Alfred McKethan

This endowment pays tribute to Robert Lanzillotti, dean emeritus of the Warrington College of Business, and Hernando County banker Alfred McKethan, who had legendary political influence in Florida.

Also an eminent scholar emeritus, Lanzillotti headed the University of Florida business school from 1969 to 1987. Prior to this, he held posts that included professor of economics and chairman of the economics department at Michigan State, NATO Research Fellow and Visiting Lecturer at Cornell University. Lanzillotti, along with his wife, Patricia, and their daughter, Donna Clifford, have made many contributions to UF, including a teaching enhancement program and resources to fund a joint scholarship for students in business and journalism. In recognition of his dedication and generosity, the Public Policy Research Center in the UF business college was renamed in his honor. His own research interests have been in the field of business regulation and anti-trust.

Retired chairman of what is now SunTrust Bank, McKethan was considered one of Florida’s most powerful people. He was honored in 1994 by Gov. Lawton Chiles and the Cabinet for a life of service to the state. As chairman of the State Road Board from 1949 to 1954, he pushed through the original Sunshine Skyway project to create Tampa Bay’s premier bridge. McKethan was a member of the Florida Citrus Commission and founder of the Florida Citrus Mutual, the giant grower cooperative established in 1954. He also was the first chairman of the governing board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which was created in 1962 to deal with flooding in 15 counties. McKethan passed away in 2002 at the age of 93.