John Simmons Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS Coll. 158

Scope and Content

The John K. Simmons Papers date from 1976 to 1994 and primarily contain correspondence, talks given by Simmons, and files from Simmons tenure as President of the American Accounting Association (AAA) from 1989-1990. Also, of particular interest is a file containing documents and correspondence related to the creation of the University of Florida School of Accounting, of which Simmons was the inaugural Director.

Dates

Creation: 1976 - 1994
Creation: Majority of material found within 1989 - 1990

Creator

Simmons, John K., 1938-2019. (Person)

Access

University Archives collections are available for research. Portions of the collections may be restricted due to the requirements of applicable state and federal laws, including but not limited to FERPA and HIPAA, and in accordance with best practices as defined by the Society of American Archivists.

Biographical/Historical Note

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John K. Simmons was born in Beloit, Kansas in 1938. He earned his PH.D. in Accounting from Ohio State University in 1967. Simmons joined the University of Florida (from the University of Minnesota) as Chair of the Department of Accounting in 1974. One of his first decisions was to organize an external Steering Committee to assist in obtaining enrichment funding for the accounting program. Shortly thereafter he charged this committee with the task of exploring the possibility of reorganizing the department as a School of Accounting. With the support of the accounting faculty and the Steering Committee, Dr. Simmons approached the dean about establishing a School of Accounting. He was successful and in 1977, the College of Business faculty, the UF Senate, and the Board of Regents approved the establishment of the School of Accounting as an experimental model for a six year period. John became the inaugural Director of the School. In 1983 the UF Faculty Senate voted to make the School of Accounting permanent. It was renamed the Fisher School of Accounting in 1985 as a result of a generous contribution by alumnus Fred Fisher. Simmons also served as the President of the American Accounting Association (AAA) among other national leadership roles. He passed away on July 19, 2019 in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he lived after retiring from the University of Florida.

Source:

(2019, July 29). Inaugural Fisher School director dies at 81. Alsup, Allison. University of Florida, Warrington College of Business. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://news.warrington.ufl.edu/faculty-and-research/inaugural-fisher-school-director-dies-at-81

Extent

2 Linear Feet (2 Boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Correspondence, lectures, and American Accounting Association (AAA) files belonging to John K. Simmons, the inaugural Director of the Fisher School of Accounting at the Warrington College of Business, University of Florida.

Location

Please note that this collection is housed in the Auxiliary Library Facility off campus and will require advance notice for timely retrieval. Please contact the Special and Area Studies Collections department prior to your visit.