(This column first published in the Tallahassee Democrat on June 18, 2009. T.K. Wetherell died on Dec. 16, 2018.)
He was a swift football player who hustled his way to success.
He was a direct-talking politician who charged his way to the leadership of the Florida Legislature.
He was an energetic educator who revitalized a community college and rebuilt his alma mater.
T.K. Wetherell never met a challenge he didn't like. But after six years as the president, Wetherell announced Wednesday he was stepping down from the challenge of leading Florida State University.
"There is one common thread in T.K.'s life: Whatever he did, he did 90 miles an hour with his hair on fire," said former Leon County Commissioner Gary Yordon. "The best thing everyone else could do was run behind him with a hose and not get in his way."
Wetherell was a whirlwind force at FSU.
Under Wetherell, FSU started a medical school, lured the Applied Superconductivity Center to its existing National High Magnetic Field laboratory and witnessed $800 million in construction of new facilities and buildings.
Wetherell oversaw increases in enrollment, freshmen retention rates and Black and Hispanic graduates. During his tenure, FSU produced more than 40 winners of prestigious national graduate scholarships, including three Rhodes Scholars.
More than any previous president, Wetherell led the charge to spotlight FSU history. He erected statues in tribute to the school's Black pioneers and women's college history, as well as statues of past presidents. He created Legacy Walks for visitors to learn about FSU history. He conceived the idea of adorning Doak Campbell Stadium with a statue and multi-story stained glass painting of football coaching legend Bobby Bowden.
Wetherell strengthened the school's ties with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, from whom the school takes its athletics nickname. He instituted a program to give Seminole Tribe students full scholarships to FSU, created a course in Seminole history and erected displays about Seminole history.
He also won the affection of FSU employees by inviting faculty, staff, and students to his football skybox, and by instituting a Christmas break that did not count against annual leave time.
"I can't remember anyone who had a greater love for the university," said Mark Bertolami, FSU's director of facilities administrative services. "Certainly, (predecessors Bernie Sliger and Sandy D'Alemberte) loved FSU. But T.K. wore his passion on his sleeve. It's going to be hard to find a bigger cheerleader for the university."
Wetherell began his association with the school as a football player from 1963 to 1967.
A highly recruited wide receiver at Daytona Beach Mainland High, Wetherell had the misfortune of coming to FSU at the same time as future Hall of Fame receivers Fred Biletnikoff and Ron Sellars. Blessed with 9.7-second speed in the 100-yard dash, Wetherell started every game as a sophomore, was injured as a junior and switched to defensive back as a senior (snagging three interceptions).
Wetherell and his former high-school teammate Bill Moreman combined for one of only three 100-yard kickoff returns in FSU history — against Kentucky in 1965 — when Moreman took a kickoff in the end zone, ran out and then lateraled across the field to Wetherell, who went the distance for a touchdown. The pair repeated the play the next year against Miami, with Wetherell scoring a 94-yard touchdown. Wetherell was inducted into the FSU Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
Wetherell segued from football to higher education almost immediately. He earned a master's degree in education and served as FSU athletics academic adviser for a while. He later earned a doctorate in education, became an associate professor at Bethune-Cookman College and then provost, dean, and vice president at Daytona Beach Community College.
Inspired by the example of fellow Daytona Beach Mainland grad and Florida legislator, Hyatt Brown, Wetherell turned his eye to politics and won a seat in the Florida House. A Democrat, he served from 1980 to 1992, becoming House floor leader and finally Speaker of the House.
As Speaker, Wetherell oversaw reforms of state ethics and campaign laws. He blocked efforts by Republican legislators to re-district precincts to reduce Black voter impact. He led efforts to reduce state spending — while at the same time becoming famous for funneling $38 million toward the building of FSU's $100 million University Center. The facility wrapped offices, classrooms, banquet facilities and skyboxes around FSU's Campbell Stadium — transforming an unremarkable facility of metal grandstands into a sumptuous brick coliseum — and a portion of it was named in honor of Wetherell.
"Some people felt like he paid too much attention to athletics, but it never bothered me to know that our boss was interested in what we were doing," FSU head football coach Bobby Bowden said. "One thing is for sure, Florida State would not have the status it has today without the work of T.K., both as president and in state government."
Wetherell was not above stepping on toes. His sometimes-salty language as a legislator earned him aTampa Tribunedescription in 1991 as "dim-witted" and "vulgarian." He battled Tallahassee officials repeatedly over a variety of development issues. He occasionally upset FSU faculty and staff with his preference for making decisions by himself rather than by committee.
He also took on the NCAA, successfully overturning its ban on the Seminole nickname in 2005 and appealing NCAA penalties for FSU's 2007 academic cheating scandal.
"I don't think T.K. worries about how diplomatic he should be in presenting his point of view," said Tallahassee Mayor John Marks. "His direct style has been beneficial in getting what needs to be done for FSU. He's going to be remembered as an icon in this state, no matter what your opinion is of him."
Wetherell always seemed to have his sights set on being a university president. In 1987, he failed in a bid for the presidency of the University of West Florida. In 1991 and 1993, he was a runner-up for the presidency of FSU. In 1995, he was tapped as president of Tallahassee Community College and energetically remade the school. Wetherell doubled TCC's enrollment and the number of campus buildings, added 50 new programs and led TCC to a national top-25 rank in producing community college graduates.
He resigned in 2001, saying — much as he said Wednesday about leaving FSU — "It's time to get someone new." Wetherell said then he had no interest in becoming president of FSU, then 18 months later was chosen as FSU president.
He leaves FSU in apparently good health: Prostate cancer diagnosed in 2003 has reportedly been eradicated. He leaves with no apparent next goal — though he has said of retirement, "I'm not going to rot and do nothing."
He leaves at a time when FSU is cutting $56 million from its budget and 200 faculty and staff positions over the next three years. He leaves during the ongoing appeal of NCAA sanctions. He leaves with his hand-picked successor for football coach, Jimbo Fisher, still awaiting the retirement of Bowden.
"I can certainly understand the timing from his point of view," said longtime FSU history professor James Jones, who taught Wetherell when he was an FSU student. "But as far as I'm concerned, it's going to be one heck of a job to find somebody who will do this as well as he has."
Gerald Ensley was a reporter and columnist for the Tallahassee Democrat from 1980 until his retirement in 2015. He died in 2018 following a stroke. The Tallahassee Democrat is publishing columns capturing Tallahassee’s history from Ensley’s vast archives each Sunday through 2024 in the Opinion sectionas part of theTLH 200: Gerald Ensley Memorial Bicentennial Project.There are still about two dozen copies of a book of Ensley's columns available exclusively at Midtown Reader, 1123 Thomasville Road, ormidtownreader.com.Proceeds from the sale of the book and contributions have been used to establish an endowed scholarship for budding journalists at FSU, and have also brought this project to life in celebration of our 200th anniversary.
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