Roy Lassiter Hall

The University of North Florida will dedicate English Hall, Building 8, as Roy Lassiter Hall, honoring Vice President Emeritus and founding faculty member Roy Lassiter Jr., at noon Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Adam W. Herbert University Center, Building 43, Grand Banquet Hall, Room 1044, for his leadership to the campus community during its early development stages.
Building 8 is an academic and business center for students. It not only houses the Department of English, Writing Program and Language Computer Lab but also Business Services, Property Department, Ticket Box Office, UPS Store, Osprey 1Card and Chick-fil-A.
In 1970, Lassiter joined the University while the institution was still in its infancy. He was there as city and state leaders broke ground to build the first four buildings on campus, and he was there in 1972, when the University opened as an upper classman only-institution with merely 2,027 students.
During his time at UNF, Lassiter served as the University’s first vice president for Academic Affairs and also served as the dean of Faculties as well as a professor of economics. Throughout his seven years at UNF, Lassiter was instrumental in shaping and developing the University as he took part in the planning, staffing, development and operations of the institution.
He was selected by the City of Jacksonville’s Human Relations Commission in 1974 to receive the individual award for development and direction of UNF’s outstanding affirmative action program. Lassiter’s commitment to affirmative action was demonstrated through his actions in staffing at the University and through his numerous publications on the subject.
A few of his publications include “Association of Income and Education for Males by Region, Race and Age,” “Structural Changes in Agricultural Finance in Southeastern Florida” and “Affirmative action at the University of North Florida.”
In the late 70s, Lassiter accepted the position of executive vice chancellor of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, which was comprised of six universities, 10 community colleges and had more than 84,000 enrolled students.
He was very involved in the community, including serving as president of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, member of the Board of Trustees and vice president of the Jacksonville Hospitals Educational Program, Inc. and a member of the Governor’s Council on Criminal Justice, to name a few.
Lassiter is listed in the “American Men of Science,” “Who’s Who in the South and Southwest” and “Contemporary Authors.” Lassiter received both his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, with honors, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics, Agricultural Economics and Statistics from the University of Florida.
UNF, a nationally ranked university located on an environmentally beautiful campus, offers students who are dedicated to enriching the lives of others the opportunity to build their own futures through a well-rounded education.