John Thrasher dies; was FSU president, House speaker, Florida GOP titan

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John Thrasher – a towering figure in Florida politics and higher education whose decades of public service left a lasting imprint on the state – has died after a battle with cancer, his family announced May 30. He was 81.
Thrasher, a longtime Republican who came to power when the GOP began its takeover of state government in the late 1990s and early 2000s, was Florida House speaker and a state senator. He was a partner with The Southern Group, the lobbying firm he helped found, 2001-09 before being elected to the Senate.
Thrasher served in the House from 1992 to 2000, the final two years as speaker. He was chair of the Senate Rules Committee and chaired former Gov. Rick Scott's reelection campaign. Thrasher was nominated for the FSU presidency by Sandy D'Alemberte, a Democrat who was president of the university 1994–2003. He was president 2014–21.
He was president during the November 2014 shooting on the school's Tallahassee campus. A gunman went into the university's Strozier Library just after midnight and opened fire, injuring three before he was quickly shot and killed in a hail of bullets by Tallahassee and FSU police.
From 2021: Moments that best exemplify John Thrasher's leadership at FSU, as told by those who know him
Thrasher rejoined The Southern Group after retiring from FSU. He was later replaced by current President Richard McCullough. In retirement, Thrasher – a lawyer by training – also was listed as a professor at Florida State's College of Law.
"Thrasher earned his bachelor's degree in business from FSU in 1965," his FSU Law bio says. "After graduating, he joined the U.S. Army, where he received the Army Commendation Medal in Germany and was awarded two Bronze Stars for his service in Vietnam. After he was honorably discharged as a captain in 1970, Thrasher returned to FSU, earning his law degree with honors in 1972."
For a story when the Democrat named him Person of the Year for 2015, the newspaper said no other nominee for the honor "faced such daunting challenges and met them with such tenacity, integrity and success."
Here's more from that story:
"Not an academic — as was the top advertised requirement for the job — Thrasher, 72, surrounded himself with people who were and got out of their way. He answered the faculty's longtime call for market equity raises to recognize their value and enable FSU to compete for talent with other top-notch institutions.
"He publicly condemned bad conduct by members of FSU's lauded football team and championed better ways to support victims of sexual violence in the wake of the Jameis Winston rape allegation — all the while facing excoriating criticism by national media outlets.
Also: Key dates during the John Thrasher tenure at Florida State University
"He boldly differed with members of his political party in opposing the current push to allow guns on campuses.
"He connected with students and every-day employees just as he did as one of the Florida Legislature's most powerful leaders – by listening and taking the time to know them by name.
"Then there was the $100 million donation he secured from the family of businessman Jim Moran to create a brand new college devoted to interdisciplinary entrepreneurialism. The enormous, unprecedented gift stands to change the face of FSU and Tallahassee for years to come.
"Amid the tumult of his choice as president, former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz wrote in an October 2014 Tallahassee Democrat column: 'My prediction is that, years from now, even some of the critics will be proud to say they attended or taught at Florida State University during the glory days of John Thrasher's presidency.'
"During an interview ... Gaetz, who considers Thrasher one of his closest friends, recalled his words a year (prior). 'I'm glad, of all the predictions we politicians make, I was right about this one,' he said. 'I knew I'd be.' '
In an exit interview with the Tallahassee Democrat after retiring from FSU, Thrasher said he hoped his legacy would be one of student success.
"I came from a pretty poor background. I was the first person in my family to not only go to college, but the first person in my family to graduate from high school. Education comes to me as an extraordinarily important thing," he said.
"When some student comes to Florida State University, my job is to make sure they get the best chance they can to achieve their hopes and dreams and go out and make a difference in the world."
"It is with great sadness that the family of former Florida State University President John Thrasher, 81, shares notice of his passing.
"President Thrasher, who also served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and as a member of the Florida Senate, passed away this morning (May 30), surrounded by his family in Orlando, Fla.
"A private burial has been planned in Orange Park, Fla., with a celebration of his life to be held at Florida State University's Ruby Diamond Concert Hall in Tallahassee, Fla., on the 19th of August.
"The family would like to thank everyone for their well wishes, visits, and prayers during the last month and express their deep gratitude for the doctors and nurses who cared for him at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Orlando Health, and Cornerstone Hospice."
This is a developing news story and may be updated. Check back later for more.
This story contains previously published material. Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau. Reach him at [e-mail] and follow him on Twitter/X: @JimRosicaFL.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: John Thrasher – retired FSU president, former state lawmaker – dies