Florida State College for Women, now known as Florida State University, has a rich history. The college traces back to the U.S. Congress’ 1823 decision to establish learning seminaries in East and West Florida and the 1827 creation of a school for males and females by the Presbyterian Church called The Leon Academy.

In 1905, the Buckman Act reorganized Florida’s six colleges into three institutions segregated by gender and race: a school for white males, a school for white females, and a school for African Americans. Florida State College became Florida Female College until 1909, when it became Florida State College for Women.

By 1933, the Florida State College for Women was the third largest women’s college in the U.S. After World War II, Florida’s university system faced a heavy influx of returning soldiers taking advantage of the new G.I. Bill subsidy for higher education. On May 15, 1947, Florida’s governor signed an act making the Florida State College for Women coeducational and renaming it Florida State University.

Today, Florida State University is a co-ed institution that educates more than 40,000 students. It is known for its high-quality programs and contributes to advancements in health, technology, physics, and the arts.

The first two reference photos are of earlier examples of the Florida State College for Women basketball teams, the first from 1904, and the second from 1902-1903.

The third reference photo is of a newspaper article printed in The Pensacola journal (Pensacola, Fla.) on April 12, 1919, discussing the athletics program at the college.

This is a must-have for collectors, historians, or anyone interested in vintage sports and education memorabilia. An awesome piece of history for Florida State College for Women and FSU fans and history buffs.

Please inspect the pictures, as they give the best representation of condition. May have discoloring, edge or corner wear, marks, creases, fading, smudges, corner or edge bends, tears, or corners missing. 

(B82 inventory number)