C

Campbell, Charles Atwood (1872-1939)

Dean of Chapel and Entomology Expert

Born on June 18, 1872 in Desoto, Iowa to Emma (Charlotte) and Reverend William Campbell, Charles Atwood spent his youth in Kansas. In 1891, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas, intending to become an entomologist. Campbell worked with the Kansas State Experiment Station and United States Biological Survey for a year for a year, before deciding to conduct postgraduate work in philosophy and Greek at Emporia College. Despite his previous intentions, however, Campbell became interested in entering the ministry and entered the Auburn Theological Seminary, where he taught logic and rhetoric as a student instructor.

After he graduated in 1893, the First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca, New York, as well as the Second Reformed Church of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, both invited Campbell to their assistant-pastorships. He declined, instead accepting a position at the First Presbyterian Church of Providence, Rhode Island. From 1896 until 1926 , he served pastorates in Providence; Philadelphia; Denver, Colorado (where a fire destroyed his church); and Elizabeth, New Jersey (1917 to 1926). During his three years in Rhode Island, he also attended lectures at Brown University. Campbell retained an interest in natural science, however, and joined the Biological Society of Colorado and made contributions to the Colorado Museum of Natural History. As a result, the University of Denver conferred a Doctor of Divinity degree upon him in 1908. In 1909, Campbell moved to Dayton, Ohio and remained for eight years. Despite the loss of his library and collection of insects during a flood in 1913, Dayton provided Campbell with many opportunities for community service. He moved in 1917 to Elizabeth, where he worked at the First Presbyterian Church that had, throughout its history, such notable pastors as James Caldwell, John McDowell, Nicholas Murray, Everard Kempshall, and Princeton University’s Jonathan Dickinson.

In 1939 Hamilton Holt, the president of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, requested Campbell’s aid in developing the character of the school’s students. Campbell so impressed Mrs. Frances Knowles Warren with his eloquence and spiritual influence on the students that when considering a memorial to her father, Warren decided to fund the construction of Knowles Memorial Chapel. Designed by Ralph Adams Cram and dedicated in 1932, the iconic structure became a distinctive feature of the campus. As the professor of Biblical literature, entomology, and first dean of Knowles Chapel, Campbell became quite popular and influential on the student body. One student described him as “a great man, living to the best of his ability and inspiring others to do the same. He related his subjects to all of life, emphasizing the positive and highest values.” ^[1]

In addition to his duties at Rollins, Campbell served as the pastor of nearby Altamonte Chapel, in Altamonte Springs, during winter seasons. His devotion to the Florida Community, however, also related to his experience with entomology. In 1929 Campbell took part in a campaign to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly during an infestation in the Florida Citrus Groves. He also published numerous works, such as The World We Live In, Natural and Social Parasitism, A Handbook in Entomology (1927), The Wilderness Way, and Traditions of Hartwood, in addition to magazine articles, songs, and poems. For his various achievements, Campbell received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion (in absentia, owing to illness), and a window dedicated to him in the east wall of Knowles Chapel’s south ambulatory. Campbell died on January 7, 1939 in Orlando, Florida after having “w[o]ve[n] his life into the fabric of an exalted and vital undertaking and give[n] himself in full surrender to its fulfillment.” ^[2]

-Angelica Garcia

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Capen, James Seymour (1852-1931)

Early Settler

James Seymour Capen was born in Union Springs, Cayuga County, New York on October 18, 1852 to Luman Whitcomb and Eliza Munger Capen. The Capen family came to America from England around 1630. They settled in Dorchester, an area that is now part of Boston. Capen was educated in the Bloomington, Illinois public schools. He attended the State Normal University in Bloomington, Illinois from 1865-1870.

From 1870 to 1873 Capen worked as a clerk and bookkeeper. From 1873 to 1884 he traveled throughout Illinois, Western Indiana, and Eastern Missouri as a representative of a wholesale china and glass company. Capen visited Winter Park, Florida at the suggestion of his long-time friend Loring Augustus Chase. He arrived in Winter Park in March of 1884 and toured the town. Afterwards, he went back to Illinois, closed his business and returned to Winter Park in July of 1884.

Upon arrival, Capen purchased 80 acres and several mules and quickly built a house. ^[3] The house was located on the northwest corner of Morse Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue. Capen also organized and ran an orange grove business under the name of Capen & Co. His company cared for groves, negotiated fire insurance, cleared and fenced land, and dealt in real estate. ^[4] He also assisted Loring. A. Chase, founder of the town, in his office in July of 1884.

In 1885 he donated land valued at $510 to the fund that brought Rollins College to Winter Park. He soon became secretary of the Winter Park Land Company and a notary public. Capen maintained records of the history of growth Winter Park and Rollins College during his term as secretary of the Winter Park Land Company. He worked for the company until the “big freeze” that devastated the citrus industry in 1894. He returned to the north in 1895 and was employed for fifteen years by Capt. Gilbert Hart in Detroit, Michigan. He then managed his own mercantile business until August of 1925. He returned to Winter Park later that year. James Seymour Capen died on August 5, 1931. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. J.S. Capen who passed away February 8, 1960, and his daughter Louise Capen.

James Seymour Capen’s greatest contributions to the Winter Park community were his dedication as secretary of the Winter Park Company, member of Town Council in 1887 and his donation of land valued at $510 toward the $114,180 fund that aided in bringing Rollins College to Winter Park. He is remembered for being deeply interested in Winter Park’s development and public affairs. ^[5]

– Kerem K. Rivera

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Cartwright, George Charles (1879-1970)

Building

George Charles Cartwright, born on October 27, 1879, originated in Sheffield, England. His father functioned as a civil engineer, his grandfather served as a Methodist minister, and his distant relative, Edmund Cartwright, invented the power loom. Cartwright became interested in engineering as an elementary school student. He attended Whiteley College and majored in mathematics. In addition, Cartwright volunteered in the Canadian Army before moving to the United States. Once in the U.S., he worked for the Ashton Engineering and Chesterman Companies, engaged in experimental engineering, and assumed the role of superintendent of the Munitions and Metal Products Company. His marriage to Sarah Ellen Cartwright, also an Episcopalian, produced a son (George Henry, whom Rollins College also employed, but predeceased his father in 1966) and a daughter. Cartwright arrived in Winter Park in 1919. He had a membership to the Winter Park Kiwanis Club and in 1927 he joined the Rollins staff as superintendent of grounds and buildings (a department known as buildings and grounds after 1951), a position he maintained until his retirement in 1961. Cartwright oversaw all the construction work on campus, in addition to managing both the aesthetic and practical aspects in regards to the campus’ maintenance. On June 5, 1941, Cartwright received the Rollins Declaration of Honor in recognition of his services to the College. Cartwright died at the age of ninety-one on January 1, 1970.

– Angelica Garcia

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Chapman, Oliver Everett (1851-1936)

Co-Founder of Winter Park

Oliver E. Chapman was one of the original founding fathers of the city of Winter Park, Florida along with Loring A. Chase. Chapman was born in Canton, Massachusetts but was a resident of Sharon, Massachusetts for much of his later life. Chapman grew up in Canton where he attended school until he was sixteen. ^[6] After his education, he worked in both Boston and Chicago in a wholesale house where he imported luxury goods. ^[7] Chapman returned to Canton five years later to work as a bookkeeper and paymaster for a company that manufactured print cloths. Illness in his family caused Chapman to relocate to Florida in 1880. He moved to a small settlement just outside of Sanford, Florida known as Sorrento. It was here that he met up with his old friend, Loring A. Chase, who had moved to Florida from Canton to treat his own illness. ^[8]

Chapman and Chase soon decided to form a company together and invested in real estate. In partnership, they acquired over 600 acres of land around Lake Maitland and Osceola. Since Chase credited the mild weather in Orange County with improving his health, he believed that the region could be an idea winter community. ^[9] In July of 1881 the two men received the first deed and quickly got to work surveying the land to plot a town. They named this town Winter Park owing to that fact that it was designed to be a winter community. ^[10] Oliver E. Chapman built one of the first houses in Winter Park in 1882 alongside Lake Osceola on what is currently Interlachen Avenue. Chapman worked hard to develop the community, even taking on the role of Winter Park’s first Postmaster on April 5, 1882. ^[11] For the next four years, Chapman continued to work as land developer in Winter Park until 1885. His failing health led to a doctor’s recommendation that he returned to Massachusetts. Chapman sold his half of the Winter Park Land Company to Chase for $40,000 in 1885, and moved back to Massachusetts, eventually settling in the Sharon. ^[12] Chapman’s health improved and he returned to business having success in textile and street railway business before he died from a heart attack in 1936. ^[13]

By the time Chapman sold his half of the Winter Park Land Company, the company itself was worth over $300,000. In 1885 the Winter Park Company was chartered by legislature to continue with business. ^[14] Chapman and Chase agreed to donate land for Rollins College whenever it was necessary. ^[15] According to Chapman, “The starting of Winter Park was probably the most important event in my life.” ^[16]

– David Irvin

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Chase, Loring Augustus (1839-1906)

Co-Founder of Winter Park

Loring Augustus Chase was born July 1, 1839 in Nashua, New Hampshire to Otis Nelson Chase and Joanna (Colburn) Chase. Loring became an orphan at the age of two after his mother died on May 4, 1841 and after his father died on August 6, 1841. Soon thereafter, Loring was sent to live with his uncle Albert M. Chase and his aunt Mary in Canton, Massachusetts. Albert was the agent of a small cotton mill and ran a grocery business while Mary was known for being intelligent and an active and expressive woman. ^[17]

Loring Chase managed the grocery store after Albert’s death. He sold books, kept records and used a wheelbarrow to deliver products. ^[18] While the latter accentuated his systematic approach and excellent work ethic, it did not satiate his desire to learn and be a part of academia. Chase aspired to attend college but was not encouraged by his foster family. He is said to have had a “haunting sense of opportunity that cast a shadow over his life.” ^[19] Loring Chase

In October of 1862, a year after the outbreak of the Civil War, Loring Chase enlisted in a Massachusetts regiment and served nine months in a North Carolina camp. He was honorably discharged in June of 1863 and went home to Canton, Massachusetts. He became a bookkeeper for a wholesale firm in Boston but he had his sights on moving west. ^[20] On December 6, 1864 Chase arrived in Chicago and worked as a bookkeeper at the first National Bank. While in Chicago he decided to make up for his lack of formal education by enrolling in the Bryant & Stratton Business College. He later taught at the very same college in 1886. At age 27, he entered Illinois State Normal University for two years.

While attending Illinois State Normal University, Chase acted as principal of the Gilman Schools. After finishing his time at the university, Chase returned to the Bryant & Stratton Business College where he was gaining ground as a notable businessman and achieving academic success. ^[21] He was also a real estate broker for two to three years. Shortly thereafter, the great Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed everything and left him with no resources. ^[22] Consequently, Chase returned to Illinois State Normal University and worked as an assistant teacher.

Loring Chase spent the next ten years dabbling in several occupations. ^[23] He worked as a real estate broker and with the Pantagraph Stationary Co. Throughout those ten years Chase experienced bouts of illness. ^[24] Following his doctor’s advice Chase went south while working for the Pantagraph Stationary Co. The warmer climate was thought to help alleviate his bronchial cough and catarrhal headaches. On that trip he visited what is now Winter Park, Florida and fell in love with the landscape and climate. ^[25] 

In 1881 he and his lifelong friend Oliver I. Chapman purchased seven hundred acres of land four miles from the county seat of Orange County with the intention of laying off lots for a new town that would later be named Winter Park. ^[26] Chase spent the remainder of his life establishing the city. From 1882 to 1886 Chase focused on his enterprise by promoting Winter Park to buyers and builders. Along with finding builders, Chase supervised the construction of the Seminole Hotel, which opened on January 1, 1886. This hotel hosted many famous individuals including President and Mrs. Cleveland. ^[27] The hotel burned down in 1902. Chase also took charge of the erection of Knowles Hall. The growth and development of Winter Park took a heavy toll on Chase’s health and he was forced to retire. ^[28] He spent the next several years visiting Europe, hospitals, sanitariums and health resorts in an attempt to get better. In 1904 Chase was plagued by a bad cough. His physician ordered him to return to Winter Park but the hot summer heat took its toll on Chase. ^[29] As a result, he traveled to the Adirondack Mountains in New York where he died near Saranac Lake on August 21, 1906. Loring Chase left Rollins College as his heir. ^[30] In return, the college had to construct a building costing more than $10,000 and name the building after Chase. ^[31] Chase Hall was built in 1908, dedicated on February 18, 1909 and used as a men’s dormitory. ^[32]

– Kerem K. Rivera

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Cheney, John M. (1859-1922) & Cheney, Donald A (1889 1983)

Father and Son Trustees

John Moses Cheney was born on January 6,1859 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended primary school at the New Hampton Literary Institution and then Boston University law school and graduated in 1885. He was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts and a year later moved to Florida. He began practicing law in Orlando as a partner with Arthur F. Odlin, creating the law firm of Cheney and Odlin. In 1889 he served as a city attorney for Orlando and a year later supervised the United States Census for the 2nd Congressional District of Florida. In 1900 and 1904 he ran for Congress on the republican ticket, but lost both times. Cheney became the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida from 1906 to 1912. During that time he made an unsuccessful bid for the Governorship of Florida in 1908. After serving as United States judge for six months from 1912 to 1913 he returned to practice in Orlando. Cheney also had a second business outside of law practice. In 1893, he created the Orlando Water and Light Company. Cheney’s company was responsible for building the first electric generating plant in Orange County. In 1922 Cheney sold Orlando Water and Light to the City of Orlando for $600,000, because the company did not have the resources to keep up with the Orlando’s rapidly growing population. ^[33]

John Cheney loved outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting. He loved Winter Park and tried to improve it by advocating for modern roads. The Cheney Highway, Orlando’s first paved link to the Atlantic Ocean is named in his honor. ^[34] He served as a trustee on the Rollins College Board of Trustees for many years. He died in Orlando, Florida on June 2, 1922.

Donald A. Cheney, the son of John M. Cheney, was born in Orlando, Florida on January 23, 1889. He received his education in the Orange County public school system. He attended the Rollins College Academy, a prep school at the College, and graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire in 1911 with a Bachelors of Art degree.

Donald returned to Orlando and assisted his father with the Orlando Water and Light Company. He quickly became general manger of the company until 1922 when the plants were sold to the City of Orlando. Donald Cheney also worked as the probation officer for Orange County. He established the first Juvenile Court in Orange County in 1921. Cheney was appointed judge of the Juvenile Court until 1933. As judge he worked to have the City of Orlando establish an institution to handle juvenile cases. Thanks to his efforts, the Orange County School Board established the Orange County Parental Home in 1924. He later served as the president of the Florida Probation Association as well as the president of the Florida State Conference of Social Work. Donald Cheney was elected trustee of Rollins College in 1923, only a year after his father’s death. He served as a trustee until 1946 and served as an assistant to President Hamilton Holt from 1946-1949. In 1964 Cheney received a membership on the Rollins College Alumni Board and served for three years. ^[35]

Cheney was an avid member of the First Presbyterian Church and was elected deacon in 1916. He later transferred membership to Park Lake Presbyterian Church in 1925. Cheney spent his time involved in social organizations around Central Florida. He was a charter member of the Orlando Rotary Club and director of the Orlando Country Club. He loved history and established the Orange County Historical Society in 1971. ^[36] He earned many awards in his lifetime including the Algernon Sidney Sullivan Medallion from Rollins College in 1941. In 1971 he received an award by the Orange County Commissioners for 50 years of dedicated public service. ^[37] He died from a heart attack at the age of 91 on August 30, 1983 after more than 70 years of community service.

– David Irvin

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Coffie, Boyd (1937-2006

A Life Well Lived

Boyd Coffie’s drive sliced sharply and landed in the woods – on top of a tree root. Down by five strokes in match play with only a par-four hole remaining faced the mathematical certainty of losing this round against partners. “Now I’ve got them where I want them,” he told himself. “I’ll give them one more chance.”

“OK, mano a mano, all bets are off winner takes all on the last hole,” he announced.

Lord, a confidant of Coffie for 40 years and one of his early protégés, was telling this story and laughing so hard he had difficulty getting the words out. Such is the state of grieving for a man who may have influenced as many lives as anyone in the history of Rollins College.

When he died May 2 at age 68 from cancer in his hometown of Athens, Tennessee, Howard Boyd Coffie ’59, ‘64MAT left a legacy in human terms the lives of those he touched.

“My whole management style and way of living my life are based a principles and values I learned from Boyd,” said Lord, whose own father died when he was 16. “His rules were simple: Stay out of trouble, show up on time, play hard. And he expected you to do well in the classroom.”

Coffie’s accomplishments as player and coach are well documented but tell only part of his story. Above all, he was a teacher and, some would say, a philosopher. Baseball was his medium, the conduit for leaving his imprint on those who crossed his path.

His life, said Tom Kinsman ’76, ’78MBA,” wasn’t about wins and losses. It was about how he dealt with people.” When Klansman became men’s’ basketball coach at Rollins,

Coffie was there as a mentor. Lesson one: Understand what is important. Don’t live and die with every game. Do everything right and the wins will take care of themselves. Stand on principle, even if it means you lose.

“He changed my life immeasurably by his fairness and integrity,” said Vic Zollo ’73, who transferred to Rollins from the University of Vermont his junior year solely based on Coffie’s reputation.

Former Rollins third baseman John Castino ’77 knows something about principle and its role in his education.

As the Tars were warming up for the 1976 season and Castino’s first year of eligibility for the draft, Castino urgently needed to leave campus to attend to a personal matter involving competition for his fiancée’s attention. He told Coach Coffie he would return in time for the season opener.

“OK, Johnny, but you have to realize there are consequences,” Coffie warned. Castino wasn’t worried. “I said, `OK, whatever,” Castino recalled. “He might make me run eight miles; everybody would know it, and that would be the price to pay.”

Castino returned to find his name missing from the lineup card. The scouts were there. This was to be the biggest day of his college career. Castino rode the bench. Rollins lost the game.

“I confronted Boyd in the locker room,” Castino said. “I was furious. But I learned an important lesson that day. He taught about following the rules. Not many people do that today.”

Castino, who was co-Rookie of the Year his first of six seasons with the Minnesota Twins, had a final thought: “I ended up on the President’s List because of Boyd Coffie. I went to the major leagues because of Boyd Coffie.”

This is the defining characteristic of Boyd Coffie. The legendary Rollins baseball coach could have worked anywhere in professional baseball or at a Division I school. He was comfortable away from the limelight and never lost focus on his mission.

“He treated everyone the same, whether it was the person who cut the grass or Mr. Shirley, an 80-year-old man he took under his wing,” said Winchester, who was one of Coffie’s closest friends. “It didn’t matter whether you were the star or the bottom man on the totem pole.”

Todd Barton ’84 is an example of how the legacy of one person takes on a life of its own. A high- school English teacher, Coffie’s former player teaches as he was taught. “My students think they are gaining these traits from me,” he said. “But in a very large sense, they are getting them from Boyd Coffie.”

In a world where tough talk and brush- back pitches define the communication style, Coffie was something of an oddity. Jack Billingham, who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in three World Series, found his inspiration watching Coffie play at Rollins when Billingham was a high-school student. “I don’t know that Boyd ever said a bad word about anyone,” he said, “and I can’t imagine anyone saying anything bad about him.”

Boyd Coffie did not come up the easy way. His father left when Coffie was 13, leaving his mother and grandmother to raise him. But Coffie was a gifted athlete who by high school had caught the attention of college recruiters- and 14-year-old Linda Quails.

“My 8th-grade math teacher told me you have to get over to the high school to watch this guy play basketball,” Linda Quails Coffie ’62, ’78MS recalled. They were married in 1962 and had two children who followed in their parents’ Rollins footsteps: Ashlie ’85, ’89MBA and Trey ’90, ’92MAT.

After a stellar college baseball career followed by three seasons in the minor leagues, newly married Coffie wanted to settle down. He accepted an offer from his former Rollins coach, Joe Justice ’40, to coach basketball and assist in baseball. Coffie had nothing to lose: The Tars had gone 0-26 the year before, and he would have most of the team back.

Lord was Coffie’s student manager, trainer, and sounding board. Lord and Coffie drove the two team station wagons on road trips.

Coffie’s job wasn’t easy. “Jimmy Oppenheim [’68] couldn’t have been five feet tall,” recalled Bob Richardson ’68, Sandspur sports editor at the time and sports statistician. “At Miami University, Oppenheim guarded a guy who scored something like 59 points that night against Rollins.

“One time at Eckerd,” Richardson said, “we had four guys playing zone and one guy playing man-to-man. Phil Kirk [’67] could shoot from half court but not from anywhere else. This is the kind of thing Boyd had to deal with. He had all these problems, but the thing that is remarkable is that he took all of this in stride.” Rollins won four games Coffie’s first year. Much later, near the end of his run, the Tars beat Georgia. Some things were going right.

Lord wasn’t an athlete. He was, however, dangerously overweight. The constant view of Coffie working out and staying in shape encouraged him to change his lifestyle. He lost 100 pounds, which saved his life when he underwent quadruple bypass surgery, his surgeon told him.

Lew Temple ’85 credits Boyd Coffie for saving his life, as well. Temple’s career has taken an unusual route, and that is what makes him an interesting character. Too small for the big leagues but in love with baseball, he shagged roles as a bullpen catcher in Seattle and Houston, and then pursued different kinds of roles-on stage and screen. After years of traveling, he found success in the form of steady work in Los Angeles. Four years ago, however, he was near death.

After being fired from a movie contract because of serious illness he would not own up to, he landed at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and a 40 percent chance of survival. At one point during his 8-month hospital stay, when he was slipping in and out of lucidity while taking continual chemotherapy, he received a phone call from Coffie.

“I would hear from him occasionally when he had heard through the grapevine that I was getting a little too big for my britches,” Temple said. “You know, like when we players know just a little too much about baseball. I don’t know how he found out about my illness, but he did. He reminded me about who I was and what I had done, this small boy who overcame all those things that stood in my way, and told me that this was just a hill for a high-stepper. He talked to me-not tersely, but not with pity. He reminded me of the fight I was in, and how I could take care of this.

“I got this call from my coach. He told me I was going to be OK, and I was going to be OK.”

At his own funeral, Boyd Coffie once again did what he had done well for so long. His protégés has come from afar and from eras spanning 30 years to say farewell. There were tears from grown men-and a lot of laughter in the celebration of a life well lived. Lord reflected on the event. “In the end,” he said, “Boyd brought everybody back into a team.”

All the fuss would have embarrassed him. Flashing that impish grin, he would have told each of them, ” Son, make the adjustment!” For some, that will be the coach’s toughest assignment yet.

A celebration of Boyd Coffie [was] held in the Knowles Memorial Chapel on August 13, 2006 at 2:00 p.m.

-Stephen M Combs ’66

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Comstock, William C. (1847-1924)

Early Settler & Charter Trustee

William Charles Comstock was born in Oswego, New York on October 27, 1847. He attended Northwestern University and graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in 1867. Comstock continued his education and received his Masters Arts in 1870. He lived in both Evanston and Chicago, Illinois and eventually became a member of the Chicago Board of Trade. ^[38]

Like many of Winter Park’s early settlers, Comstock moved to Florida for health reasons in 1872. ^[39] He moved to Osceola, later to be called Winter Park. When Comstock first arrived, he was awed by the area, and fell in love with the climate and the lakes. Comstock often spoke of how he would never forget his first impression of the Osceola camp. ^[40] He quickly purchased land alongside Lake Osceola and established his first winter retreat in 1882. By 1883 his home “Eastbank” was complete.

In Winter Park’s early days, Comstock used his wealth to contribute to the community, including multiple generous donations to Rollins College. After giving the College $10,000 as part of its original endowment, over the next five years Comstock donated an additional $5,000 for various improvements to the school. He served as director of the Winter Park Land Company and continued to enthusiastically serve and improve the community. Often, he paid for municipal improvement projects out of his own pockets. ^[41] Comstock, along with his wife, contributed a building to start the first Library in Orlando. ^[42] For his involvement, Comstock was elected chairman of the Endowment Committee and was a charter trustee for Rollins College. He remained a Trustee until he resigned in 1892.

Comstock lived his life as a devout Christian and was always in high spirit. He believed strongly in the existence of God and even wrote a small text titled God’s Purpose for Life. In fact, it was Comstock’s optimism and support that saved Rollins from being considered an unsuccessful project by other trustees in its early years. His enthusiasm inspired others to not alter the College’s mission and character. ^[43]

An avid golfer, Comstock was a member of several golf clubs in Central Florida. He was a firm believer in the Rollins College motto of Fiat Lux – Let There Be Light. In a speech delivered on Founder’s Day in 1920, he addressed the crowd stating that “Let there be light. That expresses the purpose of her [the college] founding and the purpose of her continued existence.” ^[44] Many believe that if it were not for William C. Comstock, there would be no Rollins College standing today. William Comstock died in Chicago on September 24, 1924.

– David Irvin

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Cornell, George Davison (1910-2003)

Big Man on Campus

GEORGE CORNELL ’35, ’85H has been surprising people his entire life-from his arrival in Central Florida in 1931 in his own plane, which he flew into Orlando to attend sight unseen the college his parents had picked out for him, to the astounding announcement in October 2001 of his second $10-million gift to Rollins College. That gift accomplished Cornell’s two objectives: it pushed The Campaign For Rollins well over the $150-million mark, and it totally shocked President Rita Bornstein. Never mind that the gift established the first endowment of its kind in the nation. Cornell just wanted to make things happen.

But then, making history is a family tradition for George Davison Cornell. Born in Brooklyn Heights in 1910, he is descended from Thomas Cornell, who arrived on the Mayflower in 1638 to escape religious persecution. His uncle, Ezra Cornell, founded Cornell University, and his father, Edward Cornell, one of the first graduates of Cornell Law School, became a prominent New York attorney and was instrumental in the incorporation of IBM, serving as a director and lawyer for the corporation from its inception until his death. George Cornell was raised in New York, in a family of devout Quakers, with his twin brother, two sisters, and an adopted brother. He spent summers on Lake Cayuga near his home in Central Valley, New York, and it was there, years later while he was on summer break from Rollins, that he met Harriet Wilkes- a strikingly beautiful young woman whom he married in 1936 and who remained his beloved wife for 63 years until her death in 1999. Introduced to Cornell by the son of the first President of Cuba, Wilkes was as outgoing and talkative as Cornell was shy and quiet. In his signature restrained wit, Cornell remembered, “It wasn’t love at first sight… she grew on me.”

Cornell arrived at Rollins a bit later than most freshmen, at the age of 21. His parents had heard about the College from friends and thought the warm Florida climate would be healthier for him than the cold winters in upstate New York. While at Rollins, Cornell was active in the International Relations Club and was chairman of the Flying Club in 1934 and 1935. “I thought Rollins was pretty,” said Cornell. “At the time there were 400 students, and I knew everyone on campus by name.” His college memories include bridge games, a few pranks played by other students (including a small car somehow finding its way to the top of the old diving tower), and food that “wasn’t outstanding.” “You had to eat it or starve to death,” quipped Cornell.

Cornell’s parents had a winter home in Delray Beach, and George and Harriet built their own home there in 1950 on a large parcel of land that spanned an entire block. Cornell still lives in that home an expansive, yet modest, traditional Florida home with vintage 1950s furniture and some of the original appliances. The backyard remains extensive enough for his dogs to have plenty of room to run, but much of the original property has since been donated to the city for a dog park, and the Cornells became well known in that community for their incredible generosity.

Longtime friend Bill Gordon, a 1951 graduate of Rollins and former executive director of alumni relations for the College, first met Cornell in 1973. “We’ve been fast friends ever since,” said Gordon. “George is a remarkable person. He lives by his Quaker principles, always doing things for others.”

And he has done so many things for others. In addition to Rollins College and the city of Delray Beach, his family’s namesake Cornell University, various children’s hospitals, and a host of other organizations have benefited from Cornell’s immense generosity. “I especially have a soft spot in my heart for Rollins,” Cornell said. “It’s difficult for me to say no.”

His devotion to family, friends, and philanthropy is matched only by his love for his beautiful Samoyeds-dogs with thick white coats originally bred in Eurasia and known as the “smiling dogs” because of their perennial grin. Cornell’s parents had owned Samoyeds from shortly after the breed was first introduced in this country in 1912. Posey and her big brother, Ivan, are Cornell’s “babies”- his absolute pride and joy. Cornell sits in his backyard for hours and watches them play. He shows Ivan at dog shows and enjoys attending the events. He also thoroughly enjoyed last year’s film Best in Show– the only movie he’s seen in decades. “George got a Blockbuster membership specifically to rent the movie,” Gordon said, “and he didn’t utter a word through the entire film.”

But then Cornell is a man of few words most of the time. He knows that actions speak louder than words, and his actions speak volumes .

-Ann Marie Varga ’82,

Mary Wismar-Davis ’76, ’80MBA

 

*This article was first appeared in the Winter 2002 issue of Rollins Alumni Record.

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Cornell, Harriet Wilkes ’35HAL, ’90H (1914-1999)

A Loving Legacy

On August 2, 1999, Rollins College lost a treasured friend. With her husband, George ’35, ’89H, Harriet Cornell literally changed the face of the College. As Rollins President Rita Bornstein said, “As we walk the campus, we see the name ‘Cornell’ on every corner of the campus, and we see how much a part, how embedded they are in the life and the evolution of this wonderful institution.”

Harriet Wilkes and George Cornell were introduced by mutual friends, the grandchildren of Don Tomas Estrada-Palma, who had run a school with George’s grandfather before becoming president of Cuba. The couple’s dates were often a movie followed by homemade pie at a nearby restaurant. Harriet and George married in 1936, and their wedding present from George’s father was a Model A Ford. With typical spirit, Harriet asked if they could have a convertible. The Cornells started their life’s journey together in a blue “Tin Lizzie” with the top down.

The Cornells’ travels weren’t limited to the highway, however. She loved cruises, and George, who was president of the Flying Club at Rollins, flew his own plane. Gary duPont Lickle ’76 ’77CR, who discovered the barnstorming Cornells were “an adventuresome couple,” enjoyed their stories of flying from New York to Florida, landing in fields when the weather turned bad.

The Cornells first took up residence in Manhattan, visiting their hometown, Central Valley, N.Y, in the summers. When George accepted a position with the Central Valley National Bank, they had the opportunity to move back. Both Harriet’s and George’s families have deep roots in Central Valley and surrounding Orange County, dating from Colonial times. Harriet’s grandfather’s family produced chain that was placed across the Hudson River to thwart British troops during the Revolution.

Like George’s father, who had wintered in Florida for years, the Cornells began spending part of their time in Delray Beach. In 1950, they built a second home there. Ultimately they would divide the year between Central Valley and Delray Beach, and they actively contributed to improving the quality of life of both communities.

The Cornells shared a special affection for dogs (“They love you, no matter what,” Harriet explained), and in the first month of their marriage, they welcomed Ivan Demetree, a Samoyed. Georges family was one of the first in the US to own Samoyeds, and Ivan was the first of a series that spanned the Cornells’ marriage. Last spring, after several years without a canine companion, Harriet surprised George with a new puppy: Ivan III.

For some time, the Cornells collected their dogs’ fur, hoping it could be used for a creative purpose. Richard Summers, a 1970s Rollins art instructor, successfully spun and wove the fur into a lap robe and wall hanging for the Cornells. Understandably, the fur art made headlines.

The Cornells’ interest in animals extended well beyond dogs. They became good friends and supporters of anthropologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, known for her pioneering work with African chimpanzees. Closer to home, their contribution to the Dreher Park Zoo in West Palm Beach funded the Cornell Nature Trail through a cageless rain forest.

Central to the Cornells’ lives has been their extraordinary generosity, which gave them both great pleasure. Harriet commented, “We’ve enjoyed seeing the results of our gifts and seeing other people enjoy what we have given.” The Cornells have been Rollins’ largest contributors, and they also contributed to Cornell University, named for the first cousin of George’s grandfather. Rollins trustee Thomas P. Johnson ’34, ’82H, ’99H described Harriet as “an active partner” in the Cornells’ philanthropy. “She had a great fondness for Rollins,” and encouraged George’s support of his alma mater.

In 1973, the Cornells pledged the gift that created Rollins’ George D. and Harriet W. Cornell Fine Arts Museum and Cornell Art Center, which houses the Department of Art. Their support was recognized by the Presidents Council of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida with its Champion of Higher Independent Education in Florida (C.H.I.E.F) Award in 1980. The commitment to the Cornell Fine Arts Museum was followed by gifts to support construction of the Alfond Stadium and to endow scholarships for art students and the George D. and Harriet W. Cornell Chair of Classics, now shared by two Cornell Scholars in Classical Studies. In 1996, the Cornells pledged an additional $1.5 million for expansion of the Cornell Museum. Harriet’s particular interest in floral art was also reflected in their gift of the “Cornell Cafe South” to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in West Palm Beach.

The Cornells again responded to Rollins’ needs when they stepped forward in 1986 to provide lead funding for the Cornell Hall for the Social Sciences. They playfully announced their commitment by arriving at a Halloween dinner for College trustees declaring, “Trick or Treat- we’re going to give you the building.” The Cornell Hall for the Social Sciences houses classrooms and offices for faculty in the Departments of Anthropology, Business Administration, Communication, Economics, Education, History, Politics, and Sociology, as well as the original Cornell Cafe, where the Cornells loved to eat when they were on campus.

The Cornells treated the College to another special holiday gift when, in December 1993, they committed $3 million for the Cornell Campus Center, setting in motion the realization of a dream that had spanned three decades. On February 18, 1999, they joined the Rollins community in celebrating the dedication of the Cornell Campus Center, which President Bornstein described as the high point of her relationship with Harriet Cornell. “I think she was really excited by the joy of the students, faculty, and staff. The whole series of dedication events was a tribute to the Cornells and their vision. I am so happy she had the opportunity to enjoy that and to see what it meant to the College.”

Harriet Cornell was proudest of the buildings she and George gave to Rollins, and she actively involved herself in their design, construction, landscaping, and maintenance. As the citation that accompanied her 1990 Rollins honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree declared: “Harriet is in the details.”

Although adolescent polio placed her in a wheelchair in later life, Harriet never failed to rise above the challenge. Friends and acquaintances cite her liveliness and cheerfulness, and credit her with being a role model and an inspiration. Her own hardship created a special awareness that fueled the Cornells’ support for restoration of Delray Beach’s Old School Square and assured disabled access in every Rollins facility funded by the Cornells.

Harriet adored students. “You could see her eyes light up when she was with students,” recalled President Emeritus Thaddeus Seymour, and, they were thrilled when she remembered them at alumni events years later. She was especially gratified by the successes of graduates who had attended Rollins with the assistance of Cornell scholarships, and she avidly followed their careers. She had already been named an honorary member of George’s class, but Harriet was also adopted by the Class of 1990. When she challenged 1990 class members to join her in supporting their alma mater, giving reached an astonishing 97 percent.

Without a doubt, Harriet Cornell was a “social animal”- she loved being with people. Everyone who knew her remarks on the special joy she took in life, what President Emeritus Seymour characterized as her “girlishness,” embodied in good- humored delight and cheerful teasing. Bill Gordon ’51, associate vice president emeritus for development and past director of alumni affairs, recounted a trip to the White House that entailed an entrance through the kitchen. Harriet quipped, “I’ve been through kitchens in the most important places in the world.”

Emeritus trustee Marilyn Mennello described Harriet Cornell as a warm, natural person, with no pretense-“She was just Harriet.” “She treated everyone the same,” added honorary trustee Betty Duda ’93H. Sue Allison Strickland ’74 agreed: “She had the ability to fit in and be fun-she was a great sport. Before I knew her, I placed her on a pedestal. As I got to know her, she became one of my girlfriends.”

It is impossible to calculate the number of lives Harriet Cornell touched or the impact of her oft-cited loyalty to Rollins, but there is no question that her legacy will endure for generations to come. Like Lucy Cross, whose dream of a college in Central Florida inspired Rollins’ founding, Harriet Cornell will always be remembered as one of Rollins’ greatest women.

– Lorrie Kyle ’70

 

*This article was first appeared in the October 1999 Issue of the Rollins Alumni Record.

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Cram, Donald (1919-2001)

Alumnus and Nobel Prize Winner

Article as it originally appeared in The Rollins Alumni Record, Volume 65: 4, Winter 1988.

At a press conference during the week he was to receive the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, Donald Cram ’41 exhibited his characteristically good sense of humor. Relaxed during his first official meeting with the press and the other honorees for Nobel Prizes in chemistry, physics and economic sciences, Cram attempted to put it all into perspective, and at the same time, put everyone at ease.

“Someone asked me if I won the Nobel Peace Prize for Chemistry’,” Cram quipped to the gathering at the Royal Academy of Sciences. “I had to tell them ‘No, I won a piece of the chemistry prize.'” Clearly at his best when “on stage,” the affable research scientist seemed at ease, confident and in control. Wearing one of his 150 “trademark” bow ties and flashing a boyish grin, the 68-year-old UCLA professor produced a plastic model of one of his synthetically-produced chemical compounds. Using the model to demonstrate, Cram explained how the principle of host-guest chemistry works. In the process, he demonstrated a type of charm that has made him a popular professor and mentor to thousands of chemistry students in the U.S. and around the world. Cram, who majored in chemistry during his undergraduate years at Rollins, shares the Nobel Prize with Dr. Jean-Marie Lehn of Strasbourg, France and Charles J. Pedersen of Salem, NJ. The three were cited for their work in synthesizing molecules that mimic important biological processes. The announcement from The Royal Academy of Sciences said that Cram, Lehn and Pedersen have laid the foundations of what is today one of the most active and expanding fields of chemical research, a field for which Cram has coined the term “host-guest” chemistry while Lehn calls it “supramolecular” chemistry. The research could have widespread implications for environmental and medical science, and for energy production.

According to Cram, research scientists are just beginning to develop the field. “We have just scratched the surface,” he said.

Cram attended Rollins on a National Honorary Scholarship, worked as an assistant in the chemistry department, and was active in theater, Chapel Choir, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Society, and Zeta Alpha Epsilon. But the road to Stockholm had its beginnings long before that.

“I grew up on Aid to Dependent Children,” Cram revealed during a candid interview at his hotel. “My parents were immigrants to the U.S. My father was Scottish and my mother was a German, who rebelled against a strict Mennonite faith. From my father’s side of the family, I learned English upper class values. From my mother, I learned to love English literature. I think that made me something of a romantic,” he confided.

Cram was the only male in a family of five that suffered financial hardships, he said, because of the untimely death of his father. “My father died when I was not quite four,” he said, “so I learned how to work at an early age.”

Cram tried just about every odd job imaginable, from picking fruit to tossing newspapers, to painting houses. Growing up in the small town of Chester, Vermont, he bartered for things like piano lessons.

“I would offer to cleanup or perform odd jobs in order to learn music,” the Nobel laureate revealed. “By the time I was 18, I must have had at least 18 different jobs,” he said, “but I learned how to amuse myself by making games out of everything. I would create games to break the monotony, and that is a strategy I continue to use, even in my research.”

From his childhood, Cram says he learned the lessons of hard work and self-discipline, but he also learned to be creative, and to be a creative planner of time. “I’m not all that bright,” he claimed. ” Mainly, I’m creative, and I’m also single-minded. If I become interested in something, I stick to it.”

Another value he learned from his family was that “education was the path to righteousness.” When he read a notice about an Honors Scholarship to Rollins, he applied. “President Hamilton Holt came to New York and interviewed me,” he said. ” The scholarship provided a great opportunity. It opened doors, and it allowed me to grow up in a very nice environment. “While studying at Rollins, Cram was able to develop his love affair with chemistry, an affair that began with his first high school course. “There was an instant fit between me and chemistry,” he acknowledged. “I thought it was fun and creative. I thought that going into research in chemistry would give me an opportunity to do something new every day.”

At Rollins Cram worked as an assistant in the chemistry department and became known for building his own chemistry equipment. He credits professors Guy Waddington and Eugene Farley with being mentors and “father figures,” and for helping him pursue career goals that required graduate training. “They wrote letters of recommendation to about 17 graduate schools,” he recalled. “I was accepted at three, and finally attended the University of Nebraska. Ironically, I have since lectured at every one of those schools, and I delight in reminding them that they turned me down for graduate study.”

For that matter, Cram has lectured at most major research universities in the world. He won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1955, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1961, and has won numerous American Chemical Society Awards for his work in organic chemistry. Rollins honored him with its first Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1915.

He is the author of more than 350 research papers and eight books on organic chemistry. He has taught graduate and post-doctoral students from 21 different countries. Even without the Nobel Prize, his legacy to chemistry is of major significance, says Professor Erich Blossey of the Rollins chemistry faculty.

Cram began his professional career in chemical research at Merck Laboratories during the war years. He worked in penicillin research under the tutelage of a hard-driving and devoted scientist named Max Tischler. From Merck he went to Harvard, where he studied with Paul Bartlett and Robert Burns Woodward.

According to Cram, Woodward, who received the Nobel Prize in 1965, was the greatest organic chemist of this century. “He received one Nobel Prize, and I believe he could have received two if he had lived,” Cram said during the interview in Stockholm.

Cram began his teaching career at UCLA in 1947, and that, like chemistry, was “an instant fit.” “I grew up with a provincial school that went on to become a fine national university,” he said.

Although he says that research is a gamble and that only about 20 percent of it pays off, Cram’s career was productive, he claims, “because I tried to be creative and flexible and I was willing to move from one field to another. I ended-up in a type of chemistry that has yielded very quickly.”

It was around 1975, when a scientist in Zurich, Switzerland won a Nobel Prize for his research on the stereochemistry of organic molecules, that Cram first became aware that he was competitive for the world’s most distinguished award. He has since been nominated regularly for the Prize.

Asked about the environment for scientific research in the United States, Cram replied that it is good because “we encourage originality. When you combine that with discipline, it forms the basis for good science and good scientists.”

His career has not been without sacrifice, said Cram, who admitted that his two wives also have sacrificed for his career. His first wife was Rollins classmate Jean Turner ’41, who received a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. His present wife, Jane, is a former chemistry professor at Mt. Holyoke. Cram called her “an inspiring and unsparing critic.”

Cram said he chose not to have children “because I would have been either a bad father or a bad scientist.”

Although he has received numerous honors throughout the world, Cram treasures the Nobel Prize as a “symbol of excellence.” Established in the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemical engineer who invented dynamite, the Prize is presented to “those who have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.” On December 10, the former Rollins financial aid student received his award from the King of Sweden.

When asked what advice he would have for future generations of Rollins students, Cram replied, “Be single-minded; love what you are doing and make it the centerpiece of your life.”

That does not mean you shouldn’t have fun, Cram explained. “I have had a lot of fun, and when I am not working I indulge in sports that provide total escape.” His great loves are surfing, skiing and mountain climbing-sports that he admits are violent, dangerous, and romantic.

Despite his exalted status as a research scientist, Cram said he still enjoys teaching. In fact, he has even taught introductory courses for non-science majors. The “Cram creativity” came into play when he brought his guitar into class to help break the ice for his students.

“Chemistry is not everything in my life. I have friends outside of chemistry,” he said with a grin. “I really do.”

-Suzanne McGovern

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Crosby, Phillip B. (1926-2001)

Business Quality Guru and Rollins Trustee

Phillip Bayard Crosby was born on June 18, 1926 in Wheeling, West Virginia. Although he earned a degree in podiatry, he turned his attention to business management. Crosby was a proponent of “quality” in business. He emphasized doing things right the first time to avoid spending time and money to recover from mistakes. He developed his quality philosophy of management at Martin Marietta in the 1960s. In the 1970s he continued to refine and perfect his philosophy as he worked as vice president in charge of quality at ITT Corporation. ^[45] Philip Crosby became a guru of quality management and in 1979 he founded Philip Crosby Associates Incorporated (PCA). That same year, he wrote his most famous book Quality is Free, which spawned a quality management movement in the United States. With PCA, Crosby managed speaking tours, personal appearances and his book deals. In 1989 he merged PCA with Proudfoot PLC, a British quality management company. After officially retired from PCA in 1990, he continued working privately as a speaker and consultant until his death. By that time, he had written over fourteen books.

Crosby’s involvement with Rollins College began with his children’s decision to attend the College. His daughter, Phylis Crosby graduated with a B.A. in 1980 while his son Phillip Jr. graduated from the Crummer Graduate School of business in 1984. ^[46] In 1986 Rollins awarded Crosby with an honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws. After serving on the Crummer School’s Board of Overseers, he was invited to join the Rollins College Board of Trustees in 1992. Crosby believed that a liberal arts education had a huge impact on personal worldview. He explained, “Business is part of the liberal arts, because management is all about communication.” ^[47] Crosby believed that a well rounded education from a liberal arts institution developed communication skills effectively. Phillip Crosby died on August 19, 2001 in Asheville, North Carolina. ^[48]

– David Irvin

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Cross, Lucy (1839-1927)

“Mother of Rollins”

On August 14, 1839 in Philadelphia, New York, Reverend Gorham and Sophia Murdock Cross bore Lucy Anne Cross. As the fourth of seven children, she came from an undoubtedly large family, with her genealogy ranging from Sir Robert Cross, knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his bravery and victory over the Spanish Armada, as well as Timothy Jackman, a drummer during the Battle of Bunker Hill. Her father, also a well known figure, was the pastor of the Congregational Church in Richville, New York for forty years. Her father’s inspirational work in the community motivated Cross’ upbringing to be characterized by sound moral beliefs and strong educational values. During her childhood, she attended the Old School Stone House and later, the New Red School House. Upon completion of her schooling in 1856, she entered Gouvenour Academy, (where her father, mother, and two sisters had studied) and began teaching district school. A year later, she enrolled in Oberlin College, where she later graduated with a degree of Master of Arts in acknowledgement of her post graduate work and interest in botany and mineralogy. Following her graduation in 1868, she taught in New York and then at a high school in Lyons, Iowa. In 1870, she began teaching in the Betsy Stuart Seminary, where she led a group of females on a tour called the “Centennial Excursion”, a jaunt taken for the purposes of collecting mineralogical specimens in Chester and Delaware Counties.

In November 1879, Cross journeyed to Daytona Beach, Florida with hope that the warm climate would alleviate her troubled throat. The next year, she decided to make Daytona Beach her permanent home and opened the Daytona Institute for the sons and daughters of tourists, where she offered an eight-month course to students who did not believe in just four months of public school.

Cross continued to influence the development of higher education, as she foresaw the need for the development of a college. Her pastor, Reverend C.M. Bingham, helped her with such an excursion, and together they presented her case before the Congregational Churches in 1884, stating, “My desire is to found at Daytona a college thorough and complete in its courses of study and illustrate by practice the doctrine of ‘The education of the South at the South.’ I ask you, gentlemen, to discuss thoroughly the question, ‘Shall an effort be made to found a college in Florida’?” ^[49]

One year later, the Congregational Church answered their question, appointing Cross and Bingham members of the committee to determine the location of the new college. With the help of a generous donation of $50,000 from A.W. Rollins, a business man from Chicago, to whom the institute was later named after, Rollins College became the oldest recognized college in Florida in 1885. Because of her connection and dedication towards the establishment of the institution, the college hailed Cross as the “Mother of Rollins College.”

In 1893, Cross built LaCross Villa on North Ridgewood Ave and reopened the Daytona Institute, which remained under her guidance until her retirement at age 65. She took part of several other endeavors before this time, including being one of the founders of the Congregational Church at Daytona. She also served as vice president of the Florida Women’s Home Missionary Society, president for fourteen years of the local W.C.T.U. of Daytona, and Superintendent of the Department of Unfermented Wine for eleven years. Additionally, she served as a charter member of the Abigail Bartholomew Chapel of the Daughters of the American Revolution, where she held office for several years and wrote a number of historical articles that appeared in the yearbook. After such hard work and notable achievements, the years following her retirement were solely dedicated to leisure time. She spent the duration of her day at church, reading, visiting old friends, and collecting antique china.

In the fall of 1924, the College imitated a movement to erect a memorial in recognition of Cross’ great services to Florida. President Weir of Rollins College secured this endorsement in 1925 and decided to erect a $50,000 hall of science named, “Lucy A. Cross Hall of Science,” $5,000 of which Cross pledged.

Just two years later, on May 5, 1927, an automobile struck Cross’ car on her way to a meeting of the Daytona D.A.R. Chapter, ejecting her and her companion and causing both of them to suffer fatal internal injuries. “Nothing is really ended until it is forgotten. Whatever is kept in memory still endures, and is real,” ^[50] stated those at the Orlando Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution in remembrance of Miss. Cross. Indeed the memories of her will forever be remembered by those in the Rollins Community. The Orlando Chapter of the D.A.R. in 1935 placed a stone in the Rollins College Walk of Fame reading: To honor the memory of LUCY ANNE CROSS (1839-1927), Teacher, Civics Leader, Precursor of Roll ins College. In recognition of devoted and effective service through this church in the founding of Rollins College, this tablet was placed here March 24, 1935… on the Semicentennial Anniversary of Florida’s oldest institution of higher education.” ^[51]

– Alia Alli

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Crummer, Roy E. (1889-1968)

Donor and Financial Connoisseur

Roy Edwin Crummer was born in Protection, Kansas on March 26, 1889 to Harry E. and Corra (Dune) Crummer. Harry established a mercantile business in Protection after moving to Kansas from Illinois in 1885. Roy was educated in Kansas public schools. After graduating he worked with the Fourth National Bank of Wichita for five years. He left the bank and organized The Brown-Crummer Investment Company, which became the largest financial services firm in the Central West that dealt with tax-exempt securities, government and state bonds, and municipal country corporation bonds. ^[52]

Crummer married Hazel Jackson of Coldwater, Kansas in 1912. They had two sons, Harry J. Crummer and Roy E. Crummer Jr. The family moved to Orlando, Florida in the early 1930s. Crummer spent fifteen years in Florida, managing and resolving many of the bond issues that Florida faced following the crash of the stock market in 1929. ^[53] At the time, Florida had a total debt of $500 million, $400 million of which was in default. Florida was presented with a $40 million annual debt requirement. This was a heavy burden for Florida’s two million residents.

Crummer reasoned that the solution to Florida’s debt problem was changing legislation that transferred three cents of the state’s gasoline tax to counties. This tax was used ad valorem and paid the state bond debt. Crummer faced much opposition but gained the trust and confidence of former Governor Doyle Carlton. His ideas and contributions led to Florida’s financial rehabilitation, growth and development. He retired from active business in the mid 1940s. Afterwards, Crummer moved to a ranch south of Reno, Nevada. ^[54]

Crummer took pride in helping the communities he was involved with. While living in Winter Park he was heavily involved with Rollins College. After moving to Nevada, Crummer continued his involvement with the College. In 1964 he gave Rollins College $1 million for the construction and establishment of a business school, which the College named the Roy E. Crummer School of Finance and Business Administration. ^[55] The school was created with the intent to offer undergraduate students the opportunity to combine their undergraduate liberal arts degree with one year. The student receives the B.A. degree at the end of the fourth year and spends an additional year earning M.B.A. The Crummer building cost $700,000. The additional $300,000 Crummer donated was used to endow the school.

Roy Edwin Crummer died on March 15, 1968 in Beverly Hills , California. Crummer had a great impact not only on the Rollins and Winter Park communities but also the greater state of Florida. Without his intellect and direction Florida would have had a rough time rehabilitating from the enormous public debt. A great deal of gratitude is owed to a man who did so much for the state of Florida.

– Kerem K. Rivera