University of Florida - Tower / Seminole Yearbook (Gainesville, FL)

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OBITUARY

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WILLIAM I On the next preceding page is found a cut of our friend. Dr. William Fisk Yocum, an author, minister, and educator, who long since sought the balmy atmosphere of Florida, and who for twenty-five years has been an untiring laborer in the education of Florida's youth. Although a native of Ohio, the activities of his earlier days led him to Lawrence University of Wisconsin, where he took a master’s degree at the age of twenty-three. Responding to his ambition and desire to know more of his country’ he journeyed westward, where it fell to his lot to organize the first public school of Walla Walla. Wash. After establishing his school on a firm basis, he sought to increase his capacity to serve his fellow man. removed to Illinois, entered the Garrett Bible Institute, and was there graduated in 1869. During the same year he returned to Wisconsin and accepted a professorship in Lawrence University, where he enjoyed a stay of seven years in his Alma Mater. He resigned this position to accept the presidency of the Ft. Wayne (Ind.) College in 1877. During his administration as president of Ft. Wayne College he was FISK YOCUM. or lnine l in the Methodist Episcopal Ministry, and between these two great fields of service he shared his love, his energy and his time. Longing for a more tropical climate, he came to the Peninsular State in 1888, and. in the same year, be-came principal of the Summerlin Institute at Bartow. After a stay of four years in this institution, he accepted the chair of philosophy and the vice-presidency of the Florida Agricultural College at I-ake City in 1893. In 1896 he became president of the same college, and director of the experiment station, which positions he held until 1901, when he became professor of Latin, Greek, and Philosophy in the University of Florida. In 1905 he accepted the chair of education and remained until 1909. Thus, briefly, we review the life of our beloved former professor who, since leaving us, has become an orange grower at Eagle Lake; has furthered his work in literature, and is at the present time, incidentally, a professor in the South Florida Normal Institute at Dade City. He is author of “Civil Government in Florida and the United States." and “Geography of Florida."

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k. FOSTER G. DAVIS. Died......................October 3, 1912. Brother and friend and comrade—gone To the bourne whence none return— Hear us now renew the pledge Of the love with which we bum. Thou art gone; but still enshrined In our hearts, thy memory's set. And thy presence, lost to sight. Hovers close around us yet. We have lost thee in the flesh. We have lost thee for a while; But we know that, from Beyond, Thou dost look down with a smile.