Download Magazine - Levin College of Law - University of Florida

PARTNERS
Tribute Gift To
Former UF President
Creates Lecture
Series At Law School
I
n a tribute to former University of
Florida President Marshall Criser
(JD 51), fellow Levin College of
Law alumnus Lewis Schott (LLB 46)
of Palm Beach has given $600,000 to
the university to create a permanent
lecture series.
The gift will be
used to establish
an endowment
fund for the series,
to be named the
Marshall M. Criser
D i s t i n g u i s h e d
Criser
Lecture Series at
UFʼs Levin College
of Law.
“The goal of
the speaker series
is to host two
prestigious national
and international
speakers annually
on topics of
Schott
particular interest
to law students,” said Robert Jerry, dean
of the law school.
Criser served as president of UF
from 1984 to 1989 and was appointed by
then-governor Jeb Bush to be a founding
member of the newly formed UF Board of
Trustees in 2001. He served as chairman
of that board until he stepped down in
2003 to become chairman of Scripps
Florida Funding Corp., where he served
until Dec. 21, 2006.
During his legal career, Criser spent
31 years as an attorney in the Palm Beach
law firm of Gunster, Yoakley, Criser &
Stewart before coming to UF. After his
presidency at UF he practiced law in
Jacksonville until he retired as a partner
of the national firm McGuireWoods.
Criser now resides in Gainesville.
“Marshall Criser has devoted a major
part of his life to the University of Florida,”
said Schott. “As president, trustee,
healthcare advocate, legal counsel, state
regent and student, he has played many
roles. It is an honor to be able to continue
his influence at UF by establishing this
lecture series in his name.”
Criser earned his bachelorʼs degree
in business administration from UF in
1949 and his law degree in 1951. He also
has served as a trustee for the UF Law
BLSA
Center Association and as president of
The Florida Bar.
“The outstanding leadership Marshall
Criser has shown throughout his career
provides an example for the aspirations
we want our students to hold,” said
Dean Jerry. “In honoring Marshall with
the named lecture series, Lewis Schott
has also again enhanced the law school
in a way that will enrich the academic
experience of our students.”
Bequest Supports Book
Collection in LIC
F
orty years ago William B. “Bill”
Conner (JD 67) made a name
for himself at the UF College of
Law, where he excelled in academics
and extracurricular activities. Shortly
after graduating, cancer cut his bright
future short. His brother, James F.
“Jim” Conner II, made sure the memory
of Bill and their parents, Dr. Fred and
Mrs. Jo Conner, who originally created
the fund in 1968, were honored by
permanently endowing the William
B. Conner Browsing Collection Fund
through his estate plans. The bequest
supports a collection of nonacademic
legal interest books in the Chiles Legal
Information Center.
Recent
Gifts
Alumni and friends continue to provide
much needed gifts that strengthen all
areas of the college. Recent significant
commitments included:
• $300,000 gift from Betty Poucher to
support the Allan L. Poucher (JD 42)
Legal Education Series, a new lecture
series for the Florida Law Review.
• $184,678 gift from the estate
of Robert B. Cole (JD 35). Cole
was a partner in the now dissolved
Miami law firm of Mershon, Sawyer,
Johnston, Dunwody & Cole. The gift
will create an endowment to fund
faculty support, research and adjunct
faculty in the area of health law.
• $104,552 from Edward Downey
(JD 74), of Downey & Downey in
Palm Beach, to create an endowment
to support education, teaching and
research in the areas of estates, trusts
and fiduciary administration.
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