Stephen C. O'Connell Florida Supreme Court Papers

Stephen Cornelius O'Connell was born on January 22, 1916, in West Palm Beach, Florida. He earned his BS, BA, and J.D. from the University of Florida. While attending UF he was involved in several extracurricular activities, including serving as the president of the student body in 1938-1939, being a member of the Army R.O.T.C., and captaining the men's boxing team - winning the Southeastern Conference Championship in the middle weight division.

After graduating and being accepted into the Florida Bar in 1940, O'Connell practiced law in Ft. Lauderdale until joining the military during World War II. Beginning in 1941, O'Connell served in the Air Force in the position of director of physical training, eventually being discharged with the rank of major. He returned to private law practice and was active politically for ten years until the Governor LeRoy Collins appointed O'Connell to the Florida Supreme Court in 1955. Despite the fact he would take a substantial pay cut from his private firm, O'Connell joined the Court in October of 1955.

During his time on the bench, peers of Justice O'Connell remarked that his style of judicial review was marked by efficiency and a thorough respect for the law, legal precedent, and the correct mechanisms of government. During his two terms as a Justice, O'Connell was billed as a conservative, and according to his own definition of one, had great "respect for authority" and "respect for other people's rights." O'Connell was eventually named Chief Justice in June 1967, only to relinquish it to serve as President of the University of Florida, a position he accepted in September 1967.

O'Connell's presidential tenure was marked by dramatic social changes. During his six years as University President, O'Connell ensured the stability and improvement of UF through the characteristics that made him an exceptional justice - his effective listening and decision making skills. After enduring protests, marches, and various other disruptive activities, the campus remained intact and became more welcoming to minorities and the concept of diversity - significantly boosting minority student and faculty numbers during his tenure. O'Connell is also responsible for the preservation of some the University's oldest buildings, including the gothic University Auditorium. After his resignation in 1973, O'Connell again returned to private law practice and banking in Tallahassee, remaining active in his community and with the University until his passing on April 13, 2001 from cancer.

Sources: Interviews with Stephen C. O'Connell, December 16, 1986 and September 13, 1991, Oral History Program, University of Florida (transcript available online: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/UFDC/).