Albert Alexander Murphree (April 29, 1870 – December 20, 1927) was an American college

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

and

university president A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth na ...

. Murphree was a native of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, and became a mathematics instructor after earning his bachelor's degree. He later served as the third president of Florida State College (later renamed

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

) from 1897 to 1909, and the second president of the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

from 1909 to 1927. Murphree is the only person to have been the president of both of Florida's original

state universities A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, territory or federal district. These systems constitute the majority of universities in the country, serving by far the majority ...

, the University of Florida and Florida State University, and he played an important role in the organization, growth and ultimate success of both institutions.

Early life and education

Murphree was born near Chepultepec, Alabama in 1870.Orland Kay Armstrong
''The Life and Work of Dr. A.A. Murphree''
The Record Company, St. Augustine, Florida, pp. 20–22 (1928). Retrieved February 14, 2010. His father was Jesee Ellis Murphree, a

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...

of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

; his mother was Emily Helen Cornelius. His parents raised him in a family of ten children in Walnut Grove, Alabama, where he attended community schools and a local two-year college. He graduated from the

University of Nashville University of Nashville was a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It was established in 1806 as Cumberland College. It existed as a distinct entity until 1909; operating at various times a medical school, a four-year military college, a ...

with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1894, and taught mathematics at several high schools and small colleges in Alabama, Tennessee and Texas. In 1895, he became a mathematics instructor at the West Florida Seminary (now known as Florida State University) in Tallahassee, Florida, and two years later, its

board of trustees A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

appointed him as the seminary's third president in 1897, at the age of 27. Later, Murphree married Jennie Henderson, the daughter of John A. Henderson, one of the seminary's trustees. He subsequently started and completed the academic work for a Master of Arts degree while serving as president of the seminary, renamed Florida State College in 1901.

Professor and university president

As President of West Florida Seminary, Murphree worked to create Florida's first liberal arts college by 1897, and in 1901 it was reorganized into the Florida State College with four departments: the College, the College Academy, the School for Teachers and the School of Music. Under his leadership, the Florida State College produced the state's first Rhodes Scholar in 1905, Frederic "Fritz" Buchholz (1885-65). In 1905, several prominent political backers advanced Murphree's name to be the first president of the new University of the State of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida, which was the newly consolidated men's university and

land-grant college A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, or a beneficiary ...

created by the Florida Legislature's passage of the

Buckman Act The Buckman Act was a Florida law passed by the state legislature in 1905. It reorganized the state's institutions of higher learning and created a Florida Board of Control to govern the system. The act, named for legislator Henry Holland Buckma ...

, which segregated Florida's schools of higher learning by race and gender. Instead, the

Florida Board of Control The Florida Board of Control (1905–1965) was the statewide governing body for the State University System of Florida, which included all public universities in the state of Florida. It was replaced by the Florida Board of Regents in 1965.< ...

selected Andrew Sledd, then the president of the University of Florida in Lake City, to be the first president of the new men's university. Murphree continued to serve as the president of Florida State College, which became the all-female Florida Female College under the Buckman Act. From 1905 to 1909, Murphree emphasized greater academic expectations for his female students, while upgrading and expanding the college's

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...

to meet modern university standards. In 1909, Murphree convinced the legislature to change the name of the college to the Florida State College for Women. When the first president of the University of Florida, Andrew Sledd, was not re-appointed for the 1909–10 school year because of a conflict over what the new governor and members of the

Florida Board of Education The Florida Board of Education, also known as the State Board of Education (SBE), is a committee composed of members appointed by the Florida governor to guide and direct the public K-12, community college and state college education in the U.S. st ...

believed were Sledd's inflexible admissions standards that were impeding the growth of the university, Murphree's name was once again advanced as a replacement. This time, the Board of Control voted unanimously to approve his appointment. Murphree assumed his new duties during the summer of 1909, and worked diligently with his predecessor to ensure a smooth transition that capitalized on previous successes. In a surprise to some of his previous political supporters, Murphree endorsed Sledd's admissions standards, and thereafter actually tightened the requirements for entry again in 1912. Beginning in 1910, Murphree reorganized the university's administration into four academic colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the

College of Law A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary school ...

, the College of Agriculture, and the

College of Engineering Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education ( Dip.Eng.)and (B.Eng.) or ( M.Eng.), and any advanced education and specializations tha ...

, as well as the

Graduate School Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...

.University of Florida, Past Presidents
Albert Murphree (1909–1927)
. Retrieved October 24, 2012. Murphree took particular interest in the "School of Graduate Studies," and the university awarded its first master's degree in 1910. He later oversaw the addition of the

College of Education In the United States and Canada, a school of education (or college of education; ed school) is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences e ...

in 1912, the

School of Pharmacy A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of fo ...

in 1924, the

School of Architecture This is a list of architecture schools at colleges and universities around the world. An architecture school (also known as a school of architecture or college of architecture), is a professional school or institution specializing in architectura ...

in 1925, and the College of Commerce and Journalism in 1927. During Murphree's term, he oversaw the construction of ten new major buildings, including such historical landmarks as Flint Hall (Science Department),

Floyd Hall Floyd Hall (born September 4, 1938) is an American business executive and sports team owner. Life and career Hall was born in Oklahoma. He left school at the age of 15. He attended Southern Methodist University, and did not graduate. Hall start ...

(College of Agriculture), Peabody Hall (College of Education), the

University Auditorium University Auditorium is a name used by multiple universities for auditorium spaces. It may refer to: * Chulalongkorn University Auditorium * Eisenhower Auditorium, originally named University Auditorium * Indiana University Auditorium *University A ...

, and the new University Library (now known as Smathers Library East). The University of Florida's enrollment grew from 186 students in 1909 to over 2,000 in 1927.Armstrong, ''Life and Work'', p. 12. Murphree is reported to have taken pride in knowing every Florida student by name.University of Florida Foundation, Named UF Facilities
Albert A. Murphree Hall
Retrieved February 14, 2010. Under Murphree, student leaders formed the

Florida Blue Key Florida Blue Key is a student leadership honor society at the University of Florida. It was founded in 1923. The organization is the oldest and most prestigious leadership honorary in the state of Florida. Members include notable politicians an ...

leadership society in 1923, the university celebrated its first

homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...

parade in 1924, and students organized the first Gator Growl pep rally and variety show in 1925. Albert Alexander Murphree in 1917

While president of Florida, Murphree became a friend of

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...

, the former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

and the Democratic Party nominee for President in 1896, 1900 and 1908.Samuel Proctor,
William Jennings Bryan and the University of Florida
," ''Florida Historical Quarterly'', vol. 39, pp. 2–3 (1960). Retrieved September 22, 2010. Bryan established a winter residence in

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

in 1912, and became a full-time Florida resident in 1921. Bryan was a frequent speaker throughout Florida, and first met Murphree at a speech at the university in 1916. As a result of his friendship with Murphree, Bryan volunteered to be the fund-raising drive chairman for the construction of the university's new Florida Union building (now known as Dauer Hall). Murphree's name was floated as a possible

gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

candidate on several occasions, but he publicly disavowed any personal interest in elected office.Armstrong, ''Life and Work'', p. 15. Without consulting Murphree in advance, on January 13, 1924, William Jennings Bryan announced his candidacy to be a delegate to the 1924

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

, where, if elected, he would nominate Murphree as the party's candidate for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

in the 1924 election.Proctor, "William Jennings Bryan," p. 12. Bryan campaigned vigorously despite Murphree's steadfast refusal to do so as a candidate.Proctor, "William Jennings Bryan," pp. 12–14. Murphree stated that he was flattered by Bryan's effort, but "Nobody expects a Southern man to be nominated President, much less a Florida man." Florida newspapers urged Murphree to run, but few others took his candidacy seriously. Bryan was elected as a delegate to the Democratic Convention, pledged to support Murphree's nomination, but Bryan was greeted by boos and jeers at the convention because of his nomination of Murphree.Proctor, "William Jennings Bryan," p. 14. Bryan later told Senator J. Thomas Heflin that his reception by his fellow convention delegates was the most humiliating of his life. Murphree was elected president of the

National Association of State Universities The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) is a research, policy, and advocacy organization of public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and higher education organizations. It has member c ...

in 1927.

Death and legacy

Murphree died unexpectedly in his sleep, at the age of 57, in Gainesville on December 20, 1927.Armstrong, ''Life and Work'', pp. 13–14. His wife Jennie had died six years earlier in 1921.Florida State University, Office of the President
The First Ladies of Florida State University
. Retrieved July 18, 2010. They are both buried in St. John's Episcopal Church cemetery in downtown Tallahassee, only a few blocks from Florida State University. Murphree and his wife were survived by four children––two sons, John A.H. Murphree and Albert A. Murphree, Jr., and two daughters, Alberta Murphree Worth and Martha Murphree Wallace. Murphree's daughter Martha graduated from Florida State College for Women with a bachelor's degree in 1925. His son and namesake, Albert A. "Waddy" Murphree, Jr., graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in 1929, earned a master's degree from

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

as a

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...

from 1929 to 1933, and would later serve as a professor of

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

at the university from 1941 to 1974. Murphree, who was the second choice to be the first president of the University of Florida, served longer as the second leader of the university than all but one of its other ten presidents. While he was not the founding president, Murphree built upon the solid academic standards, faculty selections and planning of his predecessor, Andrew Sledd, and greatly expanded and improved upon them; he imposed the university's modern organizational structure and was responsible for the beginnings of many of its traditions. After his death, Murphree was widely praised on the

editorial An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK), is an article or any other written document, often unsigned, written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper or magazine, that expresses the publication's opinion about ...

pages of newspapers throughout the state and region.''See, generally'', Armstrong, ''Life and Work'', pp. 161–172. He was credited with helping the University of Florida grow from a small state college into a rapidly expanding regional university in his eighteen years as its president. UF Auditorium2

The two universities that Murphree nurtured in their infancy continued to grow and prosper after his death. In 2010, Florida State University had a total enrollment of over 41,000

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

, graduate and

professional student The term professional student has two uses in the university setting: *In the United States and Canada, if not elsewhere, a professional student is a student majoring in what are considered the professional degrees. These include Doctor of Educ ...

s; the University of Florida enrolled over 50,000 total students. In a little over one hundred years, the two national research universities, in whose early expansion and improvement Murphree had played a fundamental role, had grown to take their places among the largest single-campus universities in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the University of Florida among the ten largest.University of Florida
About UF
. Retrieved February 14, 2010. In honor of its second president, the University of Florida erected a statue of Murphree on its Gainesville campus, adjacent to such landmarks as the Plaza of the Americas, Library East and Peabody Hall; Murphree is the only Florida president so honored. Florida also named one of its early dormitories, Murphree Hall, in tribute. In remembrance of its third president, Florida State University erected a campus statue adjacent to Jennie Murphree Hall, named for Murphree's wife.Florida State University
Legacy Walk
Retrieved February 14, 2010.

References

Bibliography

* Armstrong, Orland Kay
''The Life and Work of Dr. A.A. Murphree''
The Record Company, St. Augustine, Florida (1928). * Farr, James M., ''The Making of a University'' (unpublished manuscript), University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries, Special Collections, Gainesville, Florida (c. 1939–1941). * Pleasants, Julian M., ''Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida'', University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (2006). . * Proctor, Samuel, & Wright Langley, ''Gator History: A Pictorial History of the University of Florida'', South Star Publishing Company, Gainesville, Florida (1986). . * Van Ness, Carl, & Kevin McCarthy, ''Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future: The University of Florida, 1853–2003'', University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (2003).

External links

Florida State University
– Official website of Florida State University.
University of Florida
– Official website of the University of Florida. {{DEFAULTSORT:Murphree, Albert A. 1870 births 1927 deaths Florida State University alumni Florida State University faculty People from Blount County, Alabama Presidents of Florida State University Presidents of the University of Florida University of Nashville alumni College honor society founders