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Anonymous donor funds $1 million
endowment for college's chaplaincy

LAKELAND, Fla. (August 27, 2004) - Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, Florida Southern College's chaplain's position has been endowed in honor of The Rev. Dr. Riley P. Short and his wife Claire M. Short. Short, a member of the college's board of trustees, retired in 2003 as the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church, Lakeland. Through the years, the Shorts have served the ministry of the United Methodist Church in New Providence United Methodist Church, Clarksville, Tenn.; Christ Church, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Morrison Memorial, Leesburg, Fla.; First United Methodist Church, Coral Gables, Fla.; Palm Harbor United Methodist Church, Palm Harbor, Fla.; and First United Methodist Church, Lakeland, Fla.

The million-dollar endowment will provide a perpetual source of funding to ensure that Florida Southern College will always have a chaplain to guide its students in their spiritual development and serves as a meaningful way to affirm forever the lifetime Christian ministry of Riley and Claire Short.

"My wife and I are very honored and also humbled by the naming of the endowment for the chair of chaplaincy at Florida Southern for us," said Rev. Short. "I am thankful for the people who made this a possibility; they have done a great thing for the sake of the Kingdom of God as revealed by Jesus Christ."

This gift is the first million-dollar gift during Dr. Kerr's presidency, which began June 1. "I am thrilled with this wonderful gift that not only honors Riley and Claire Short but sustains the college's commitment to the spiritual development of our students."

Short graduated from Vanderbilt University, where he received his B.A., and Emory University, where he received his B.D. He holds honorary degrees from Florida Southern College and Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach. He and his wife live in Lakeland.


About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 24 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors. Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.

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