This fund was established in 1992 by SunTrust Bank, Central Florida, N.A., in honor of Joel R. Wells, to support visiting professorships designed to bring leading members of the banking community to the University of Florida campus for public lectures, faculty and student workshops and two faculty research fellowships.

Wells was born in 1928. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UF in 1950 and a law degree in 1951. He was named president of SunTrust in 1985 and board chairman of Trust Company of Georgia in 1990.