Jamie Page; jepage@pnj.com

The Lamar, Switzer and Reilly families are giving $1 million to name the ocean aquarium exhibit at the planned Community Maritime Park.

The C.W. Lamar Sr. Ocean Aquarium will be named in honor of Charles W. Lamar Sr., who founded his namesake advertising company in Pensacola in 1908. The three families are related, some by blood, some by marriage, and have all played a part in what is now Lamar Advertising Company. Lamar now has more than 150 offices in 44 U.S. states.

"We just love the water, and we wanted to do something significant to help Pensacola with its waterfront," said Charles W. Lamar III of Baton Rouge, La., a great-grandson of C.W. Lamar who has a home on Pensacola Beach. "This is a happy and a proud moment for our family."

The gift to the Vice Admiral John H. Fetterman State of Florida Maritime Museum and Research Center was announced Friday afternoon at a ceremony at Palafox Pier.

"As envisioned by Adm. Jack Fetterman ... the maritime museum will be a place of wonderment, engaging visitors of all ages in understanding how discoveries, events and commerce have shaped the development of Florida, and in fact, America," said John Cavanaugh, president of the University of West Florida and a major proponent of the park. "Anchoring the future Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park, the museum is expected to welcome approximately 300,000 visitors annually through its doors."

Fetterman and Cavanaugh were principal backers of the park project, along with Pensacola businessman Quint Studer.

The gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the State of Florida's Alec P. Courtelis fund for university facilities, translating into $2 million in support of the museum.

"We hope this helps kick off and finish the fundraising for the museum," said Bobby Switzer of Pensacola, vice president of operations for Lamar Advertising and grandson of C.W. Lamar Sr.

The ocean aquarium, a three-story, 135,000-gallon seawater tank, will serve as a representation of the bays along the coast of Florida. It will support educational programs in the marine sciences and underwater archaeology, and promote the need to preserve underwater resources. It will include a replica 16th-Century shipwreck where visitors can watch UWF nautical archaeology students lay grids over the wreck and record its dimensions.

"We are grateful for this extraordinary gift from a family with deep roots in Pensacola," Cavanaugh said. "In making one of the largest charitable gifts in UWF's history, this family will help change the face of Pensacola by ensuring that the vision for this maritime museum becomes a reality."

The families were honored for their gift at a ceremony with Pensacola Bay as the backdrop and the site of the proposed Community Maritime Park in the distance.

"Events like this make you think it really is going to happen," park consultant and supporter Mort O'Sullivan said.