William Blackman (1902-1915)

William Blackman (1902-1915)

Description

William Fremont Blackman (1855–1932) was a distinguished minister, scholar, and educator who served as the third president of Rollins College from 1903 to 1915. Born on September 26, 1855, in North Pitcher, New York, he was the son of Orpah (Freeman) and John Smith Blackman.

Blackman’s academic background was broad and impressive. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College, a Bachelor of Divinity from Yale Divinity School, and a doctorate from Cornell University, graduating magna cum laude. His academic pursuits also led him abroad, where he studied at Berlin University’s Royal Statistical Bureau and the Collège de France in Paris. In 1910, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Florida.

Following his graduation from Yale, Blackman served as a Congregational minister in several churches across Ohio, Connecticut, and New York. In 1880, he married Lucy Worthington, and together they had three children: Berkeley, Worthington, and Marjorie. By 1893, Blackman had joined the Yale faculty as a professor of Christian ethics and later lectured on social philosophy and ethics, as well as editing the Yale Review.

In 1902, Blackman was elected president of Rollins College and officially began his term in 1903. During his 13-year presidency, he emphasized academic excellence, advocating for high standards in scholarship and teaching. He raised the college’s first permanent endowment and secured funding for the campus’s first three fireproof buildings—a library, science hall, and men’s dormitory. Blackman also played a pivotal role in freeing Rollins from its denominational ties to the Congregational Church and pursued accreditation at both the state and national levels. In addition to his administrative duties, he taught courses in sociology, politics, and economics.

After resigning in 1915, Blackman purchased Wekiwa Ranch near Sanford and became deeply involved in civic and environmental causes across Florida. A strong advocate for the state’s development, he served as the founding president of the Bank of Winter Park and led the Florida Conference of Charities and Corrections. His passion for conservation led to leadership roles in the Florida Audubon Society and the Florida State Chamber of Commerce’s Conservation Committee. He campaigned for protective legislation and promoted public awareness of conservation issues.

Blackman was also an author, publishing The Making of Hawaii: A Study in Social Evolution (1899), A History of Orange County (1927), and numerous other monographs. He was named president emeritus in 1927 and passed away in Winter Park on August 9, 1932. His funeral was held at Knowles Memorial Chapel on the Rollins campus, a fitting tribute to a man whose vision helped shape the college and community. To recognize his services to Rollins, the Board of Trustees established William Fremont Blackman Medal to honor one "whoever maintained that it should be the ideals of quality, high standards and fineness of result which should distinguish Rollins among its peers."

First Year of Presidency

1902

William Blackman (1902-1915)
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