Honoring Student Excellence
Garrett Johnson (2006 Rhodes Scholar) and Joseph O’Shea (2008 Rhodes Scholar) have distinguished themselves according to the Rhodes criteria of “excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person which, in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead.”
O’Shea, a philosophy and interdisciplinary social science major and FSU student body president, was a Truman Scholar, junior year member of Phi Beta Kappa and a USA Today Top 10 All Academic First Team member. He has been a leader in state and community activities and started a free health clinic in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.
Johnson, an English and political science major, worked in the office of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush on government policies towards Haiti. An NCAA All-American in track and field, Garrett ranked among the world’s top 25 shop put throwers in 2005, established the ACC Indoor Shot Put Record and won the NCAA Indoor Shot Put Track and Field National Championships in 2006. Under his leadership, student-athletes volunteered over 4500 community service hours for disaster relief in Haiti.
FSU’s first Rhodes Scholar was Caroline Alexander, who won the honor in 1976. She went on to become a successful author. Her books include “The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty” and “Battle’s End: A Seminole Football Team Revisited.”
Erected by Florida
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Charity & Public Work • Education • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1976.
Location. 30° 26.616′ N, 84° 17.815′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. It can be reached from Learning Way 0.2 miles east of Varsity Drive. Marker is located along the Florida State University Legacy Walk, on the north side of the HCB Classroom Building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 989 Learning Way, Tallahassee FL 32304, United States of America. Touch for directions.
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
Regarding Honoring Student Excellence. Florida State has a total of five Rhodes Scholars: Frederick William Buchholtz, 1905 (?); Caroline Alexander, 1976; Garrett Johnson, 2006; Joe O’Shea, 2008; and Myron Rolle, 2009. In addition, FSU had Rhodes Scholar finalists in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Also see . . .
1. Oxford and the Rhodes Scholarships. The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards in the world. Each year 32 young students from the United States are selected as Rhodes Scholars, through a decentralized process representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. The first Rhodes Scholars arrived at Oxford in 1903 and the first U.S. Rhodes Scholars entered Oxford in 1904. (Submitted on May 26, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Garrett Johnson. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on April 24, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
3. Caroline Alexander. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on April 24, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
4. Myron Rolle. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on April 24, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
5. GPE co-director Joe O'Shea named Rhodes Scholar. (Global Peace Exchange, 11/28/2007) On Nov. 17, the dynamic campus and community leader with a seat on FSU’s Board of Trustees became one of the 32 U.S. college students selected as Rhodes Scholars this year. An FSU Honors Program student with majors in philosophy and interdisciplinary social sciences and a 4.0 grade point average, O’Shea rose to the top of an extraordinary field of finalists during a grueling application and interview process that demands months — some say years — of preparation and practice. (Submitted on May 26, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 279 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
