Harold Sebring
Encyclopedia
Harold Leon "Tom" Sebring (March 9, 1898 – July 26, 1968) was a Florida Supreme Court
justice, and an American judge at the Nuremberg Trials
of German war criminals after World War II
. Sebring was a native of Kansas
and an alumnus
of Kansas State Agricultural College
. While Sebring attended law school
at the University of Florida
, he also served as the head coach
of the Florida Gators football
team that represented the university.
in 1898, the son of John Thomas Sebring and Anna Lee Hayden Sebring.
, and was twice decorated by the U.S. Army with the Silver Star
for exceptional bravery under enemy fire, and also received the Croix de Guerre and Corde de Fourragere from the French government. Sebring was honorably discharged from the Army as a sergeant
in 1919.
, where he also excelled as a member of the Kansas State Aggies football
, boxing
and track & field
teams. Sebring was an All Missouri Valley Conference
football selection in 1921 and 1922 and, later, was named to the Kansas State Aggies All-Time Football Team. Sebring received a bachelor of science
degree
in commerce from Kansas State in 1923.
, a U.S. Army officer who was one of the college's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) instructors. Van Fleet joined the faculty at the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
in 1921, and also became an assistant coach for the Florida Gators football
team. When Van Fleet became the head coach of the Gators in 1923, he asked Sebring to join him in Gainesville as an assistant football coach and the head coach of the Florida Gators track and field and boxing
teams. Sebring accepted the coaching position and also enrolled in the University of Florida College of Law as a student. When the Army transferred Van Fleet to a new posting in the Panama Canal Zone
after the 1924 season, he recommended Sebring as his replacement, after serving as Van Fleet's chief scout in 1924. Sebring quickly proved himself to be a creative football coach and innovator; his 1925 Gators finished with an 8–2 record, the best record in school history to that time. Florida went 7–3 in 1927, Sebring's third and final season, and the team he recruited for 1928 finished 8–1 and led the nation in scoring. Sebring graduated with a bachelor of laws
degree in 1928, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as an "Honorary Letter Winner" and made an honorary member of Florida Blue Key
leadership society.
and Jacksonville, Florida
. He was appointed judge for the Eight Judicial Circuit
from 1933 to 1943 and served on the Florida Supreme Court from 1943 to 1955. After World War II
, President
Harry S. Truman
appointed Sebring to sit on the bench
for the Nuremberg Trials
of Nazi war criminals. Sebring did not want to resign from the Florida Supreme Court and he was granted a leave of absence
; the other justices appointed a new lower-court judge each month to serve in Sebring's place during his absence. While in Nuremberg
in 1946 and 1947, Sebring was a judge on the Doctors' Trial
, one of the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials
. He returned to service on the Florida court, and was later elected chief justice by his colleagues, serving from 1951 to 1953.
of Stetson University College of Law, the first dean after the college moved from Deland
to Gulfport, Florida
. Sebring was credited with dramatically expanding the student body and faculty, and deepening the quality and diversity of the college's academic courses. Sebring's retirement from Stetson was planned for September 1, 1968, but he died unexpectedly five weeks earlier. In 1976, Stetson named a law school courtroom in his memory; and, in 2004, the college named him as one of the first seventeen members of its hall of fame.
law firm, Sebring Law.
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
justice, and an American judge at the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
of German war criminals after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Sebring was a native of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and an alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of Kansas State Agricultural College
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. While Sebring attended law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, he also served as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team that represented the university.
Early life
Tom Sebring was born in Olathe, KansasOlathe, Kansas
Olathe is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. Located in northeastern Kansas, it is also the fifth most populous city in the state, with a population of 125,872 at the 2010 census. As a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, Olathe is the fourth-largest city in the...
in 1898, the son of John Thomas Sebring and Anna Lee Hayden Sebring.
World War I
Sebring spent twenty-two months overseas and thirteen months in combat during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was twice decorated by the U.S. Army with the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for exceptional bravery under enemy fire, and also received the Croix de Guerre and Corde de Fourragere from the French government. Sebring was honorably discharged from the Army as a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in 1919.
College
After returning to the United States, he studied architecture, engineering and business at Kansas State Agricultural College (now known as Kansas State University) in Manhattan, KansasManhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
, where he also excelled as a member of the Kansas State Aggies football
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and track & field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams. Sebring was an All Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
football selection in 1921 and 1922 and, later, was named to the Kansas State Aggies All-Time Football Team. Sebring received a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in commerce from Kansas State in 1923.
Law school student and football coach
While playing football at Kansas State, one of Sebring's coaches was Captain James Van FleetJames Van Fleet
James Alward Van Fleet was a U.S. Army officer during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. He served as a regimental, divisional and corps commander during World War II and as...
, a U.S. Army officer who was one of the college's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) instructors. Van Fleet joined the faculty at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
in 1921, and also became an assistant coach for the Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team. When Van Fleet became the head coach of the Gators in 1923, he asked Sebring to join him in Gainesville as an assistant football coach and the head coach of the Florida Gators track and field and boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
teams. Sebring accepted the coaching position and also enrolled in the University of Florida College of Law as a student. When the Army transferred Van Fleet to a new posting in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
after the 1924 season, he recommended Sebring as his replacement, after serving as Van Fleet's chief scout in 1924. Sebring quickly proved himself to be a creative football coach and innovator; his 1925 Gators finished with an 8–2 record, the best record in school history to that time. Florida went 7–3 in 1927, Sebring's third and final season, and the team he recruited for 1928 finished 8–1 and led the nation in scoring. Sebring graduated with a bachelor of laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree in 1928, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as an "Honorary Letter Winner" and made an honorary member of Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
leadership society.
Lawyer and judge
After receiving his law degree, Sebring practiced law in MiamiMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. He was appointed judge for the Eight Judicial Circuit
Florida Circuit Courts
The Florida Circuit Courts are state courts. They are trial courts of original jurisdiction for most controversies. In Florida, the circuit courts are one of four types of courts created by the Florida Constitution .The Circuit Courts primarily handle civil cases where...
from 1933 to 1943 and served on the Florida Supreme Court from 1943 to 1955. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
appointed Sebring to sit on the bench
Bench (metonymy)
Bench can be used as a metonym for a group of people associated with sitting on particular benches. The words chair, seat and desk can be used in similar ways....
for the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
of Nazi war criminals. Sebring did not want to resign from the Florida Supreme Court and he was granted a leave of absence
Leave of absence
Leave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
; the other justices appointed a new lower-court judge each month to serve in Sebring's place during his absence. While in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
in 1946 and 1947, Sebring was a judge on the Doctors' Trial
Doctors' Trial
The Doctors' Trial was the first of 12 trials for war crimes that the United States authorities held in their occupation zone in Nuremberg, Germany after the end of World War II. These trials were held before U.S...
, one of the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials
Subsequent Nuremberg Trials
The Subsequent Nuremberg Trials were a series of twelve U.S...
. He returned to service on the Florida court, and was later elected chief justice by his colleagues, serving from 1951 to 1953.
Law school dean
On September 1, 1955, Sebring retired from the Florida Supreme Court and was appointed as the deanDean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Stetson University College of Law, the first dean after the college moved from Deland
DeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
to Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport is a city in Pinellas County, Florida and a suburb of St. Petersburg. The population of Gulfport was 12,527 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was 12,740. Gulfport is part of the Tampa-St...
. Sebring was credited with dramatically expanding the student body and faculty, and deepening the quality and diversity of the college's academic courses. Sebring's retirement from Stetson was planned for September 1, 1968, but he died unexpectedly five weeks earlier. In 1976, Stetson named a law school courtroom in his memory; and, in 2004, the college named him as one of the first seventeen members of its hall of fame.
Family
Sebring was married to Elise Bishop and had one child, son Harold, Jr. Sebring's grandson, Harold, III, leads a TampaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
law firm, Sebring Law.
Football
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1920–1929
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- Kansas State WildcatsKansas State WildcatsKansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
- List of Florida Gators head football coaches
- List of Kansas State University people
- List of Levin College of Law graduates
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida honorary degree recipients
- University Athletic AssociationUniversity of Florida Athletic AssociationThe University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...