Dean Holiday
1964
In 1964, Florida Southern College made a heartwarming addition for the holiday season: Dean Holiday, a 30-foot tall metal and canvas snowman who sat atop the Polk County Science Building every winter with his black and gold graduation cap. Conceived by former President Charles T. Thrift and then-Vice President David L. Readdick (Class of 1946), Dean Holiday was not only a decorative piece at the College, but also featured as a float in the Lakeland Christmas Parade. Through the years, Dean Holiday was edited, restructured, and then relocated to the Nina B. Hollis Wellness Center, but he still stood every winter as the College's "Season's Greetings" to the city of Lakeland until Winter 2021 when he retired.
