty financial
institutions.
1983-1988
Vickers and Muldoon. Senior partner of an interstate law firm with offices in Tallahassee, Miami, and Washington, D.C., which represented financial institutions in forty states.
1982-2008
General Counsel of the Florida Alliance, Inc., a national association of maritime companies.
1975-1979
Assistant Comptroller of Florida, the Chief of Staff of the Office of Comptroller, the state’s Commissioner of Banking, Chief Fiscal Officer, and elected member of Florida’s Cabinet, which involved the supervision of the Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Department of General Services, the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, and the Board for Executive Clemency. In addition, the Comptroller, along with the Governor and Treasurer, supervised the Board of Administration, which managed the state’s pension plan. As the Chief of Staff of the Department of Banking and Finance, the Assistant Comptroller was also the top appointed banking and securities regulator for the state of Florida.
1974
Executive Assistant in charge of the transition between Comptroller Fred O. Dickinson and Comptroller-elect Gerald A. Lewis.
1973-74
Legislative Consultant to Florida State Representative Harold J. Dyer.
1972
Legislative Assistant to Florida State Senator Gerald A. Lewis.
1970-1971
Administrative Assistant to Chief Justice George F. Boney, Alaska Supreme Court.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Economic and Business History, Florida State University, 1990.
Dissertation: “The Banking Panic of 1926.”
M.A., International Affairs, Florida State University, 1986.
J.D., College of Law, Florida State University, 1976.
B.S., College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, 1971.
RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS
Financial fraud and white collar crime, historical research methods, law, politics and policy, impediments to implementing legal/regulatory reforms, economic and business history, banking history, the history of the financial regulatory systems, the history of the investment industry, business-government relations, and the institutions of the international economy.
HONORS AND AWARDS
HONORS AND AWARDS
1997
Arthur W. Thompson Award of the Florida Historical Society for “Addison Mizner: Promoter in Paradise” as the most outstanding article appearing in The Florida Historical Quarterly during 1996-1997.
1973-1974
Law school scholarship awarded by the Chief Justice of Alaska Supreme Court George F. Boney Scholarship Foundation, Inc.
TEACHING
Courses Taught
Economic and Business History of the United States
White Collar Crime
PUBLICATIONS
Books
Vickers, R. B. (2011). Panic in the Loop: Chicago’s Banking Crisis of 1932. Lexington Books. Reissued in electronic format, 2011; reissued in paperback, 2013.
Vickers, R.B. (1994). Panic in Paradise: Florida’s Banking Crash of 1926. University of Alabama Press. Reissued in paperback, 2007.
Reviews
Gorn, Elliott J. (Autumn 2013) Review of Panic in the Loop in Harvard Business School’s Business History Review, 87 (3), 579-581.
Davis, N. A. (Winter 2012). Review of Panic in the Loop in the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, (105)4.
Mackay, Christopher S. (November 2012). Review of Panic in the Loop in Goodreads. Frazer, W. (Fall 1997). Review of Panic in Paradise in the Gulf Coast Historical Review 13 (1) 88.
Scott, C. E. (Fall 1996). Review of Panic in Paradise in the Journal of Southern History 62(1), 177.
Rogers, W. W. (1996, April 21). “Calmly Reinterpreting the 1926 Panic.” Review of Panic in Paradise. Tallahassee Democrat.
Doti, L. P. (April 1996). Review of Panic in Paradise in American Historical Review, 101(2), 585-586.
Guthrie, J. J. (Fall 1996). Review of Panic in Paradise in The Florida Historical Quarterly, 75(2), 200-202.
Whitten, D. O. (February 1996). Review of Panic in Paradise in Business Library Review, An International Journal, 7-11.
Schweikart, L. (Spring 1995). Review of Panic in Paradise in Harvard Business School’s Business History Review, 68, 171-172.
Biles, R. (1995). Review of Panic in Paradise in the Georgia Historical Quarterly.
Horwitz, S. (December 1995). Review of Panic in Paradise in Journal of American History, 82(3), 1263-1264.
Wheelock, D. C. (June 1995). Review of Panic in Paradise in Journal of Economic History, 55(2), 444-445.
Engerman, S. L. (January 1995). Review of Panic in Paradise in Choice: Current Reviews of Academic Books, 32(5), 840.
Barker-Benfield, S. (1994, November 6). Review of Panic in Paradise in Florida Times-Union.
Articles
Vickers, R. B. (2011, November 21). Too Big to Disclose. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Blog. Retrieved from http://rowmanblog.typepad.com/rowman/2011/11/too-big-todisclose.html
Vickers, R. B. (2004). “Bank Secrecy Should Be Ended: This Would Make the Financial System Safer.” The Long View: A Journal of Informed Opinion, 6.
Vickers, R. B. (Spring 1997). “Addison Mizner: Promoter in Paradise.” The Florida Historical Quarterly, 75(4), 381-407.
Vickers, R. B. (February 1996). “Open the Vault: The Urgent Need to Abolish Bank Secrecy.” Business Library Review: An International Journal, 1-7.
Vickers, R. B. (1989, May 23). “Sleazy Banking in the ‘20s and Today.” Wall Street Journal.
Book Reviews
Vickers, R. B. (Fall 1996). A review of The Florida Land Boom: Speculation, Money, and the Banks by William Frazer and John J. Guthrie, Jr. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 75(2),202-204.
Vickers, R. B. (July 1994). A review of The Era of Good Stealings by Mark Wahlgren Summers, The Florida Historical Quarterly, 73(1), 116-118.
PRESENTATIONS
Invited Presentations
Vickers, R. B. “The Urgent Need to Abolish Bank Secrecy,” Keynote Speaker at the Connecticut Bar Association Annual Meeting, Cromwell, Connecticut, June 12, 1995.
Vickers, R.B. “Panic in Paradise.” Guest author on National Public Radio, sponsored by the Florida Humanities Council, August 16, 1995.
Vickers, R.B. “Abolish Bank Secrecy.” Rotary Club of Tallahassee, September 13, 1995.
Vickers, R.B. “Open the Secret Vault.” Testimony before Florida Comptroller’s Commission on Bank Regulatory Reform, October 1995.
Vickers, R.B. “Addison Mizner: Promoter in Paradise.” Guest author at Liberties Fine Books, Music, & Café, Boca Raton, Florida, November 2, 1995.
Vickers, R.B. “A Night of Literary Feasts,” presented by the Jacksonville Public Libraries Foundation, Inc. One of ten authors invited to participate in the fund-raising dinner for Jacksonville’s public libraries. November 12, 1994. 6
Vickers. R.B. “Sleazy Banking.” Jacksonville Public Library, November 12, 1994.
Vickers, R.B. “Bank Failures and Fraud.” Westminister Oaks, Tallahassee, FL, November 1994.
Vickers, R.B. “Prelude to Panic: Florida’s Crash of 1926.” The Perry Kiwanis Club, Perry, FL, May 1990.
Invited Presentations at Conferences
Vickers, R. B. (presented April 28, 1995). “The Banking Panic of 1926.” Annual Meeting of the Economic and Business Historical Society, Boulder, Colorado.
Vickers, R.B. (presented May 1993). “Ernest Amos: The Cracker Regulator.” Annual Meeting of the Florida Historical Society, Pensacola, FL.
Vickers, R. B. (presented May 11, 1990). “The Banking Crash of ’26 and Its Impact on Tampa Bay.” Annual Meeting of the Florida Historical Society, Tampa, FL.
Vickers, R.B. (presented February 1989). “The Historian and the Legal Profession.” Annual Meeting of the Florida College Teachers of History Association, Tallahassee, FL.
Vickers, R.B. (presented January 1984). “The Organization of De Novo Federal and State Associations.” Seminar sponsored by the Miami Review: “The Chartering, Acquisition, and Conversion of Florida Savings and Loan Associations,” Miami, FL.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Referee, Essays in Economic and Business History: The Journal of the Economic and Business Historical Society. 2004-2006.
Reviewer, Business Library Review: An International Journal. The Netherlands: Gordon and Breach Publishers. 1995-1998.
Reviewer, The Florida Historical Quarterly. 1993-1996.
MEDIA CITATIONS
Church, B. (2013, July 28). “Editor: Why Florida Banks Failed is an Important Story.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Braga, M. and A. Cormier. (2013, July 28). “Failure in Florida: In Florida’s Banking Debacle, Plenty of Blame to Go Around.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Braga, M. and A. Cormier. (2013, July 28). “Front Row Seats: A Timetable for Failure: Early Liberties and Late Crackdowns.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bubil, H. (2008, February 10). “Crusading Historian Vickers is Still Battling his Detractors.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bubil, H. (2008, February 10). “POINT COUNTER POINT: Critics, Supporters Debate Merits of Panic in Paradise.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bubil, H. (2008, February 10). “Putting the ‘Hiss’ in History: Historians Took Off Gloves in Debating Vickers’ Book.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bubil, H. (2008, January 27). “Historian Sees Parallel Between ‘20s Crash and Current Market.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bubil, H. (2008, January 27). “Bankers and the Boom, Mizner the Architect: Villain or Visionary?” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bubil, H. (2008, January 27). “Secret Bank Records Shine Light on 1920s Boom and Bust.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bubil, H. (2008, January 27). “Causes of the Boom.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bubil, H. (2008, January 27). “Causes of the Bust.” Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Wheat, J. (1995, April 23). “Closing Door on One Scandal, Reopening Another: Bank Fraud Caused ’26 Land Bust.” Miami Herald.
Breines, P.S. (1994, September 25). “From Boom to Bust.” Tampa Tribune.
Hawes, L. (1994, October 9). “Panic in Paradise Offers New Details on Bank Crash.” Tampa Tribune.
Hawes, L. (1990, December 16). “Tampa Lawyer Helped to Defeat Comptroller.” Tampa Tribune.
Hawes, L. (1990, December 9). “Decades Find Little Change in Failing Banks.” Tampa Tribune.
Hawes, L. (1990, December 9). “End Banking Secrecy, Lawyer-Professor Urges.” Tampa Tribune
Author Unknown. (1989, June 27). “Opening the Secret Vault.” Tallahassee Democrat, Editorial.
Greiff, J. (1989, May 29). “Law Keeps Public in Dark about Banks’ Well-Being.” St. Petersburg Times.
ACADEMIC REFERENCES
William H. Becker
Professor of History and International Affairs, Chair, Department of History
801 22nd Street NW, Phillips Hall 331
George Washington University
Washington, D.C. 20052
whbecker@gwu.edu
David O. Whitten
Professor Emeritus of Economics
Department of Economics
Auburn University
102 Kimberly Drive
Auburn, AL 36832-6712
whittdo@auburn.edu
K. Austin Kerr
Professor Emeritus of History
Department of History
230 West 17th Ave.
106 Dulles Hall
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1367
Kerr.6@osu.edu
William Warren Rogers
Professor Emeritus of History
Department of History
401 Bellamy Building
113 Collegiate Loop
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2200
Edward F. Keuchel
Professor Emeritus of History
Department of History
401 Bellamy Building
113 Collegiate Loop
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2200
efk0920@aol.com
PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES
General Robert F. Milligan
8950 Winged Foot Drive
Tallahassee, Florida 32312
rmilli7727@aol.com
Alan Neigher
Byelas & Neigher
1804 Post Road East
Westport, Connecticut 06880
aneigher@snet.net
(203) 255-0019
Fred B. Tarter
President and Chairman, The Lakeside Group of Companies
210 East 39th Street
New York, New York 10016
ftarter@lakesideglobal.com
(212) 679-3800
