Talk:History of the University of Florida

Historical Source Material
This History of the University of Florida article, and the History section of the main University of Florida article from which it is derived, are both sorely lacking in authoritative citations for the various facts included. The UF website materials cited in the handful of existing footnotes are sketchy at best, downright misleading and inaccurate at worst. As you experienced Wiki writers and editors know, every factual statement should be supported by a citation to reliable, if not scholarly, authority. The special collections of the Smathers Libraries are loaded with materials dealing with the founding and subsequent history of the university, but I will not get to Gainesville until the middle of the fall this year. So, I have ordered Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida from the University Press of Florida. UPF used to have multiple hardcover titles regarding the history of the university and its predecessors; I am sure all of these books are part of the Smathers collection. In the mean time, the oral history should provide a road map of other source materials we can draw from and use to expand the stand-alone history article.

I assume that we do not want to significantly expand the existing history section of the main article, but, rather, incorporate more in-depth materials into the stand-alone history article, right? Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 21:43, 13 July 2009 (UTC)


 * I know the article is woefully inadequate - it was basically a cut in paste from the main article. Feel free to edit the article in whatever fashion you deem appropriate (you have carte blance as long as you have the proper sources).  Perhaps you may even want to consult with Carl Van Ness (carvann@uflib.ufl.edu) who is the Official University of Florida historian.  Ideally the history section in the main article should be brief and this article should be more detailed. NorwalkJames (talk) 22:19, 13 July 2009 (UTC)


 * It's good to have friends in the right places, NorwalkJames. I will follow up with Mr. Van Ness by e-mail later this week.  I should have a copy of the oral history by Friday, and hopefully, it might provide a road map of other sources we should be using, and, a list of things that we might request from Mr. Van Ness.  As I understand it, alumni now have some form of library privileges in the main UF libraries.  I signed up for my account several months ago, and I haven't had a chance to test-drive it yet.


 * As always, sir, you are font of useful information. Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 22:28, 13 July 2009 (UTC)


 * NorwalkJames, I received a hard-copy of Julian M. Pleasants' Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida (2006), and I've already put it to good use as a source for my re-write of the Andrew Sledd article. Sledd was a fascinating guy; I had no idea that he had such a large role in the formation of the University of Florida in 1905, or significant he was in Florida, Georgia and Methodist history, too.  My re-write of the Sledd article has been a good way to deepen my understanding of the events of 1903-1909 before tackling an agressive re-write of the History of the University of Florida article.  I would be grateful if you would flyspeck the Sledd article, and let me know what you would like to see added, etc.  There is a glaring hole in my current sources regarding his presidency of Southern University.


 * I have delayed contacting Mr. Van Ness until I have received my ordered copy of Samuel Proctor's Gator History: A Pictorial History of the University of Florida(1986) and until I have completed my first-draft re-write of the Albert A. Murphree article. (The Pleasants and Proctor books are apparently the best published sources on UF history in the last 20 years or so.)  Sledd and Murphree appear to the be the Bobsey twins of the university's "founding" (or "refounding," if you buy into the 1853 date), and I wanted to compile a single, organized wish list for information and source material before bothering Mr. Van Ness for help.  I will follow up with Van Ness later this week.  Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 20:42, 26 July 2009 (UTC)


 * I have the perfect source for you. Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future was a book written by Carl Van Ness &  Kevin McCarthy back in 2003. The book captures UF's history in words and more than 225 black-and-white photographs. The photographs and descriptions give insight into what life might have been like at the university as far back as 1853.  Oh I have another suggestion: be alittle sceptical of Van Ness.  The official university historian at any university(based on my past experiences) tends to give out the company line sorta speak.NorwalkJames (talk) 23:24, 26 July 2009 (UTC)


 * The Murphree vs. Sledd battle for importance is an interesting one no doubt. Basically you have Sledd who was backed by Governor Napoleon B. Broward (the Duval County politician with ties to the Northeast), and you have Murphree who was backed by the Good Ole' Boys and the rest of the Pork Chop rural politicians.  So the point is the university has been entangled in nasty Florida politics since basically its inception. Also remember that Murphree founded the highly influential Florida Blue Key perhaps that is why he is the only President with a statue on campus (No sources, just a hunch).NorwalkJames (talk) 23:24, 26 July 2009 (UTC)


 * The Sledd article seems good to go. You have plenty of sources, and I remember hearing of the Sledd Affair before.  Oh another point I do agree with the 1853 founding. Governor Thomas Brown wrote legislation to provide funding for Higher Education in his last year in office (founding of the East Florida Seminary).  On the other hand the 1851 date that FSU claims is alittle shaky (it is actually 1857).

Improving the Article

 * The national & international prominence section could be expounded upon. Jccort (talk) 20:27, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

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