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With his many undertakings, Chester Ferguson has had great impact in building Florida's
prosperous financial community.
While pursuing his law and business careers,
he has also found time to build a successful career in banking.
Beginning with the Exchange Bank in Tampa
in 1947,
he helped to increase that institution's assets to equal those of Tampa's First National Bank.
"Gentlemen, the meeting will please come to order.
Are there any absences today, and if so, I will entertain a motion excusing them."
After transferring his leadership to First National,
he expanded that company, then helped form and build the First Florida Bank's holding company.
He has been a major factor in increasing the assets of member institutions,
Chester has been described by banking associates as 'firm, but fair'
'Tough, but with respect for other points of view.' The banking industry has had historical
significance in the growth pattern of Florida.
"Chester became Chairman of First Florida Banks in 1971.
At the time, the bank's assets were about 400 million in size,
and under his leadership in these past 11, 12 years,
the banks have grown from 400 million, to today about
two and half billion.
And Chester has expanded the operation, which now goes from
Pensacola
all the way to Naples and is considered
the dominant banking force on this coast.
Another good thing along with it is the First Florida Banks today employ over 2,000
people and the continuing growth, of course, means new jobs."
"We called ourselves the First Florida Banks because of the fact that uh...
we have, in our bank holding company, the two oldest banking institutions in the state.
The First National Bank of Florida, located in tampa was founded 1883 and is the
oldest national bank in the state.
The newest state bank, in Tallahassee,
was founded in 1856 and it is the oldest bank in the state of Florida.
So that's where we get our name, First Florida Banks, because we do, in fact, have
the first two Florida banks, one state and one national, in the state.
Chester Ferguson has followed yet a fourth career,
that of enhancing the quality of higher education throughout Florida,
based on the excellence of today's State University system.
a system that allows students to live at home, near any major Florida city
and still go to college.
Chester was chairman of the Board of Regents and a member of the Board
doing the building years of higher education in Florida, when the
state university system went from three universities, the three oldest universities,
to nine,
as we have today. 0:02:55.499,0:02:57.699, It was not an easy task
but it fitted well,
Chester's capacity because
he's a builder and he always has been a builder not a detractor."
"The Board of Regents
is and was composed of nine individuals who had been successful
in whatever they undertook.
Some of them were familiar with the educational world, and they all had ideas.
Chester took those nine people and made them into a team,
and time after time, he was able to get a unanimous vote on a controversial issue,
so the regents had a presence in the state
that they would not otherwise have, and an effectiveness with the university presidents, who might object
to the position the regents had taken.
That they would not, otherwise, have had.
The thing that
happened at that time was that there were
a number of universities, three or four,
four, I guess...
And they were very independent economists, they went to the legislature for their own
budget
they argued with legislators, they lobbied.
And there was no concept of a state university system.
His vision was the vision of a system,
of a strong central system,
and through that system
you would have
quality, because we have efficient,
cost-effective education.
You wouldn't have PhD programs everywhere,
because those are the expensive programs.
You wouldn't have universities everywhere, you put them where they were needed,
and construct them in the way that they would serve the locality
with what I would call high-demand, low-cost programs.
And the low-demand high-cost programs would be concentrated
in, well, wherever it was advantageous to concentrate them. But they would not be proliferated
throughout
every university in every town."
"I don't know
that many people could have done what Chester did in those early days. People have
their times
and that was the time for Chester
and the state needed Chester, and Chester was there."
"The ills of society,
and the problems of the world,
including wars,
and rebellions,
political processes,
will only be buried
as a result of educational pursuits.
Because until the mind has become a reasoning process
and the people themselves are willing to give-and-take
and to better the conditions
that uh... we're facing, then we're not gonna make any human progress.
on the other hand if we develop minds that, have the capability of improving our lifestyle
and who have the willingness to compromise
in the areas of involvement that provoke
radicalism and wars and other things,
then we can at least curtail them if we can't prevent them."
"In appreciation,
of Chester Howell Ferguson,
Regent, State University System
March 31, 1965,
to December 31,
1978,
this building is hereby named for Chester H Ferguson,
attorney,
businessman,
and a member of the Florida Board of Regents for more than 14 years.
Serving two terms as Chairman of that board.
His unselfish dedication of time,
talent, and energy,
toward ensuring quality higher education for Floridians.
In addition to his role of leadership
and achievement in the business community.
make Mr. Ferguson an inspiration to this college,
and its pursuit of prominence
as a business college of academic excellence.
Ladies and gentlemen,
on behalf of the State of Florida and the Florida Board of Regents,
I now declare this building to be known henceforth
as the Chester Howell Ferguson Hall.
Thank you and congratulations."
Chester ferguson has been, above all else,
a builder.
For Tampa, for Florida, for his family, and himself
he has built well,
four distinct and active careers, a good marriage and family life.
He is a purposeful man,
with that unique
ability
to move from unpretentious beginnings to special levels of
achievement and excellence.
Florida's Governor Bob Graham
puts it this way,
"Chester Ferguson once said that while others are thinking about yesterday
my mind is on the future.
It's that type of attitude which has made Chester Ferguson a Great Floridian.
And while he has grown in stature, our state has been the beneficiary in the fields of law,
education, industry, and banking.
Chester Ferguson has made a great contribution to the public life of Florida as well as the
private enterprise.
He understands that the survival of our state is tied to our growth and progress.
We cannot live in the past."
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"I try not to be overboard
in anything I pursue, either for or against.
I try to be rational in my approach to the problem.
And I'm sure if we don't conserve, if we don't preserve,
there's not going to be anything left.
On the other hand, life has got to go on too.
Life must go on, as well as
the environment, and the two have got to
synchronize, so as to work it out, so both will profit from the experience."