Latest news with #FloridaHouse
3 days ago
- Politics
John Thrasher, former Florida State president and state House speaker, dies at 81
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- John Thrasher, a former Florida State University president and longtime state legislator, died on Friday. He was 81. Thrasher, who served as speaker of the Florida House and as a member of the Florida Senate, died Friday morning in Orlando, his family said in a statement. He had been battling cancer, according to a social media post last month from his former lobbying firm. 'John lived a remarkable life — and he made a big difference in the lives of so many in our state,' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. Thrasher, a Republican, was a member of the Florida House from 1992-2000, serving as speaker during his last two years. After leaving elected office, he went on to co-found The Southern Group lobbying firm. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2009 and stayed there until 2014. 'Integrity, perseverance, and strength propelled John to success at every level of public service and private industry," Florida Senate President Ben Albritton said in a statement. "His life was rooted in devotion to public service, patriotism, a love of the law, and a passion for education.' Thrasher served as president of Florida State University from 2014 to 2021. He earned a business degree from the school in 1965, before joining the U.S. Army, where he received the Army Commendation Medal and two Bronze Stars for his service in Vietnam. Following his military service, Thrasher returned to Florida State to earn a law degree in 1972. 'John's love for Florida State University was truly inspiring,' current FSU President Richard McCullough said in statement. 'As an alumnus, legislator, trustee, and president, he devoted his life to elevating FSU's national reputation and helping the university reach new heights in student success, academic excellence, and research." A private burial has been planned in Orange Park, near Jacksonville. A celebration of his life is scheduled for Aug. 19 at Florida State in Tallahassee.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
John Thrasher, former Florida State president and state House speaker, dies at 81
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — John Thrasher, a former Florida State University president and longtime state legislator, died on Friday. He was 81. Thrasher, who served as speaker of the Florida House and as a member of the Florida Senate, died Friday morning in Orlando, his family said in a statement. He had been battling cancer, according to a social media post last month from his former lobbying firm. 'John lived a remarkable life — and he made a big difference in the lives of so many in our state,' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. Thrasher, a Republican, was a member of the Florida House from 1992-2000, serving as speaker during his last two years. After leaving elected office, he went on to co-found The Southern Group lobbying firm. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2009 and stayed there until 2014. 'Integrity, perseverance, and strength propelled John to success at every level of public service and private industry," Florida Senate President Ben Albritton said in a statement. "His life was rooted in devotion to public service, patriotism, a love of the law, and a passion for education.' Thrasher served as president of Florida State University from 2014 to 2021. He earned a business degree from the school in 1965, before joining the U.S. Army, where he received the Army Commendation Medal and two Bronze Stars for his service in Vietnam. Following his military service, Thrasher returned to Florida State to earn a law degree in 1972. 'John's love for Florida State University was truly inspiring,' current FSU President Richard McCullough said in statement. 'As an alumnus, legislator, trustee, and president, he devoted his life to elevating FSU's national reputation and helping the university reach new heights in student success, academic excellence, and research." A private burial has been planned in Orange Park, near Jacksonville. A celebration of his life is scheduled for Aug. 19 at Florida State in Tallahassee.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
John Thrasher, former Florida State president and state House speaker, dies at 81
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — John Thrasher, a former Florida State University president and longtime state legislator, died on Friday. He was 81. Thrasher, who served as speaker of the Florida House and as a member of the Florida Senate, died Friday morning in Orlando, his family said in a statement. He had been battling cancer, according to a social media post last month from his former lobbying firm. 'John lived a remarkable life — and he made a big difference in the lives of so many in our state,' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. Thrasher, a Republican, was a member of the Florida House from 1992-2000, serving as speaker during his last two years. After leaving elected office, he went on to co-found The Southern Group lobbying firm. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2009 and stayed there until 2014. 'Integrity, perseverance, and strength propelled John to success at every level of public service and private industry,' Florida Senate President Ben Albritton said in a statement. 'His life was rooted in devotion to public service, patriotism, a love of the law, and a passion for education.' Thrasher served as president of Florida State University from 2014 to 2021. He earned a business degree from the school in 1965, before joining the U.S. Army, where he received the Army Commendation Medal and two Bronze Stars for his service in Vietnam. Following his military service, Thrasher returned to Florida State to earn a law degree in 1972. 'John's love for Florida State University was truly inspiring,' current FSU President Richard McCullough said in statement. 'As an alumnus, legislator, trustee, and president, he devoted his life to elevating FSU's national reputation and helping the university reach new heights in student success, academic excellence, and research.' A private burial has been planned in Orange Park, near Jacksonville. A celebration of his life is scheduled for Aug. 19 at Florida State in Tallahassee. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
John Thrasher, former Florida State president and state House speaker, dies at 81
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — John Thrasher, a former Florida State University president and longtime state legislator, died on Friday. He was 81. Thrasher, who served as speaker of the Florida House and as a member of the Florida Senate, died Friday morning in Orlando, his family said in a statement. He had been battling cancer, according to a social media post last month from his former lobbying firm. 'John lived a remarkable life — and he made a big difference in the lives of so many in our state,' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. Thrasher, a Republican, was a member of the Florida House from 1992-2000, serving as speaker during his last two years. After leaving elected office, he went on to co-found The Southern Group lobbying firm. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2009 and stayed there until 2014. 'Integrity, perseverance, and strength propelled John to success at every level of public service and private industry,' Florida Senate President Ben Albritton said in a statement. 'His life was rooted in devotion to public service, patriotism, a love of the law, and a passion for education.' Thrasher served as president of Florida State University from 2014 to 2021. He earned a business degree from the school in 1965, before joining the U.S. Army, where he received the Army Commendation Medal and two Bronze Stars for his service in Vietnam. Following his military service, Thrasher returned to Florida State to earn a law degree in 1972. 'John's love for Florida State University was truly inspiring,' current FSU President Richard McCullough said in statement. 'As an alumnus, legislator, trustee, and president, he devoted his life to elevating FSU's national reputation and helping the university reach new heights in student success, academic excellence, and research.' A private burial has been planned in Orange Park, near Jacksonville. A celebration of his life is scheduled for Aug. 19 at Florida State in Tallahassee.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
John Thrasher dies; was FSU president, House speaker, Florida GOP titan
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 jrosica@ and follow him on Twitter/X: @JimRosicaFL. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: John Thrasher – retired FSU president, former state lawmaker – dies
