Robert A. Bryan
Encyclopedia
Robert Armistead "Bob" Bryan (born April 26, 1926) is a former American university professor, administrator and university president. Bryan is a native of Pennsylvania
, and earned his bachelor's
, master's
and doctorate degrees before becoming a professor of English literature
. He was a long-time professor academic administrator at the University of Florida
, and was appointed as the university's interim president, serving from 1989 to 1990. Bryan also served as the interim president of the University of Central Florida
in 1991, and the interim president of the University of South Florida
from 1993 to 1994.
Bryan was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania
on April 26, 1926. He graduated with a bachelor of arts
degree in English from the University of Miami
in Coral Gables, Florida
, and earned his master of arts
and doctor of philosophy
degrees in English from the University of Kentucky
in Lexington
.
He was an English professor who specialized in sixteenth and seventeenth-century English literature. He taught at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
beginning in 1957, with short-term teaching assignments at Florida Southern College
in Lakeland
and Florida Atlantic University
in Boca Raton
. In each instance, Bryan returned to the faculty of the University of Florida.
Before accepting the professorship at Florida in 1957, Bryan served as a ship's officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine, as a special agent in U.S. Army Counter-intelligence
, and as a lecturer
in English literature at the University of California
's Extension Division in Tokyo, Japan and the University of Kentucky.
Bryan began his administrative career by becoming the assistant to the dean
of the University of Florida Graduate School
in 1961. A year later, as an associate professor, he became director of Florida's Ford Foundation
. In 1969, he was appointed dean of advanced studies and director of research at Florida Atlantic University. In 1970, he returned to the University of Florida, and was appointed dean of faculties. He was promoted to associate vice-president for academic affairs in 1971, and became the vice-president of academic affairs in 1975. In 1985, he became university provost
as well, and served in that capacity until his appointment as interim president.
When president Marshall Criser
retired in 1989, Bryan served as the acting, or interim, president of the University of Florida from 1989 to 1990. During his time as interim president, Bryan and Florida athletic director
Bill Arnsparger
were responsible for firing football coach Galen Hall
in September 1989, following alleged NCAA rules violations by Hall and the football staff, and for hiring Heisman trophy
-winning Florida alumnus
Steve Spurrier
as the new head coach
of the Florida Gators football
team in December of 1989. Only weeks after Hall's forced resignation, Bryan demanded the resignation of Gators basketball
head coach Norm Sloan
for unrelated NCAA violations; Sloan was replaced by interim coach Don DeVoe
.
Bryan was recalled from retirement
in 1991, when the Florida Board of Regents
asked him to serve as the interim president of the University of Central Florida in Orlando
. Having developed a reputation as a capable university administrator, he was again asked to serve as the interim president of the University of South Florida in Tampa
from 1993 to 1994.
In addition to his work as a professor and university administrator, Bryan also served as the president of the Florida Association of Colleges, as a consultant for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
, and was the author of numerous books, journal
articles and reviews.
Bryan was married to the former Kathryn Elizabeth Williams; they had two children, Lyla Bryan King and Matthew Bryan. Mrs. Bryan died in 2007.
Bryan is now retired and lives in Gainesville, Florida.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and earned his bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and doctorate degrees before becoming a professor of English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. He was a long-time professor academic administrator at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and was appointed as the university's interim president, serving from 1989 to 1990. Bryan also served as the interim president of the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
in 1991, and the interim president of the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
from 1993 to 1994.
Bryan was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
on April 26, 1926. He graduated with a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
, and earned his master of arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and doctor of philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees in English from the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
in Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
He was an English professor who specialized in sixteenth and seventeenth-century English literature. He taught at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
beginning in 1957, with short-term teaching assignments at Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
in Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
and Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
in Boca Raton
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
. In each instance, Bryan returned to the faculty of the University of Florida.
Before accepting the professorship at Florida in 1957, Bryan served as a ship's officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine, as a special agent in U.S. Army Counter-intelligence
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
, and as a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
in English literature at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
's Extension Division in Tokyo, Japan and the University of Kentucky.
Bryan began his administrative career by becoming the assistant to the dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the University of Florida Graduate School
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
in 1961. A year later, as an associate professor, he became director of Florida's Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
. In 1969, he was appointed dean of advanced studies and director of research at Florida Atlantic University. In 1970, he returned to the University of Florida, and was appointed dean of faculties. He was promoted to associate vice-president for academic affairs in 1971, and became the vice-president of academic affairs in 1975. In 1985, he became university provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
as well, and served in that capacity until his appointment as interim president.
When president Marshall Criser
Marshall Criser
Marshall McAllister Criser, Jr. is an American corporate lawyer and former university administrator. Criser is a native of New Jersey, and earned his bachelor's and law degrees before becoming a practicing attorney...
retired in 1989, Bryan served as the acting, or interim, president of the University of Florida from 1989 to 1990. During his time as interim president, Bryan and Florida athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
Bill Arnsparger
Bill Arnsparger
William Stephen "Bill" Arnsparger is a former American college and professional football coach.- Early years :Arnsparger was born in Paris, Kentucky in 1926. He attended Paris High School, and became connected with the school's longtime football and basketball coach, Blanton Collier...
were responsible for firing football coach Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
in September 1989, following alleged NCAA rules violations by Hall and the football staff, and for hiring Heisman trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-winning Florida alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
as the new head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team in December of 1989. Only weeks after Hall's forced resignation, Bryan demanded the resignation of Gators basketball
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
head coach Norm Sloan
Norm Sloan
Norman Sloan , nicknamed "Stormin' Norman," was an American college basketball player and coach. Sloan played college basketball for North Carolina State University, and thereafter, he was the men's basketball head coach for Presbyterian College, The Citadel, the University of Florida and North...
for unrelated NCAA violations; Sloan was replaced by interim coach Don DeVoe
Don DeVoe
Donald E. "Don" DeVoe is a former American college basketball coach and former player. DeVoe played college basketball for Ohio State University, and later served as the head coach for Virginia Tech, the University of Wyoming, the University of Tennessee, the University of Florida and the U.S...
.
Bryan was recalled from retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
in 1991, when the Florida Board of Regents
Florida Board of Regents
The Florida Board of Regents was from 1965 to 2001 the governing body for the State University System of Florida, which includes all public universities in the state of Florida, United States. It was created to replace a predecessor body called the Florida Board of Control, which had existed from...
asked him to serve as the interim president of the University of Central Florida in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. Having developed a reputation as a capable university administrator, he was again asked to serve as the interim president of the University of South Florida in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
from 1993 to 1994.
In addition to his work as a professor and university administrator, Bryan also served as the president of the Florida Association of Colleges, as a consultant for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
, and was the author of numerous books, journal
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
articles and reviews.
Bryan was married to the former Kathryn Elizabeth Williams; they had two children, Lyla Bryan King and Matthew Bryan. Mrs. Bryan died in 2007.
Bryan is now retired and lives in Gainesville, Florida.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Opportunity Scholars ProgramFlorida Opportunity Scholars ProgramFlorida Opportunity Scholar Program is a need-based scholarship at the University of Florida. The objective of the scholarship is to retain these particular students and have them graduate at rates equal to or greater than the standard undergraduate population on campus.- History :This program is...
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- List of Florida Atlantic University faculty
- List of Presidents of the University of Central Florida
- List of Presidents of the University of Florida
- List of Presidents of the University of South Florida
- List of University of Florida faculty and administrators
- List of University of Kentucky alumni
- List of University of Miami alumni
- State University System of FloridaState University System of FloridaThe State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
External links
- University of Central Florida – Official website of the University of Central Florida.
- University of Florida – Official website of the University of Florida.
- University of South Florida – Official website of the University of South Florida.