CAMPUS BUILDINGS, COLLEGES AND SITES
J. J. Daniel Hall

Dedication of J. J. Daniel Hall
February 1, 1991
Remarks by UNF President Dr. Adam Herbert

WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA.

THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION FOR THE ENTIRE UNF COMMUNITY. YOUR PRESENCE HERE TODAY REFLECTS ITS SIGNIFICANCE FROM BOTH A COMMUNITY AND STATE-WIDE PERSPECTIVE.

I KNOW THAT PAIGE DANIEL SHARES THE SENSE OF PRIDE AND APPRECIATION THAT WE FEEL OVER THE FACT THAT SO MANY CLOSE FRIENDS OF J. J. DANIEL AND OF THE UNIVERSITY ARE HERE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT CEREMONY AND REAFFIRMATION OF APPRECIATION FOR THE LIFE'S WORK OF ONE OF FLORIDA'S MOST DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS.

BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR FORMAL PROGRAM, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE A FEW SPECIAL PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ON THE DIAS. WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND AS I INTRODUCE YOU:

FIRST, JACK'S DAUGHTERS, ELEANOR DANIEL MCCRANIE AND JAQUELIN DANIEL COOK; ALSO, JACK'S SISTER, MRS. EDWARD BARRETT AND HIS OTHER SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW, MR. AND MRS. OVERTON THOMPSON, AND THEIR DAUGHTER EMILY THOMPSON; MRS. DONNA LOU ASKEW, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO INTRODUCE JACK DIAMOND, CHAIRMAN OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, DAN CONNELL, PRESIDENT OF THE UNF FOUNDATION AND OTHER FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS.

WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO RECOGNIZE MR. J. J. DANIEL; TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AGAIN, WITH GRATEFUL APPRECIATION THE IMPORTANT ROLE HE PLAYED:

IN STRENGTHENING PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA;

IN BUILDING A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH REFLECTED STRONG FAMILY VALUES;

IN LEADING THE EFFORT TO CONSOLIDATE CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN JACKSONVILLE;

IN FOSTERING CREATIVITY WHICH INSPIRED OTHERS TO RESPOND TO THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY; AND

IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA.

IT IS PARTICULARLY FITTING THAT THIS BUILDING--THE FIRST ONE CONSTRUCTED ON THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA CAMPUS IN 1972--BE NAMED IN HIS HONOR. FROM THIS SINGLE BRICK STRUCTURE IN WHAT WAS A REMOTE WOODLAND AREA OF JACKSONVILLE, UNF HAS NOW GROWN TO A CAMPUS WITH A $91 PHYSICAL PLANT AND A STUDENT BODY OF 8,200. THOSE STUDENTS MAY CHOOSE MAJORS FROM 43 UNDERGRADUATE AND 27 GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS IN DISCIPLINES AS DIVERSE AS COMPUTER SCIENCE, NURSING, ACCOUNTING, SPECIAL EDUCATION, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND JAZZ STUDIES.

IT WAS THROUGH THE FORESIGHT OF MEN LIKE JACK DANIEL, THAT THE NEED FOR THIS UNIVERSITY WAS DOCUMENTED AND ULTIMATELY CREATED. IT WAS THROUGH LEADERSHIP SUCH AS HIS THAT UNF HAS BEEN ABLE TO GROW AND IS NOW IN A POSITION TO RESPOND TO THE EVOLVING PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

WHEN J. J. DANIEL ENVISIONED A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY FOR JACKSONVILLE, I AM SURE THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW WHO COULD HAVE IMAGINED THE VITAL, THRIVING INSTITUTION THAT UNF HAS BECOME. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PURSUE HIS DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS FOR OUR UNIVERSITY AND THIS COMMUNITY.

THE DEDICATION OF UNF'S FIRST BUILDING IN HIS NAME AND HONOR WILL SERVE AS A CONTINUING REMINDER TO US AND THOSE WHO FOLLOW THAT DREAMS CAN BECOME REALITY; THAT HARD WORK DOES PAY OFF; THAT THE DEVOTION OF ONES TIME AND ENERGY TO PUBLIC SERVICE DOES HAVE RESULTS WHICH CAN LAST WELL BEYOND ONES LIFETIME AND IMPACT OUR INSTITUTIONS IN PERPETUITY.

IT SERVES ALSO TO REMIND US OF A POEM BY EDGAR A. GUEST WHICH SO EFFECTIVELY REFLECTS THE APPROACH TO LIFE AND WORK WHICH J. J. DANIEL CONSISTENTLY MANIFESTED.

SOMEBODY SAID THAT IT COULDN'T BE DONE
POEM...

ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM INDICATES THAT MAYOR HAZOURI WILL BRING US GREETINGS THIS AFTERNOON, HE HAS BEEN CALLED OUT OF TOWN AND COULD NOT JOIN US.

AT THIS TIME , IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU A GENTLEMEN WHO IS RESPECTED THROUGHOUT FLORIDA FOR THE SUPERB LEADERSHIP HE PROVIDED TO OUR STATE AS GOVERNOR. WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME WHERE I GREW UP, I TELL THEM THAT I WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN GOVERNOR ASKEW'S HOMETOWN. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING ONE OF MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA'S MOST OUTSTANDING PRODUCTS; A DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVANT, AN ABLE ATTORNEY, AN OUTSTANDING UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR, AND A FRIEND OF J.J. DANIEL -- THE HONORABLE REUBEN ASKEW.

IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA BOARD OF REGENTS. NOT ONLY IS HE THE SENIOR REGENT IN LENGTH OF SERVICE, BUT HE ALSO HAS A UNIQUE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SYSTEM'S HISTORY AND OF THE IMPORTANT ROLE WHICH THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM MUST PLAY IN ADDRESSING THE EXPANDING NEEDS OF A VERY DIVERSE STATE. IT WAS HIS MOTION, SECONDED BY REGENT TOM PETWAY, THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS WHICH MAKES POSSIBLE THE IMPORTANT ACTION WE ARE TAKING TODAY.

I AM VERY PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU THE HONORABLE DUBEY AUSLEY,

DEDICATION:

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE FLORIDA BOARD OF REGENTS ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1990, AND UNDER THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY THE BOARD, I AM NOW PLEASED TO OFFICIALLY NAME BUILDING 1 ON THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA CAMPUS, BUILDING J, J. DANIEL HALL. THIS BUILDING IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF JAQUELIN J. DANIEL, A LEADER WITH VISION AND INTEGRITY WHO CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF FLORIDA, THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA.

I WOULD NOW LIKE TO ASK REGENT AUSLEY AND MRS. PAIGE DANIEL TO JOIN ME IN UNVEILING THE OFFICIAL PLAQUE DESIGNATING THIS ACTION.

MRS. DANIEL WILL RESPOND ON BEHALF OF THE DANIEL FAMILY.

CLOSING REMARKS:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH PAIGE, FOR SHARING YOUR SPECIAL MEMORIES WITH US.

I WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE OUR CEREMONIES TODAY BY ASKING MS. DANIEL, MRS. MCCRANIE AND MS. COOK TO JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM.

ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO EACH OF YOU A SPECIAL GIFT TO COMMEMORATE THIS OCCASION. WE WOULD LIKE FOR EACH OF YOU TO HAVE A FRAMED COPY OF THE PROGRAM FOR TODAY'S DEDICATION ALONG WITH A REPRODUCTION OF THE DEDICATION PLAQUE WHICH WE HAVE UNVEILED TODAY. WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL REMIND YOU OF THE LOVE WE HAVE FOR YOUR HUSBAND AND FATHER AND ALSO CONVEY THE PRIDE WE FEEL IN HAVING HIS NAME, AS WELL AS SPIRIT, A PERMANENT PART OF OUR CAMPUS.

AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. PLEASE LOOK AT THE DEDICATION PLAQUE AS WELL AS THE PICTURE INSIDE THE DOOR ON THE LEFT WHICH WILL BE PERMANENTLY DISPLAYED IN THE BUILDING, ALONG WITH THE BOARD OF REGENTS RESOLUTION WHICH AUTHORIZED THE DEDICATION ACTIONS WE HAVE TAKEN TODAY.

WE ALSO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US FOR A RECEPTION IN THE UNIVERSITY BOATHOUSE CAFE. WE HAVE GUIDES WHO WILL ESCORT YOU TO THE BUILDING.