11/04/1885 AD founded

Lucy Cross, founder of the Daytona Institute in 1880, first placed the matter of establishing a college in Florida before the Congregational Churches in 1884. In 1885, the church put her on the committee in charge of determining the location of the first college in Florida. Cross is known as the Mother of Rollins College.

Rollins was incorporated, organized, and named in the Lyman Park building in nearby Sanford, Florida on 28 April 1885, opening for classes in Winter Park on November 4 of that year. It was established by New England Congregationalists who sought to bring their style of liberal arts education to the frontier St. John's basin. A commemorative plaque listing the names of the founders was dedicated 1 March 1954 and is displayed in historic Downtown Sanford.

Since its inception, Rollins College has been independent, nonsectarian, and coeducational from conception.

Early benefactors of Rollins College included Chicago businessman Alonzo Rollins (1832-1887), for whom the college is named. Rollins made substantial donations to enable the founding of the college, and was a trustee and its first treasurer.

Another early benefactor was Franklin Fairbanks of St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Fairbanks was president of the family business, Fairbanks Scales, and was a founder of Winter Park, a donor to Rollins College and a trustee.

Winter Park, FL

Lattitude: 28.5961° N
Longitude: 81.3466° W
Region: North America

Modern Day United States

Events in 1885 MORE