Ringling College of Art and Design

Sarasota as a branch of Florida Southern College.
The School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum was founded on March 31, 1931. It opened on October 2 with 75 registered students. The school, although an extension of Florida Southern, initially functioned as a junior college with business and arts classes. The college would end up breaking off from Southern College in 1933 after Ringling faculty discovered and disliked that money made from the school went to pay salaries at the college's Lakeland campus. Another theory holds that conservative Methodist trustees from Florida Southern were outraged that Ringling students were drawing naked models, so they sought to end the relationship. In any case, the school ended up successfully petitioning for and officially became independent on May 14, 1933 when they received their charter. Under this new charter, the institution became known as the Ringling School of Art. In 1934, the junior college and music courses were eliminated and the …