James Lamar “Jack” Gant, the first African American dean of the Florida State University College of Education, passed away on August 8 – his 98th birthday.
A native of Bainbridge Georgia, Dr. Gant graduated from Hutton High School at the age of 15 before enrolling at what is now Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biology, he went on to earn a master’s degree in educational administration from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in educational administration and supervision from Florida State University.
Before his career in higher education, Dr. Gant was an administrator in Florida K-12 schools. He had stints as principal of Bradenton Elementary School and Lincoln Memorial High School. Next, he worked for the Florida Department of Education prior to his historic appointment at Florida State University.
From 1965 to 1970, Gant served as president of the National Alumni Association of Florida A&M University. Upon his retirement, he opened Gant and Associates, a consulting firm for local and national educational development.
