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The HistoryRollins College was founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists seeking to establish a liberal arts institution in Florida. The Rev. Edward Payson Hooker, the college's first president, took steps to create a coeducational environment and attract students from local communities in Florida, as well as from the North. The result: the only nondenominational, comprehensive liberal arts college in the state.
The Brains
Rollins College has seen a number of Rhodes, Fulbright, Goldwater and Truman Scholars pass through its doors. The school is also the only college in Florida to claim a Nobel laureate among its graduates?Donald Cram (class of 1941) received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry back in 1987. Poet Maya Angelou and educator Mary McLeod Bethune are among the many who've received honorary doctorates from Rollins.
The Culture
Rollins has been home to one of the nation's oldest Bach Festivals, taking place each February at various venues on campus for the past 65 years. The Annie Russell Theatre, on the National Registry of Historic Places, was the first educational theater center in Florida and has staged dramatic performances for the past six decades. The Cornell Fine Arts Museum, one of the finest museums in the state, holds nearly 6,000 works of art?everything from Roselli to Rubens?with some pieces dating back to the 1400s.
The Inside Scoop
- Campus Architecture - Rollins is designed in distinct Spanish-Mediterranean style and is often described as being one of the more beautiful campuses in the country.
- Named After... - Alonzo Rollins, a Chicago businessman who fronted the cash to build the college in Winter Park.
- One of Orlando's Best - Nominated for Best Historic Site for being the oldest college in the state and for its cultural and educational influence in Central Florida.
Insider Pages Reviews for Rollins College
Besides the beauty of the buildings at Rollins, it is also outstanding in it's academic program. Rollins is always on the cutting edge of events, sports, and research.
Posted 04/04/07 | Report Abuse
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