
New Books in Higher Education
Carl Van Ness, "The Making of Florida's Universities: Public Higher Education at the Turn of the Twentieth Century" (UP of Florida, 2023)
Aug 17, 2023
Carl Van Ness describes the remarkable formative years of higher education in Florida, including the impact of the Buckman Act of 1905. The podcast explores conflicts over university presidents, a student rebellion at Florida A&M University, the challenges faced by university administrators, and the budget battles impacting Florida universities.
46:25
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Quick takeaways
- The Buckman Act of 1905 played a significant role in reshaping higher education in Florida, consolidating government support to three institutions and initiating a long-standing power struggle between the Board of Control and the Board of Education.
- Florida lagged behind other states in developing high schools and colleges, both for white and black students, but eventually evolved its institutions to offer fully accredited education.
Deep dives
Background and Motivation for Writing the Book
Author Carl Van Ness, a former University Librarian and Historian at the University of Florida, explains that his book, "The Making of Florida's Universities," was born out of his extensive knowledge of the University's history and his discovery of untold stories within the archives. These stories conflicted with the official history of the University and shed light on the political interference and governance of public higher education in Florida. Van Ness emphasizes that his book is not an institutional history, but a political history that explores how politics and higher education governance intersect.
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