Leaders of the Past

LEADERS OF THE PAST Glancing back at Stetson’s previous eight presidents

BY KELLY LARSON

John F. Forbes, PhD, 1884-1904 John F. Forbes, from Rochester, New York, was selected by Henry DeLand to be Stetson’s first president. During his tenure, the university’s enrollment grew from 88 students to almost 300. In 1885, the Florida Baptist Convention endowed Stetson with $10,000, and Forbes established an affiliation with the University of Chicago. He also oversaw the construction of Stetson Hall, Chaudoin Hall, Elizabeth Hall and Flagler Hall, as well as the establishment of Stetson’s Law School, which was Florida’s first law school. Forbes was passionate about education and an excellent judge of character, known for his erudition and sympathy for others. Forbes resigned in 1904 and returned to his home in Rochester.

Academy graduates from the class of 1912 stand in front of Flagler Hall. Louise Hulley, daughter of President Lincoln Hulley, has a bow in her hair.

Lincoln Hulley, PhD, 1904-1934

Lincoln Hulley had the longest tenure of all the presidents. During his 30 years at Stetson, the university was accredited, enrollments grew and the campus expanded. He oversaw the construction of Sampson Hall, Conrad Hall and Cummings Gymnasium, among other buildings. Under his watch, Academy classes were ended in 1925. A prolific poet, playwright and orator, Hulley was known to deliver powerful sermons. In addition, he served two terms in the Florida State Senate, starting in 1918. Frequently remembered as hot-tempered, autocratic and bombastic, Hulley was nonetheless widely regarded as an astute leader who devoted much of his life to Stetson. He died in office in 1934 and is interred, with his wife, Eloise, in the Hulley crypt on campus. President William Sims Allen, in academic regalia, in 1946 at the podium in the Elizabeth Hall chapel (later named Lee Chapel).

William Sims Allen, PhD, 1934-1947 Although William Sims Allen led Stetson through the difficult Depression and World War II years, his greatest challenge while in office was to manage the university’s rapid growth. The physical campus was expanded, and buildings were refurbished — with the introduction of Stetson’s first facilities maintenance programs. Also, academic standards grew increasingly rigorous, the first Commons was built, separate schools were established for business and music, and enrollment shot up from a few hundred students to approximately 2,000. He has been characterized as quick-witted, fast-talking, cheerful and sometimes impulsive. He resigned due to illness in September 1947.

J. Ollie Edmunds, LL.B., 1948-1967 Triple alumnus J. Ollie Edmunds (bachelor’s degree in 1925, master’s in 1927 and law degree in 1928) served as Stetson’s president during the beginning of the American Civil Rights era, and he is known for registering the university’s first African American student, Cornelius Hunter. He was the first and only Stetson alumnus to become president and the first president who was not a professional educator. A lawyer by profession, Edmunds was a deft administrator who established Stetson’s first planning and development office, successfully securing funds to build the duPont-Ball Library, the Carlton Student Union Building, Allen Hall, Sage Hall, Davis Hall and several dormitories. Edmunds also oversaw the College of Law’s transition to its present site in Gulfport. Edmunds resigned in February 1967 to return to private business and was named the first chancellor of the university by the Board of Trustees.

Paul F. Geren, PhD, 1967-1969

Prior to assuming the presidency at Stetson, Paul F. Geren had an impressive career with the U.S. Foreign Service. Progressive and idealistic, Geren was driven to bring Stetson to the forefront of American education and deepen its international connections. Unfortunately, his ambitions were overshadowed by poor relations with students and faculty, although he did succeed in adding the first swimming pool to campus, introducing faculty sabbaticals and establishing Stetson’s foreign-exchange program. He resigned in 1969, but died in an automobile accident just one day before his resignation was to take effect.

Photos: courtesy of Stetson University Archives

President John E. Johns, his wife Martha and Chancellor J. Ollie Edmunds (far left) greet a student at a Freshman Orientation reception.

John E. Johns, PhD, 1969-1976

Following Paul F. Geren’s resignation in 1969, Vice President John E. Johns was named acting president. He proved to be a successful leader and officially became president in 1970. Johns, a gifted financial manager, was the first Stetson president to have been an administrative officer prior to taking office. Johns increased Stetson’s endowment, strengthened the athletics program, had Flagler Hall renovated, and oversaw the construction of Sage Hall and the Edmunds Center. Johns resigned in 1976 to accept an appointment as president of his alma mater, Furman University.

Pope Duncan, PhD, 1977-1987

Long before becoming Stetson’s seventh president, Pope Duncan started out as a Stetson professor. An ordained minister with a degree in physics, Duncan joined the Religious Studies department in 1946. He served in that role until 1953, and later became president of both South Georgia College and Georgia Southern College. While in office at Stetson, Duncan celebrated the university’s centennial and initiated a 10-year, $50 million fundraising campaign that was completed in six years. Duncan retired in 1987 but continued to serve Stetson as chancellor until 2002.

President Paul Geren takes the first dive into the new swimming pool.

H. Douglas Lee, PhD, 1987-2009 Howard Douglas Lee came to Stetson in 1978 as the vice president for development and succeeded Pope Duncan as president in 1987. Under his leadership, various buildings were added to campus, including the Hollis Center, the Lynn Business Center, the Hand Art Center and the Rinker Environmental Learning Center. Other highlights of the Lee administration included the $200 million fundraising campaign, the construction of Melching Field at Conrad Park, the establishment of the Institute for Christian Ethics and the Howard Thurman Program, and the creation of the University Values Council. Also, he ended the formal relationship with the Florida Baptist Convention in 1995. Lee retired in 2009 and was named chancellor of Stetson. Shortly after his retirement, Lee died unexpectedly from complications following surgery.

New President H. Douglas Lee and retiring President Pope Duncan, in academic regalia, walk into First Baptist Church for a service for Lee’s inauguration as president.