Eckerd College

returning from World War II and later by the baby boom. The United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the Presbyterian Church worked together to establish the college, receiving a charter from the Florida legislature in 1958 and opening in 1960. The college opened in temporary quarters at Bayboro Harbor with a liberal arts focus and 154 freshmen; it had 310 freshmen and sophomores in January 1962, when it was about to expand with the addition of a junior class, and began the 1966–1967 academic year with 810 students. In 1971, drugstore magnate Jack Eckerd donated $12.5 million to the college as part of his broader interest in Florida politics. The following year the institution's name was changed to Eckerd College. Ruth Eckerd Hall, a 2,100-seat regional performing arts venue for concerts, plays and civic events in nearby Clearwater, also benefited from Eckerd's philanthropy, and is named for Jack Eckerd's wife. Eckerd would serve as interim president of the college. Despite the name change from Florida Presbyterian, …