Dr. Stephen Covey (center) is presented with the President's Medal by FSC Board of Trustees members Dr. Robert L. Fryer, Jr. '70 (left) and Mr. Richard Fulton '70 (right).

Honor Walk Recipient Megan D. Beddow (second from right) with her parents, David and Patricia Price, with FSC President Dr. Anne Kerr.

For more photos from Founders Day 2010, see fsc.mocs photostream on Flickr.

LAKELAND (March 19, 2010) In a morning Convocation steeped in tradition, Florida Southern College celebrated its 125th anniversary at the annual Founders Day gathering with a lecture by an internationally renowned author and leadership consultant and the recognition of outstanding alumni, a valued faculty member, and an extremely impressive student.

FSC is the oldest private college in Florida, founded in 1883 as a secondary school and adding a college curriculum in 1885. The College had five names and was located in seven cities before coming to Lakeland in 1922 with 40 students and five faculty members.

"Our founding principles and institutional character equip us well for building upon this treasured heritage and pursuing the next stage of possibilities for excellent education along our trajectory," said Dr. Anne Kerr, president of FSC. "Our earliest founders often reminded the college community that Southern was established on the belief in the power of God, and that it was mandated to be equal to the best colleges in the nation. Therefore, we are reminded today at this special celebration of our history, that we are continuing this quest that was laid before us 125 years ago, and that Florida Southern College remains 'On the Move.' "

Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of the best-selling "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People," was invested as the 76th honorary chancellor of the College. Demonstrating how even a tiny magnet can throw a compass off course, Covey encouraged students to find their moral center and stay true to it by seeking a life of service. "True happiness and joy come from serving others," he said.
Also at Convo, five alumni received Distinguished Alumni Awards:

• Dr. John Allen Attaway, Sr. '51, the former director of scientific research at the Florida Department of Citrus.
• Richard T. Fulton, J.D. '70, the legal services partner for the national law firm Baker and Hostetler and a member of the FSC Board of Trustees.
• Foster Eugene Heath '49, the founder of Heath Funeral Chapel in Lakeland and a former prisoner of war during World War II.
• Dr. Aurora Estera Pop-Vicas '95, an infectious disease physician at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island and assistant professor of medicine at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
• The Honorable Robert G. Stokes, an attorney with GrayRobinson, P.A., and former Circuit Court judge for the 10th Judicial Circuit.

FSC senior Megan Beddow, daughter of David and Patricia Price of Naples, Fla., was announced as the Colleges Honor Walk recipient, the highest student honor given by the College. Earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average with a triple major in mathematics, sociology, and Spanish, she is a President's Scholar and has served as president of Kappa Mu Epsilon, the mathematics honor society. She is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society, Phi Eta Sigma, and Phi Kappa Phi. She is a leader in Habitat for Humanity, the Southern Ambassadors, SGA, TZeDeK, and Beyond Campus Ministries, and she serves as project coordinator for FSC's "Go Green!" campus initiative.

In addition, Dr. Nicholas J. Steneck, assistant professor of business, received the Ben and Janice Wade Outstanding Teaching Award, which is presented annually to a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding teaching performance.