Reitz Scholars Program
Encyclopedia
The J. Wayne Reitz Scholars Program is leadership and merit-based scholarship for students at the University of Florida
located in Gainesville, Florida
. The scholarship offers a yearly $2,500 stipend that may be renewed for up to three years.
, who served from 1955 to 1967. In addition to leading an agrressive construction campaign that added over 300 structures to the university's physical plant, Reitz was remembered as being close to the student body and was able to peacefully implement racial integration of the university, the first institution in the State University System of Florida
to do so. The first African-American student was enrolled in the College of Law during his term, and Reitz's close relationship to the student body was instrumental in curbing attempts to resist the court order to integrate.
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...
located 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...
. The scholarship offers a yearly $2,500 stipend that may be renewed for up to three years.
History and background
The program was created in 1997 and named in honor of the university's fifth president, J. Wayne ReitzJ. Wayne Reitz
Julius Wayne Reitz was an American agricultural economist, professor and university president. Reitz was a native of Kansas, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in his chosen field. After working as an agricultural economist, university professor and U.S...
, who served from 1955 to 1967. In addition to leading an agrressive construction campaign that added over 300 structures to the university's physical plant, Reitz was remembered as being close to the student body and was able to peacefully implement racial integration of the university, the first institution in the State University System of Florida
State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
to do so. The first African-American student was enrolled in the College of Law during his term, and Reitz's close relationship to the student body was instrumental in curbing attempts to resist the court order to integrate.
See also
- 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...
- J. Wayne Reitz UnionJ. Wayne Reitz UnionThe J. Wayne Reitz Union is the student union of the University of Florida, located on Museum Road on the university campus in Gainesville, Florida...
- List of Presidents of the University of Florida
- Lombardi Scholars ProgramLombardi Scholars ProgramThe Lombardi Scholars Program is a significant merit scholarship for students at the University of Florida. The scholarship offers $2,700 a semester for a total of 8-10 semesters.- History and background :...