Customer Reviews:
 Valuable History of Stetson University June 24, 2005
Stetson University is a small, private university in DeLand, Florida. Established in 1883 as DeLand Academy, it was, in the late 1880's, endowed by John B. Stetson, the hat manufacturer, and renamed Stetson University in his honor. From its beginning, and until the middle 1990's, Stetson University was affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention.
Gilbert Lycan was Chairman of Stetson's history department from 1946 to 1975. This book was published in 1983, on the occasion of Stetson's centennial observance. In the book, Lycan promises to tell the good as well as the bad, and in so doing, has provided a valuable historical record, especially for alumni and other friends of Stetson University.
I give the book only 3 stars, though, for several reasons: the first is Lycan's weak citation style. Although much of the narrative depends on an understanding of the provisions in Stetson's charter, Lycan fails to include a copy of that document as an appendix. Also, Lycan refers to a decision of the Florida Supreme Court but fails to give the customary legal citation, making it more difficult for anyone who might wish to consult the original source material. In recounting the various controversies that arose between the University and the Florida Baptist Convention over the years, Lycan tends to act as apologist for the Convention. Lycan also tends to overemphasize the College of Liberal Arts to the exclusion of the School of Business Administration, the School of Music, and the College of Law.
In the controversy leading to Paul Geren's resignation as President, Lycan was very active in seeking Geren's removal from office; thus, he may not be the most objective source of information on that period in Stetson's history.
Finally, the book reflects Lycan's naivete on certain points. There is an old story that, in 1901, Henry Flagler made a significant donation to the University in exchange for the University's help in changing Florida's divorce law so that Flagler could divorce his insane wife and remarry. Lycan states that he found no evidence of such an agreement. Well, now. If there was such an agreement, it would not be committed to paper.
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