When a fire at Lee High School incinerated his academic record, Duke declined to enroll him; however, the University of Florida would, and offered him an athletic scholarship.

Tanzler decided to go to Gainesville, but with World War II still ongoing, he was required to serve 18 months in the United States Navy.

After arriving late for the fall term, Florida football coach Raymond Wolf decided to redshirt Tanzler, and recommended that he play basketball to stay in shape.

[8] Tanzler was reelected in 1971, after defeating former Jacksonville mayor and Florida governor W. Haydon Burns, a "black hat" anti-consolidation activist, in the Democratic primary, and then easily winning the general election.

The run required him to step down as mayor as of January 2, 1979; Jacksonville City Council President Jake Godbold was appointed to succeed him.

The blended family included Tanzler's son and Woodard's two children from her former marriage to an Air Force test pilot.