NFC Legacy of Firsts
The greatest stories are those where the hero accepts the challenge no one else dares; to overcome adversity and accomplish the unimaginable.
They become the first to take a step toward the unknown, serving as inspiration for others to follow in the trail they blaze.
North Florida College honors those who stepped first:
- First to lead a junior college with no campus.
- First to serve as the first female college president
- First to sacrifice all for a nation
The legacy these heroes leave should cause us to pause and reflect on our own lives and how we can dare to turn dreams into reality; to sacrifice for the betterment of those dearest to us, for a community, or a nation; or to leave the world around us better than how we found it.
Through NFC’s doors, many more heroes prepare to become part of the legacy of firsts:
- First to take that initial step out on their own.
- First to in their family to receive a diploma.
- First to show their children dreams really do come true.
What will be your legacy of firsts?
On March 18, 1983, NFC, then North Florida Junior College, dedicated its library’s namesake in honor of the college’s first president, Marshall W. Hamilton. In 1953, the Florida Legislature determined a need for more options in post-high school education. In 1957, the Division of Community Colleges was established within the Florida Department of Education, where six new junior colleges were created. Marshall was appointed as president of NFJC by the Florida Cabinet in 1957, before NFJC officially opened its doors in 1958.
Jenyethel Merritt was appointed president of Suwannee River Junior College in 1961. She was the first female president in Florida’s community college system. She remained as president of the institution until Suwannee River merged with North Florida Junior College in 1966 at which time she assumed the position of vice president of guided studies. To commemorate her dedicated service to higher education, the College posthumously installed a plaque beside the door to Jenyethel’s office.
Colin P. Kelly, Jr., a West Point graduate and Madison County native, served as Air Force Captain during World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for bravely sacrificing himself to save his crew after his B-17C bomber was attacked and shot down two days following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. “If heroism can be compared, the most illustrious of America’s first heroes was Captain Colin Purdie Kelly, Jr.” - Time Magazine, 1941. On Dec. 9, 1966, NFC, then North Florida Junior College, dedicated its gymnasium’s namesake in honor of the nation’s first World War II hero and hometown local.