Gator Memories - Henry Buckman Starts UF
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | General
By Norm Carlson, Assistant Athletics Director/Gator Historian
Henry H. Buckman of Jacksonville, chairman of the Florida House Judiciary Committee in the early 1900's, must have been a Gator at heart. How else can you explain his actions in creating the State University System with the University of Florida as its core?
Florida State College in Tallahassee started competing in football in 1902. It appears logical that the new system of education should have featured FSC with the name changed to UF, and the location of the university remaining in the capital city.
However, the Buckman Act passed in 1905, and it was a shocker. FSC became FSCW (Florida State College for Women). The new bell-cow of the state university system was the University of Florida (for men) in Gainesville.
FSC head coach James (PeeWee) Forsythe and most of his players migrated to Gainesville to start a new football program. It would be 1947 before UF and FSCW became co-educational. By the time FSU had football, the Gators had been playing the sport, and other sports, for over four decades. That is a pretty good head start.
The “school for men” also produced most of the state leaders in government and business, especially in the citrus, farming, sugar, banking, engineering and medical fields.
One of the first buildings constructed on the UF campus was named Buckman Hall, a residence facility that is still in use today. Buckman Bridge is Jacksonville is also named in his honor.
All Gators should heartily applaud such recognition for Henry Buckman.
-UF-
