Stetson Cupola 1984-12-3

1 SPECIAL EDITION ■impom The Stetson University Alumni Newspaper Vol. 12 No. 3 [USPS 990-560] Spring '84 STETSON MOURNS J. OLLIE EDMUNDS . . . his heart was full of compassion, kindness, charitable impulses and a never-resting determination to use all his powers and resources to improve the lives of the young men and women of Stetson.... —Gilbert Ly.^an by Jakay Jarvis Hughey On April 2,1984, Stetson Chancellor J. Ollie Edmunds died. He hat. served his alma mater for .nearly 60 of his RU years as an alumnus, trustee, president, chancellor and benefactor. His devotion to education, Christian principles and his country were evident in his many achievements. A native of Georgia, he moved as a child to Jacksonville with his family and graduated from high school at the Y.M.C.A. night school. In 1921 Plato Durham Edmunds moved his family to DeLand where he became custodian and grounds keeper for Stetson. Eighteen-year-old Ollie Edmunds enrolled as a freshman at the university and worked to pay his college expenses as a teller in a local bank, as a reporter for the DeLand Sun News and as a clerk in the law firm of Hull, Landis and Fish. Recognized as a brilliant student by fellow students and faculty, he went on to earn his bachelor's, master's and law degrees from the school. After admission to the Florida Bar in 1927, Edmunds practiced law in DeLand and Jacksonville until 1931 when he began a 13-year career as county judge for Duval County. His ties to Stetson remained strong as he helped organize the Stetson Alumni Association in the late 1920s and was elected a trustee of the university in 1934 at the age of 31. He served on the board for the rest of his life. Following an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in 1944, Edmunds resumed his law praise in P>eLand and Jacksonville. Stetecja* historian Dr. Gilbert Lycan Recalls Edmunds' abiding interest in the university was in evidence when he was a trustee. He "kept a finger on the pulse," monitoring curriculum and student life as well as the administrative concerns of the board, Lycan said. First alumnus president In January 1948, Ollie Edmunds became the first alumnus to return to a Florida university as president. "Through his heroic efforts, and the efforts of those appointed to work with him, he renewed and rebuilt the faculty and increased immensely the level of academic work, for which he and the university won nationwide acclaim," Lycan said. Leading the school out of war time financial difficulties, the persuasive Edmunds convinced the trustees to put much of the school's new funds into salaries to attract high caliber teachers. "He hired so many teachers after the war (to handle an increased student population of veterans) that he nearly created a new faculty," explains Lycan. "But he took the utmost care to bring in teachers with Christian attitudes, good scholarship and outstanding teaching abilities." Summing up Edmunds' philosophy, Lycan stressed his devotion to three main principles. "Being a devout Christian, he wanted students to take up lives of Christian service. He also was deeply interested in high academic standards and supported every movement by the faculty to advance the standards. "Third, he believed people should be active in civic life. He often spoke of patriotism, which to him meant living a life that contributed to the welfare of others and the United States." Explaining that most people would understand the principle as citizenship, Lycan maintains Edmunds believed it was as much or more a matter of patriotism than ' 'that of the battlefield." Concern for students... Edmunds' concern for students guided his planning, fund raising and administrative duties. In later years, he told the historian the only thing he would like to do differently, if he could, would be "to spend more time with the students." But after a reflective pause, Edmunds admitted, "But I just couldn't." Yet many students recall his warmth, his hearty handshake, his concern for their well-being and his sincere interest in what they were thinking. His home was open to students. Many evenings when he was not away from campus on fund-raising trips he would invite a student campus group or individual students to drop by just to talk about issues of concern to them. On campus, he always gave a friendly wave and almost always could call students by name. His memory was phenomenal. During an era when many college presidents were facing open rebellion and physical hostility from students, Edmunds was affectionately called "Jolly Ollie" by students who respected the man who cared about them. It showed. Not only did Edmunds earn the respect of the Stetson students, but he also gained the loyalty of his administrative staff and faculty. Whatever their differences, Edmunds would listen before making the final decisions. Etter Turner, retired dean of students, served as dean of women in his administration. Recognized among student deans as a leader in women's rights in education, Dean Turner acknowledges she received full support from Edmunds in developing equal educational opportunities for women. "He was an ideal person to work for," she remembers. "He encouraged each of us to be innovative, to provide the best, fullest education for all students. He was warm, human and understanding. "His years as a lawyer and judge gave him the experience to see both sides of an issue, and of course, he kept his sense of humor—he could laugh at himself," she suggests. "He inspired the best in people.'' Under Edmunds' administration, Stetson increased its physical plant including men's and women's dormitories, the modern duPont-Ball Library, Davis Hall which houses the business school and Sage Hall for science. Please turn to page two. •Reprinted by permission oi DeLand Sun News/Weekend. April 7-8, 1984.