Interview with Mr. George Herbst: Vice President of Stetson University & Former Vice President of Finance and Treasurer of Rollins College

Authors

George Herbst, Stetson University
Wenxian Zhang, Rollins CollegeFollow

Document Type

Oral History

Publication Date

5-26-2010

Biography

George H. Herbst came to Rollins College in 1996 as vice president for business and finance. Although he is not an architect, he does have a special interest in architecture and design. In addition to his work at Rollins, Herbst has also been chairman of Winter Park's Central Park Committee, chairman of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, and a chair of the Building Committee of the Chamber, among other distinguished posts.

Herbst has a B.A. in political science from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, and an M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. He served as an administrator in K-12 schools before spending seven years in the post of vice president for finance and administration at Cranbrook Educational Community in Michigan. For the next four years, he assumed a similar role at the University of Dallas before coming to Rollins.

During his time at Rollins, Herbst was responsible for overseeing the construction and renovation of thirty projects at the College. These buildings include the President's residence at the Barker House, the Alfond Sports Center, and the Cornell Campus Center. Additionally, the Herbst Overlook on Lake Virginia, situated behind the Alfond Sports Center complex, is dedicated in his honor. Herbst also played a major role in the construction of the SunTrust Plaza on Park Avenue and the parking garage. In recognition of his efforts to promote public awareness of architecture's importance, in 2004 Herbst was presented with the Award of Merit from the Orlando Chapter of the American Institute of Architects . He was also named Winter Park Citizen of the Year in 2005.

Working with architect John Cunningham, whom he met through his work at Rollins, Herbst was able to build his dream home, Lugano Vista. Situated in Winter Park, the house was designed as a piece of architectural art. The modern Bauhaus movement-inspired home showcased his personal collection of contemporary art.

Recommended Citation

Herbst, George and Zhang, Wenxian, "Interview with Mr. George Herbst: Vice President of Stetson University & Former Vice President of Finance and Treasurer of Rollins College" (2010). Oral Histories. 10.
https://scholarship.rollins.edu/oralhist/10