Thomas Kent "T.K." Wetherell
BS '67, MS '68, Ph.D. '74 ED

Dr. Thomas Kent "T.K." Wetherell was appointed president of Florida State University by the Florida State University Board of Trustees on Dec. 18, 2002, and he took office on Jan. 6, 2003.

Wetherell, an FSU alumnus, served as president of Tallahassee Community College from 1995 until 2001. Under his leadership, the college doubled its enrollment and the gross square footage of the main campus. He pioneered innovative academic programs, led the college into the top 25 community colleges in the nation awarding associate's degrees and solicited the college's first $1 million scholarship donor. After stepping down as TCC president, he served as a lobbyist with the Southern Strategy Group.

Before assuming the presidency at TCC, he was president of Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and was responsible for coordinating and promoting post secondary higher educational opportunities and programs in Florida's private colleges.

He previously served in a number of capacities at Daytona Beach Community College, including provost and dean of instruction, vice president and president of academic and university transfer programs, vice president of district planning and development and executive assistant to the president. Before that, he served as associate professor of education at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach. He began his career as an academic counselor for student-athletes at FSU before going to Florida Technological University in Orlando where he was assistant to the deans of housing and then director of housing and administrative assistant to the vice president.

He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1980 to 1992, the last two years as House Speaker. During his tenure in the House, he served as chairman of the appropriations committee and the higher education committee, and the Miami Herald named him one of the Top Ten Legislative Leaders in the House each year from 1987 through 1992.

Born Dec. 22, 1945, in Daytona Beach, Wetherell attended Port Orange Elementary School and Mainland Senior High School, where he was active in service clubs, student government and athletics. He attended Florida State University on a football scholarship and played on the 1963-67 football teams. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in social studies education from FSU in 1967 and 1968 respectively. He earned a doctoral degree in education administration from FSU in 1974.

He has been inducted into Florida State University's Hall of Fame and was a recipient of the prestigious Moore-Stone Award, as well as the university's Distinguished Service Award.

Wetherell is married to Virginia B. Wetherell, who served as Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection from 1991 to 1998 and previously served as a state legislator representing Pensacola. She currently is president of Wetherell Consulting Services. They are the parents of three children, Kent, Blakely and Page, and have two grandchildren. Wetherell's personal interests include athletics, outdoor recreation, travel and aviation.