From left: Pierina Vignetti, Nicholas A. Cassas, Andrew Cassas, Stephanie Cassas, UF president John Lombardi

Nicholas A. Cassas established this professorship in memory of his father, Andronicos Nicholas Cassas.

The son of Greek immigrants who fled their home in Turkey in the early 1900s, Cassas grew up in East Harlem, N.Y. Throughout his childhood, he attended classes in Greek culture, history and language to keep in touch with his heritage. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1954 and later earned his law degree from St. John’s University. Cassas spent 20 years in the air force and retired as a lieutenant colonel. A lawyer and real estate developer, Cassas has three children, all of whom are University of Florida graduates. Andrew N. Cassas graduated in 1983, Maryann Cassas graduated in 1986 and Stefanie Cassas graduated in 1989.