Congress of French Culture in Florida
The Congress of French Culture in Florida, also referred to as CCFF or simply Le Congrès, is an academic organization that holds competitions annually in Orlando, Florida, to promote literacy in French culture and language among middle and high school students. The name also refers to the organizational body that oversees the event and its preparation.
History
Three French instructors from Jacksonville conceived the foundation of the competition in the fall of 1952: Lelia Alexander of Julia E. Landon High School, Cornelia Burge of Duncan U. Fletcher High School, and Doris McCleary of Andrew Jackson High School. The first competition was held in April of 1953 at the Provençal House of Rollins College and continued to occur annually.Suzanne Carrell
In 1962, professor Suzanne Carrell facilitated the event's relocation to Jacksonville University where it had remained for several years. A French national, Carrell, was highly praised for her work in strengthening the cultural ties between the United States and France, particularly in the relationship between the sister cities of Jacksonville and Nantes. In 1980, a scholarship open to participants of the Congrès was established in her name and continues to this day. In recognition of her work, French President Jacques Chirac decreed upon her the French Legion of Honor in the competition's fiftieth year. In the competition's sixtieth year, Carrell would also receive the National Order of Merit.Despite having retired in 1989, Carrell continued to chair the organization until her death in 2019.