FEMINA PERFECTA
The Legacies of Janet Wells and Billie Jones By Kevin Derryberry
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n early 2021, the Florida State University community lost two legendary figures in FSU athletics and physical education within a month of one another. Billie Jones passed at 93 in early February, followed by Jan Wells in early March at the age of 99. Both women left legacies at FSU measured in the students they taught, the friendships they forged and the institutions that they helped to build. In the College of Education, the Janet Wells & Billie Jones Endowed Scholarship Fund in Pedagogy was established in 1999 by Wells, Jones and many of those whose lives they touched at Florida State University to support young women in their educational careers to become teachers and coaches. Twenty-four College of Education students have received this scholarship to date and continue to honor Wells and Jones’ tradition of excellence in teaching and coaching.
Dr. L. Janet Wells Celebration of Life
First established in the physical education program, the scholarship was opened to students in the School of Teacher Education and the FSU COACH program in 2019 when Wells and Jones agreed to provide scholarship access to young people who wish to pursue careers in women’s athletic coaching. To better appreciate the legacy that both Wells and Jones left at FSU, we invite all to watch the memorial programs created by their friends and former colleagues:
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Dr. Billie Jo Jones Memorial Service
