History of the University of Florida

The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education

Education in Florida

The Florida education system consists of public and private schools in Florida, including the State University System of Florida , the Florida College System , the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and other private institutions, and also secondary and primary schools.- Overview...

in the state of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. The University of Florida

University of Florida

The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

by the Buckman Act of 1905. The earliest of these was the East Florida Seminary, one of two seminaries of higher learning established by the Florida Legislature

Florida Legislature

The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...

. The East Florida Seminary opened in 1853, becoming the first state-supported institution of higher learning in the state of Florida; the University of Florida traces its founding date to that year.

The East Florida Seminary operated in Ocala until the outbreak of the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

in 1861. It closed for the duration of the war, and reopened in Gainesville

Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...

in 1866, absorbing the Gainesville Academy. The other primary predecessor to the University of Florida was the Florida Agricultural College, established at Lake City

Lake City, Florida

Lake City is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, in the United States. In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 12,614. In addition, it is the Principal City of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is composed of Columbia County, and had an...

in 1884 by Jordan Probst. Florida Agricultural College became the first land-grant college in the state, and the small college emphasized the scientific training of agricultural and mechanical specialists. In 1903, the Florida Legislature changed the name of Florida Agricultural College to the "University of Florida", in recognition of the legislature's desire to expand the curriculum beyond the college's original agricultural and engineering educational missions.

In 1905 the Buckman Act restructured higher education in Florida, and the state's six standing institutions were reorganized into three schools segregated by race and gender. The act mandated the merger of four of these institutions – the East Florida Seminary, the University of Florida at Lake City (formerly Florida Agricultural College), the St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...

, and the South Florida Military College in Bartow

Bartow, Florida

Bartow is the county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow the first brigade commander to die in combat during the American Civil War. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census, the city had a...

– into the University of the State of Florida, a university for white males. The school began accepting some white women starting in 1924, and became fully coeducational as a result of the influx of new students brought in by the GI Bill after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. It became racially integrated in 1958. Into the 21st century the school the school grew substantially in size and increased in academic prominence, becoming a member of the Association of American Universities

Association of American Universities

The Association of American Universities is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education...

in 1985.

Origins

In 1823, the Florida Territorial Legislature and the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

began to plan a system of higher education for Florida

Florida

. As early as 1836, Congress authorized the establishment of a "University of Florida," and the first constitution of Florida Territory

Florida Territory

The Territory of Florida was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 30, 1822, until March 3, 1845, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Florida...

in 1838 specifically guaranteed that seminaries of higher learning be created. It was not until the 1850s, however, that the Florida Legislature

Florida Legislature

took steps towards implementing these plans. In 1851, the legislature voted to allow the establishment of two seminaries on either side of the Suwanee River: West Florida Seminary (which became Florida State University

Florida State University

The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...

) and East Florida Seminary. The latter became the first of the institutions that were eventually merged to create what is now known as the University of Florida

University of Florida

.

On January 6, 1853, Florida Governor Thomas Brown signed the legislation that provided public support for the seminaries. Gilbert Kingsbury was the first person to seek state support under the legislation, and established the East Florida Seminary in Ocala, Florida

Ocala, Florida

Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...

. This was the first state-supported institution of higher learning in the state of Florida. The seminary closed in 1861 due to the American Civil War

American Civil War

, and remained so for the duration of the war. In 1866, James Henry Roper, an educator from North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

and a Florida State Senator

Florida Senate

The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....

from Alachua County, offered his Gainesville Academy and all associated property to the state in exchange for the seminary relocating there. Roper had founded the Academy in downtown Gainesville

Gainesville, Florida

in 1858. The state accepted his offer, and parts of the seminary campus would be incorporated into the campus of the future University of Florida. Epworth Hall, the main building of the East Florida Seminary, still stands in downtown Gainesville, though it is not within the university's present campus boundaries.

In 1884, Jordan Probst established what became the other major predecessor to the University of Florida, Florida Agricultural College, in Lake City

Lake City, Florida

. Florida Agricultural College became the first land-grant college in the state, and the small college emphasized the scientific training of agricultural and mechanical specialists. In 1903, the Florida Legislature changed the name of Florida Agricultural College to the "University of Florida," in recognition of the legislature's desire to expand the curriculum beyond the college's original agricultural and engineering educational missions.

University

Florida's 1868 constitution required the establishment of a state-sponsored university

University

. The state's first attempts to establish a multi-college university were in Tallahassee, where the West Florida Seminary was located. In 1883, a charter passed which merged the West Florida Seminary and the Tallahassee College of Medicine and Surgery into the Florida University, the first such institution in the state. The West Florida Seminary became the university's Literary College, containing several "schools" or departments; however its "separate Charter and special organization" were maintained. The university charter also recognized three further colleges to be established at a later time: a Law College, a Theological Institute, and a Polytechnic and Normal Institute.

The Florida Legislature recognized the institution in 1885 under the name "University of Florida", but it refused to supply any additional funding. Without state financial support the university venture struggled, and the medical college relocated to Jacksonville later that year. The Tallahassee institution never actually adopted the "university" title. Florida Agricultural College attempted to revive the idea, announcing its desire to merge with the University of Florida in 1886 and 1887, however, nothing came of this at the time. Then, in 1903, the legislature repealed the act designating the Tallahassee institution as the "University of Florida," and transferring the title to Florida Agricultural College. This institution operated as the University of Florida until 1905, when Florida's higher education system was entirely reorganized by the Buckman Act.

University of the State of Florida

In 1905 the state passed the Buckman Act, which reorganized the State University System of Florida

State University System of Florida

The State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...

and empowered the Florida Board of Control

Florida Board of Control

The Florida Board of Control was the statewide governing body for the State University System of Florida, which included all public universities in the state of Florida. It was replaced by the Florida Board of Regents in 1965.- History :...

to govern the system. The act, named for legislator Henry Holland Buckman

Henry Holland Buckman

Henry Holland Buckman was an attorney from Duval County, Florida, who became a legislator in the Florida Legislature and served on the Judiciary Committee...

, mandated the consolidation of the state's six institutions into three: one for African Americans, one for white women, and one for white men. Four of the institutions – the University of Florida at Lake City (formerly Florida Agricultural College) in Lake City

Lake City, Florida

, the East Florida Seminary in Gainesville

Gainesville, Florida

, the St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Florida

, and the South Florida Military College in Bartow

Bartow, Florida

– were merged into the new University of the State of Florida.

The University of the State of Florida served as the institution for white men; the State Normal School for Colored Students (the future Florida A&M University

Florida A&M University

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, the state capital, and is one of eleven member institutions of the State University System of Florida...

) served African Americans, and the Florida Female College (the future Florida State University

Florida State University

) served white women. A fourth school provided specialized training and education for the deaf and blind (the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind

Florida School for the Deaf and Blind

The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind is a state-supported boarding school for deaf and blind children established in 1885, in St. Augustine, Florida, USA.-History:...

).

On July 6, 1905, the Board of Control, by a 6–4 vote, selected Gainesville for the campus of the state's newly consolidated men's university. The Board of Control selected Andrew Sledd

Andrew Sledd

Andrew Warren Sledd was an American theologian, university professor and university president. A native of Virginia, he was the son of a prominent Methodist minister, and was himself ordained as a minister after earning his bachelor's degree and master's degree...

, president of the University of Florida at Lake City for the last year, to be the first president of the new university, and architect William A. Edwards to design the first permanent buildings for the new Gainesville campus in the Collegiate Gothic

Gothic Revival architecture

The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

style. The 1905–1906 academic year was a time of transition; classes were held on the existing Lake City campus of the former University of Florida at Lake City, while the first buildings of the new Gainesville campus were being constructed. The new university held its first classes on its Gainesville campus on September 26, 1906, with 102 students enrolled.

The name of the fledgling university was simplified to the "University of Florida" in 1909. The alligator

Alligator

An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....

was incidentally chosen as the school mascot in 1911, after a local vendor ordered and sold school pennants with a gator emblem on them. The university colors, orange and blue, are believed to be a combination of the blue and white school colors of the University of Florida at Lake City and the orange and black school colors of the East Florida Seminary in Gainesville, the university's two primary predecessors.

Reorganization, reform, depression and war

Albert A. Murphree

Albert Alexander Murphree was an American college professor and university president. Murphree was a native of Alabama, and became a mathematics instructor after earning his bachelor's degree...

was appointed the second president of the University of Florida in 1909. Murphree previously served as the president of the Florida State College for Women

History of Florida State University

The history of Florida State University dates to the 19th century and is deeply intertwined with the history of education in the state of Florida and in the city of Tallahassee....

(later known as "Florida State University

Florida State University

"). Murphree was responsible for the internal re-organization of the university and the creation of its first constituent colleges and schools. During his presidency, the university's student enrollment increased from just under 200 to over 2,000.

In 1924, the Florida Legislature permitted women of a "mature age" (at least 21 years old) who had completed sixty semester hours from a "reputable educational institution" would be allowed to enroll during regular semesters at the university in programs that were unavailable at Florida State College for Women. Before this, only the summer semester was coeducational, to accommodate teachers. Lassie Goodbread-Black

Lassie Goodbread-Black

Lassie Moore Goodbread was an American farmer and educator who, in 1925, became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, in the College of Agriculture. In 2000, Goodbread was named a Great Floridian by the State of Florida.-Background:...

from Lake City became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, at the College of Agriculture in 1925.

John J. Tigert

John J. Tigert

John James Tigert, IV was an American university president, university professor and administrator, college sports coach and the U.S. Commissioner of Education. Tigert was a native of Tennessee and the son and grandson of Methodist bishops...

became the university's third president in 1928. Before arriving in Gainesville, Tigert had been the president of Kentucky Wesleyan College

Kentucky Wesleyan College

Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, a city on the Ohio River. KWC is just 40 minutes east of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours north of Nashville, Tennessee, 2 hours west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 4 hours east of St. Louis, Missouri...

; a philosophy professor, athletic director, basketball coach and football coach at the University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...

; and the U.S. Commissioner of Education

Commissioner of Education

The Commissioner of Education was the title given to the head of the National Bureau of Education, a former unit within the Department of the Interior in the United States...

for seven years. Tigert brought many new ideas for reforming academics, athletics and administration to the university. Disgusted by the under-the-table payments being made by universities to athletes in this era, Tigert advocated the grant-in-aid athletic scholarship

Athletic scholarship

An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...

program in the early 1930s, which was the genesis of the modern athletic scholarship plan currently used by the NCAA. Under Tigert's administration, the university built its football stadium, joined the new Southeastern Conference

Southeastern Conference

The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...

for its sports teams, awarded its first doctoral degrees, was granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, established the new University College and placed new emphasis on liberal arts

Liberal arts

The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...

general education requirements.

When the United States entered World War II

World War II

following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

on December 7, 1941, most students withdrew to enlist in the U.S military. Having survived the financial stresses and strains of the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

, the university could have failed financially when most of its student body departed. To survive the financial stresses of the war years, the university offered its campus, classrooms and dormitories to the U.S. Government for the training of aircrews for the U.S. Army Air Force.

GI Bill and post-World War II era

When World War II ended and veteran students began to return to Gainesville in 1946, the university was overwhelmed with both returning and new students buoyed by their GI Bill of Rights (Servicemen's Readjustment Act) educational benefits. By 1947, over 7,500 students were enrolled, more than three times the number of students in 1928.

Unable to accommodate the immediate increased demand for college education in Florida, the Florida Board of Control

Florida Board of Control

opened the Tallahassee Branch of the University of Florida on the campus of Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee. By the end of the 1946–1947 school year, 954 men were enrolled at the Tallahassee Branch. The following semester, the Florida Legislature

Florida Legislature

returned the Florida State College for Women to coeducational status and renamed it Florida State University. Thereafter, all of the university's various colleges and schools were open to female students. The J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center

J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center

The J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center includes its primary campuses located in Gainesville, Florida and a major teaching hospital and related facilities in Jacksonville, Florida. The Health Science Center comprises the University of Florida's Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing,...

was founded in 1956 and Shands at the University of Florida

Shands at the University of Florida

Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:...

was founded two years later, at the same time as the College of Medicine

University of Florida College of Medicine

The University of Florida College of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Florida. It is part of the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center, with facilities in Gainesville and Jacksonville...

was established under the direction of dean George Harrell. Rapid expansion of the university's campus structures and student population began in the 1950s under presidents J. Hillis Miller, Sr.

J. Hillis Miller, Sr.

Joseph Hillis Miller, Sr. was an American university professor, education administrator and university president. Miller was a native of Virginia, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees before embarking on an academic career...

and J. Wayne Reitz

J. Wayne Reitz

Julius Wayne Reitz was an American agricultural economist, professor and university president. Reitz was a native of Kansas, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in his chosen field. After working as an agricultural economist, university professor and U.S...

. Under Reitz, the university peacefully integrated and African-American students were allowed to enroll in the university in 1958.

National and international prominence

In 1985, Florida became a member of the Association of American Universities

Association of American Universities

The Association of American Universities is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education...

(AAU), a higher-education organization presently composed of sixty-two public and private United States and Canadian research universities. Florida is one of thirty-four public universities that belong to the AAU. In 2009, President Bernie Machen

Bernie Machen

James Bernard "Bernie" Machen is an American university professor and administrator. Machen is a native of Mississippi, and earned multiple academic degrees before becoming a university administrator and president...

and the University of Florida Board of Trustees

University of Florida Board of Trustees

The University of Florida Board of Trustees is the governing body of the University of Florida, a Flagship University for the State University System of Florida. The University is located in Gainesville, Florida, United States. As of September 1, 2011, the Board includes thirteen members...

announced the future reduction of the number of undergraduates, and an increase of resources for graduate education and research.

The University of Florida has continued to rise in the U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...

college and university rankings

College and university rankings

College and university rankings are lists of institutions in higher education, ordered by combinations of factors. In addition to entire institutions, specific programs, departments, and schools are ranked...

. In 2001, Florida was labeled a Public Ivy

Public Ivy

Public Ivy is a term coined by Richard Moll in his 1985 book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's best public undergraduate colleges and universities to refer to universities which "provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price." Public Ivies are considered, according to the...

, and, in 2010, was ranked second in Kiplinger

Kiplinger

Kiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products ....

's "Best Buys of Education," behind the University of North Carolina

University of North Carolina

Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...

). U.S. News & World Report currently ranks the University of Florida among the top forty-seven national universities, public and private, and fifteenth among all public national universities.

Historic sites

A number of the University of Florida's buildings are historically significant. The Campus Historic District

University of Florida Campus Historic District

The University of Florida Campus Historic District is a historic district on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The district, bounded by West University Avenue, Southwest 13th Street, Stadium Road and North-South Drive, encompasses approximately and contains 11 listed...

comprises numerous buildings and encompasses approximately 650 acres (2.6 km²). Two buildings outside the historic district, the old WRUF radio station

Old WRUF Radio Station

The Old WRUF Radio Station is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the University of Florida campus . On September 21, 1989, it was added to the U.S...

(now the university police station) and orman Hall (Gainesville, Florida)|Norman Hall), are also listed on the historic register. The buildings listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

for their architectural or historic significance are:

Anderson Hall
Anderson Hall (Gainesville, Florida)
Anderson Hall is a historic building in Gainesville, Florida, in the northeastern section of the University of Florida campus. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places...
Bryan Hall
Bryan Hall (Gainesville, Florida)
Bryan Hall is a historic building in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida in Gainesville. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Bryan Hall is part of the Warrington College of Business...
Buckman Hall
Buckman Hall (Gainesville, Florida)
Buckman Hall, an historic building located in Murphree Area on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1974....
Carlton Auditorium
Carlton Auditorium
The William G. Carleton Auditorium, built in 1954, is a historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. Like several other buildings on campus, it was designed by architect Guy Fulton in an early campus Brutalist style and is joined to...
Dauer Hall
Dauer Hall (Gainesville, Florida)
Dauer Hall is a historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States.Dauer Hall is a contributing property in the University of Florida Campus Historic District which was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 20,...
Century Tower
Century Tower (University of Florida)
The Century Tower is a carillon tower in the center of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida.Begun in 1953 by the Auchter Company...
Epworth Hall
Fletcher Hall
Fletcher Hall (Gainesville, Florida)
Fletcher Hall, originally called North Hall, is an historic dormitory building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. It makes up half of the "F" in the "U.F." in the Murphee Area. The "U.F" in the building design can be seen from an aerial view...
Flint Hall
Flint Hall (Gainesville, Florida)
Flint Hall is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places...
Florida Gymnasium
Griffin-Floyd Hall

Infirmary

Infirmary (Gainesville, Florida)

The Infirmary, now known as the Student Health Care Center, is a historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. It was designed by Rudolph Weaver in the Collegiate Gothic style and was built in 1931...

Leigh Hall

Leigh Hall (Gainesville, Florida)

The Leigh Hall, originally known as the Chemistry-Pharmacy Building, is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. It was designed by Rudolph Weaver in the Collegiate Gothic style and was built in 1927. In 1949 the pharmacy...

Library East

Library East (Gainesville, Florida)

Library East is a historic library in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida in the middle of the Campus Historic District. When it was first created it was the largest building on campus at that time.-History:This facility was...

Mallory Hall

Yulee Area (Gainesville, Florida)

Yulee Area is a historic residence hall area at 13th Street and Inner Road, SW, on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. It is the site of the first permanent dormitories built for women after the campus became co-educational in 1947...

Matherly Hall

Matherly Hall built in the early 1950s is an historic classroom and faculty office building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. It was designed by Guy Fulton in a modified Collegiate Gothic style to house the College of Business Administration...

Murphree Hall

Murphree Hall (Gainesville, Florida)

Murphree Hall is a historic student residence building located in the Murphree Area on the northern edge of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. It was designed by architect Rudolph Weaver in the Collegiate Gothic style and completed in 1939. The building was named for Albert...

Newell Hall

Newell Hall (Gainesville, Florida)

Newell Hall is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S...

Norman Hall

Old WRUF Radio Station

The Old WRUF Radio Station is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the University of Florida campus . On September 21, 1989, it was added to the U.S...

Peabody Hall

Peabody Hall (Gainesville, Florida)

Peabody Hall is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places...

Plaza of the Americas

The Plaza of the Americas is a major center of student activity on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It is located in the quad between Library West, Peabody Hall, the University Auditorium, and the Chemistry Building....

Reid Hall

Yulee Area (Gainesville, Florida)

Rolfs Hall

Rolfs Hall (Gainesville, Florida)

Rolfs Hall is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the campus...

Sledd Hall

The Hub

The Hub (Gainesville, Florida)

The Hub, formerly known as the UF Bookstore, is a historic building on Stadium Road between Buckman Drive and Fletcher Drive on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. On June 24, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Built in...

Thomas Hall

Thomas Hall (Gainesville, Florida)

Thomas Hall, built in 1905, is a historic building located in Murphree Area on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, United States...

Tigert Hall

Tigert Hall, built in the late 1940s and early 1950s, is a historic administrative building located on the eastern edge of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. It was designed by architect Jefferson Hamilton in a modified Collegiate Gothic style to function as the university's...

University Auditorium

University Auditorium (Gainesville, Florida)

The University Auditorium, originally known as the Memorial Auditorium and sometimes called the University of Florida Auditorium, is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States....

Walker Hall

Walker Hall (Gainesville, Florida)

Walker Hall, originally known as the Mechanical Engineering Building, is an historic classroom building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. It was designed by Rudolph Weaver in the Collegiate Gothic style and was built in 1927 It was later named...

Weil Hall

Women's Gymnasium

Women's Gymnasium (Gainesville, Florida)

Kathryn Chicone Ustler Hall is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It was designed by William Augustus Edwards in the Collegiate Gothic style. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S...

Yulee Hall

Yulee Area (Gainesville, Florida)

Timeline of colleges

University presidents
President	Years

Andrew Sledd Andrew Sledd Andrew Warren Sledd was an American theologian, university professor and university president. A native of Virginia, he was the son of a prominent Methodist minister, and was himself ordained as a minister after earning his bachelor's degree and master's degree...	1905 – 1909
Albert A. Murphree Albert A. Murphree Albert Alexander Murphree was an American college professor and university president. Murphree was a native of Alabama, and became a mathematics instructor after earning his bachelor's degree...	1909 – 1927
* James M. Farr	1927 – 1928
John J. Tigert John J. Tigert John James Tigert, IV was an American university president, university professor and administrator, college sports coach and the U.S. Commissioner of Education. Tigert was a native of Tennessee and the son and grandson of Methodist bishops...	1928 – 1947
* Harold Hume Harold Hume Hardrada Harold Hume was a Canadian-born American university professor, administrator and horticulturalist. Hume was a native of Ontario, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees before embarking on a career as a research botanist, horticulturalist and professor...	1947 – 1948
J. Hillis Miller, Sr. J. Hillis Miller, Sr. Joseph Hillis Miller, Sr. was an American university professor, education administrator and university president. Miller was a native of Virginia, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees before embarking on an academic career...	1948 – 1953
* John S. Allen John S. Allen John Stuart Allen was an American astronomer, university professor and university president. He was a native of Indiana, and pursued a career as a professor of astronomy after receiving his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees...	1953 – 1955
J. Wayne Reitz J. Wayne Reitz Julius Wayne Reitz was an American agricultural economist, professor and university president. Reitz was a native of Kansas, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in his chosen field. After working as an agricultural economist, university professor and U.S...	1955 – 1967
Stephen C. O'Connell Stephen C. O'Connell Stephen Cornelius O'Connell was an American attorney, appellate judge and university president. O'Connell was a native of Florida, and earned bachelor's and law degrees before becoming a practicing attorney...	1967 – 1973
* E. T. York E. T. York E. Travis "E.T." York, Jr. was an American agronomist, professor, university administrator, agricultural extension administrator, and U.S. presidential adviser. York was a native of Alabama, and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in agricultural sciences...	1973 – 1974
Robert Q. Marston Robert Q. Marston Robert Quarles "Bob" Marston was an American physician, research scientist, governmental appointee and university administrator. Marston was a native of Virginia, and, after earning his bachelor's, medical and research degrees, he became a research scientist and medical professor...	1974 – 1984
Marshall Criser Marshall Criser Marshall McAllister Criser, Jr. is an American corporate lawyer and former university administrator. Criser is a native of New Jersey, and earned his bachelor's and law degrees before becoming a practicing attorney...	1984 – 1989
* Robert A. Bryan Robert A. Bryan Robert Armistead "Bob" Bryan is a former American university professor, administrator and university president. Bryan is a native of Pennsylvania, and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees before becoming a professor of English literature...	1989 – 1990
John V. Lombardi John V. Lombardi John Vincent Paul Maher Lombardi is an American university professor and administrator. Lombardi currently serves as the president of the Louisiana State University System, a position he has held since 2007. He is a native of California, and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees...	1990 – 1999
Charles E. Young	1999 – 2003
J. Bernard Machen Bernie Machen James Bernard "Bernie" Machen is an American university professor and administrator. Machen is a native of Mississippi, and earned multiple academic degrees before becoming a university administrator and president...	2003 – Present
*Denotes acting/interim president See also President of the University of Florida President of the University of Florida This List of Presidents of the University of Florida includes all sixteen of the men who have served as the president of the University of Florida since the modern university was created from the consolidation of four predecessor institutions in 1905....

College/school founding
College/school	Year founded

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences The University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences , founded in 1964, is a college of the University of Florida.The programs offered specialize in agriculture, natural resources, and life sciences...	1906
Rinker School of Building Construction Rinker School of Building Construction The Building Construction program at the University of Florida prepares graduates for exciting careers in the construction industry. The core curriculum includes a mix of technical, managerial, and business courses. Graduates receive a comprehensive education including theory and practical...	1906
College of Education University of Florida College of Education The University of Florida College of Education, is a part of the University of Florida offering specializations in special education, higher education, educational policy, elementary education, counseling, teaching, and other educational programs. It is consistently ranked one of the top schools of...	1906
College of Law	1909
College of Engineering University of Florida College of Engineering The College of Engineering at the University of Florida provides formal education and research in more than 12 fields of engineering, including: aerospace, agricultural, biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, and mechanical.-History:The...	1910
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences The University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the University of Florida's college for the liberal arts and sciences. and the largest of the university's 16 colleges. Most core curriculum classes and 42 majors and minors are part of the college...	1910
College of Journalism and Communications	1916
College of Pharmacy University of Florida College of Pharmacy The University of Florida College of Pharmacy is an American pharmacy school founded in 1923 and located in Gainesville, Florida. The Doctor of Pharmacy program is fully accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education....	1923
College of Design Construction and Planning	1925
Warrington College of Business Warrington College of Business The Warrington College of Business Administration is the business school at the University of Florida. About 6300 students are enrolled in classes, including undergraduates and graduate students, including Master of Business Administration and Ph.D.-seeking students.Undergraduate programs include...	1926
P.K. Yonge Research School	1934
College of Health and Human Performance University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance The University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance is a college at the University of Florida. The college has three departments, and four research centers. The college is unique in that the majors that are offered are inter-disciplinary in nature...	1946
J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center The J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center includes its primary campuses located in Gainesville, Florida and a major teaching hospital and related facilities in Jacksonville, Florida. The Health Science Center comprises the University of Florida's Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing,...	1956
College of Medicine	1956
College of Nursing University of Florida College of Nursing The University of Florida College of Nursing is the nursing school at the University of Florida. Established in 1956, the college is fully accredited and is one of six schools that compose the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center....	1956
College of Public Health and Health Professions University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions The College of Public Health and Health Profession is the academic college of public health and health professions at the University of Florida. The college was established by the Florida Board of Regents in 1958 as a separate school within the Health Science Center and is a member of the ASPH and...	1958
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...	1964
College of Dentistry University of Florida College of Dentistry The University of Florida College of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Florida. The college is located in the Dental Sciences Building located on the western edge of the Health Science Center campus. The college is one of the six that make up UF's J...	1972
College of Fine Arts University of Florida College of Fine Arts The University of Florida College of Fine Arts is the academic unit at the University of Florida for the fine arts. In 1975, the College was officially established. The current Dean is .-Composition:The College is composed of three schools...	1975
College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is the veterinary school of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1976, it is one of six schools that compose the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center...	1976
Division of Continuing Education University of Florida Division of Continuing Education The University of Florida Division of Continuing Education has a campus in Gainesville, Florida and they also offer online instruction. The division was founded 32 years ago, and their mission is to offer flexible opportunities to students who might not otherwise have access to adult learning. The...	1976
Fisher School of Accounting Fisher School of Accounting The Fisher School of Accounting is the academic accounting unit at the University of Florida . In 1977, the School of Accounting was established by the Florida Board of Regents as a separate school within the Warrington College of Business, and was endowed in 1985 by Frederick Fisher. Dr. John...	1977
International Center University of Florida International Center The University of Florida International Center is the University of Florida's research and educational center for international affairs and cultural studies....	1991
Graham Center for Public Service Bob Graham Center for Public Service The Bob Graham Center for Public Service, housed at the University of Florida in Gainesville, is a community of students, scholars and citizens who share a commitment to training the next generation of public and private sector leaders for Florida, the United States and the international community....	2006

External links

History of the University of Florida

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Origins

University

University of the State of Florida

Reorganization, reform, depression and war

GI Bill and post-World War II era

National and international prominence

Historic sites

Timeline of colleges

See also

External links