E. Thom Rumberger Everglades Fellowship

Thom Rumberger

The E. Thom Rumberger Fellows Program was established in 2012 to support assistantship awards to law students.

Rumberger served in the United States Marine Corps before he graduated from the University of Florida in 1958 with his bachelor’s degree. He earned his bachelor of law degree from the University of Florida in 1961. During his time at UF, Rumberger was a member of Florida Blue Key, and in 1960 he was Associate Editor of the University of Florida Law Review. He paid his way through school by working at Ross Allen’s Reptile Institute in Ocala, Florida, where he participated in reptile shows, milked rattlesnakes and handled other deadly animals.

Rumberger served as Chairman of the Collins Center for Public Policy, as a member of the Board of Visitors of Florida State College of Law and as a member of the Board of Trustees for UF’s Law Center Association.

Rumberger was known for his dedication to protecting Florida’s natural environment, most notably the Everglades. He was a partner at Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell law firm before he passed away in 201