D. Burke Kibler, III

This fund was established in 2011 by D. Burke Kibler III in memory of his late wife Nell.

Kibler served in the U.S. Army during WWII and received a Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart. After the war he enrolled in the University of Florida where he earned a Law Degree in 1949.

Kibler married Nell Bryant the daughter of Thomas Bryant, a well-respected attorney. In 1964 Kibler joined a local law firm that would soon merge and become Holland & Knight. Kibler served as the chairman of the board of directors from 1983 to 1995 and is credited for helping to make Holland & Knight the success that it is today.

Called a “Renaissance man” by his peers, Kibler was highly involved in both the realm of higher education and in his local community. He served as chairman on numerous education-related boards, including the Florida Board of Regents, the Florida Post Secondary Education Committee and the University Of Florida Foundation Board Of Directors. He also served as general counsel of the Florida Citrus Commission and the Florida Phosphate Council in addition to serving as the director of several corporations, such as the Florida National Bank.

Kibler received many awards and honors over the course of his lifetime. He was awarded honorary degrees from four different universities, and he received UF’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1991.

Nell Bryant Kibler passed away in 1996. Burke Kibler passed away in 2009 leaving his four children.