This scholarship was provided in memory of Judge James Bryan Whitfield, who served in U.S. courts during the early 1900s. Whitfield received the honorary degree of doctor of laws at age 84 from the University of Florida. He was elected county judge of Leon County in 1888 and resigned in 1889 to accept appointment as clerk of the Supreme Court of Florida. In 1903, he was appointed attorney general of Florida by Gov. Jennings. He was appointed state treasurer in 1897 and was designated chief justice in 1905, 1909 and 1935.

Whitfield devoted 60 years of his life to public service. He was a member of the commission to prepare the Compiled General Laws of 1927. He was author of Chapter 1328, Acts of 1885, authorizing the use of the Australian Ballot System now known as the General Election Law. He was recording clerk of the Senate, session of 1887, and the cashier of the Sub-Tropical Exposition at Jacksonville in 188