Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Dr. J. Stanley Marshall
President, Florida State University
| | 1969-1976 | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2021
1. Dr. J. Stanley Marshall Marker
Dr. J. Stanley Marshall came to Florida State University in 1958 from the State University of New York at Cortland, where he held a professorship in physics. His first assignment was to establish a department of science education and to design programs to educate secondary school teachers in the sciences.
He consulted widely in science education, principally in the Middle East and was recognized nationally and internationally for his accomplishments, including the elite designation as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Dr. Marshall served as dean of the School of Education and executive vice president before his appointment as president. His presidency coincided with a period of radical student protests.
His campus leadership was most notable for advancing racial integration.
Following his presidency he remained active in higher education, including service on the Florida State University Board of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors.
Erected 2014 by Florida State University.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1958.
Location. 30° 26.606′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Florida. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Honoring Student Excellence (a few steps from this marker); The Integration Statue (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Paul A. M. Dirac Science Library
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2021
2. Dr. J. Stanley Marshall Marker
Marshall Statue & HCB Classroom Building in background.
Also see . . . Former FSU president Stanley Marshall dies at 91. James Stanley Marshall's tenure as FSU president coincided with the rise of student activism at FSU which earned FSU the title "Berkeley of the South" because of the proliferation of student demonstrations and protests. During his presidency, FSU students held major demonstrations against the Vietnam War and Kent State shootings. They began a chapter of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and formed a Black Student Union. They marched for changes in racial and gender policies, started a student-taught "free university" and even started the craze of streaking. (Submitted on May 24, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2021
3. Dr. J. Stanley Marshall Statue
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2021
4. Marshall Plaza Dedication Plaque
Commissioned by President Eric Barron, April 2014
to honor the presidency of Dr. J. Stanley Marshall 1969 to 1976
to honor the presidency of Dr. J. Stanley Marshall 1969 to 1976
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2021
5. Dr. J. Stanley Marshall, 1970
Mounted on HCB Classroom Building, near marker.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2021
6. Marshall Addresses Students, circa 1970
This is one university, which as long as Im its Acting President, is going to remain open and free.
J. Stanley Marshall
J. Stanley Marshall
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2021
7. Womens Rights Protest, May 21, 1971
I invite you to join our common effort
to bring Florida State University a step closer to greatness.
J. Stanley Marshall
J. Stanley Marshall
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2021
8. J. Stanley Marshall quote, 1970
Among other things, we have established that the university can tolerate dissent and preserve order and freedom.
Peaceful dissent in a university is a kind of love. It means students care enough about the institution to want to make it better. It means they are, in fact, willing to commit themselves to making it better, more just, more humane. And the university, if it is worthy of its name, becomes this prodding.
J. Stanley Marshall 1970
Peaceful dissent in a university is a kind of love. It means students care enough about the institution to want to make it better. It means they are, in fact, willing to commit themselves to making it better, more just, more humane. And the university, if it is worthy of its name, becomes this prodding.
J. Stanley Marshall 1970
Credits. This page was last revised on February 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 24, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 748 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on May 24, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
