66-year-old Jake Mitchell was one of the first black entertainers to perform at Gator Growl. Hitting the stage with his band, "Little Jake and the Blenders" in 1960, Mitchell says, he was just 15.

"It was something new, it was a turn-around for integration, and for it to happen like that at the University of Florida, that was something big" said Mitchell.

Mitchell will be honored at Gator Growl on Friday, October 15.