This timeline highlights general college milestones. Please access individual college histories, such as the College of Pharmacy, College of Dentistry, and the College of Public Health and Health Professions for more specific information.
- 1880s The first medical school in Florida: The Tallahassee College of Medicine and Surgery opens in Tallahassee and moves to Lake City. It only remains open for a few years.
- 1923 School of Pharmacy opens on campus.
- 1925 Dr. Townes R. Leigh becomes director and later Dean when the school becomes a College in 1925.
- 1932 Dr. Turner Z. Cason creates the Short Course, an early approach to Continuing Medical Education. Physicians would receive credit for participation from the newly formed Department of Medicine in the UF Graduate School.
- 1933 Dr. Townes R. Leigh became Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Pharmacy becomes a school with B.V. Christensen as director.
- 1935 The State Legislature of Florida passed an Act allowing women to enroll in the College of Pharmacy, which became the first co-education program on the campus of UF.
- 1945 Governor Caldwell’s Citizens Committee on Education began a comprehensive study and survey of education in Florida.
- 1947 Citizen’s Committee Report calls for a medical school at University of Florida in Gainesville.
Legislature asks for money for study to determine need for medical and dental college in Florida. - 1948 Board of Control and State Board of Education appointed a Committee with Dr. Vernon Lippard as head.
The Cancer Research Laboratory was established as an independent research unit. - 1949 Lippard Report filed, authorizing a medical school, nursing school, and dental school, again supporting Gainesville as the site.
School of Pharmacy becomes a College, with Dr. Perry Foote as dean.
The state legislature decides on Gainesville as the official site for the state medical school. - 1951 Legislature passed bill appropriating $100,000 for the purpose of creating plans.
- 1952 Medical Center Study, conceived of by J. Hillis Miller, begins, using money from the Commonwealth Fund rather than the $100,000 from the legislature.
Darrel Mase, PhD (first Dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions) and George T. Harrell, MD (first Dean of the College of Medicine) involved in the planning process. - 1953 University of Miami opens its medical school.
Medical Center Study completed and published in a five volume set over a two year period. - 1954 Foundation poured for Medical Center.
College of Pharmacy was made a unit of the Health Center and planning began for COP building in HSC.
Dr. George T. Harrell becomes first Dean of the College of Medicine.
Dr. Russell Poor becomes first Provost/VP of Health Affairs. - 1956 Doors open for first class at COM.
Dorothy Smith hired as the first Dean of the College of Nursing. The College of Nursing opens. - 1957 College of Dentistry approved at Gainesville.
- 1958 Plans developed to merge Cancer Research Laboratory with the College of Pharmacy to form the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
Dr. Russell Poor is Acting Director of the Teaching Hospital.
The Hospital admits first patient.
Dr. Darrel J. Mase is named Dean of the College of Health-Related Services.
College of Health-Related Services opens, the first college of its kind. Departments include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Medical Technology.
UF desegregates. - 1959 First open heart surgery is performed at Shands.
L. Russell Jordan became Director of Teaching Hospital. Teaching Hospital and Clinics are formally dedicated.
Ground is broken for Pharmacy wing.
Department of Rehabilitation Counseling added to College of Health-Related Professions. - 1960 First medical school class graduates and the first Asian, Latinos, and women to attend are in the graduating class. The first nursing class graduates.
Department of Communicative Disorders established in the College of Health-Related Services. - 1961 Veterans Administration Hospital in Gainesville is approved.
Pharmacy moves into building and classes are held.
Dr. Samuel Martin is named Provost (this position is later renamed “Vice President for Health Affairs”). - 1962 New eye clinic, artificial kidney machine, Clinical Research Center opens.
The College of Pharmacy completely relocates from campus and the new Pharmacy building is dedicated.
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology established in the College of Health-Related Services.
The UF Teaching Hospital receives one of state’s four kidney dialysis machines. - 1964 Dr. Emanuel Suter becomes Dean of the College of Medicine. The ground breaking ceremony for the VA Hospital is held.
In the College of Public Health and Health Profesions, the Master’s in health administration program launched, later housed in the Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy. - 1965 The hospital is officially renamed the W. A. Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics after Gainesville’s former Senator William A. Shands.
Gatorade is invented by College of Medicine faculty and fellows.
College of Health-Related Services is renamed the College of Health-Related Professions. - 1966 Edmund Ackell, DMD, MD becomes Dean of the College of Dentistry.
Rural clinics opened in North Central Florida. - 1967 The 100,000th patient is treated at Shands Hospital.
Phase I of the Human Development Center is dedicated.
The Veterans Administration Hospital is dedicated.
Dr. Foote retires as Dean of Pharmacy, Dr. George F. Archambault is named 3rd dean of the College of Pharmacy. - 1968 Dr. Kenneth Finger is named 4th Dean of the College of Pharmacy.
- 1969 Dr. Edmund Ackell becomes Provost of the Health Science Center.
Dr. Jose Medina becomes Dean of the College of Dentistry.
Lafayette Cty Health Center opens, rural health care clinic staffed by Colleges of Medicine and Nursing.
The First Hippocratic award is given by students at the College of Medicine.
The first kidney transplant from a live donor is performed on UF law student at Shands Hospital. - 1970 The College of Medicine graduates the first African American physicians, Dr. Earl Cotman and Dr. Reuben Brigety.
Dr. Howard Suzuki becomes Dean of the College of Health Professions. - 1971 Project I construction begins, and ground is broken for the Dental Tower, Communicore building, and 3 new patient floors.
Judy Moore, RN, MN serves as acting Dean of the College of Nursing.
Dr. Charles Cornelius, PhD, DVM is named Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. - 1972 College of Dentistry opens, Chandler Stetson becomes Dean of the College of Medicine.
The 200,000th patient is treated at Shands Hospital. - 1973 Blanche Urey is named Dean of the College of Nursing.
Dr. Don Allen is appointed interim Dean of the College of Dentistry. - 1974 Dr. Kenneth Finger is appointed interim Vice President of Health Affairs.
Dr. Don Allen becomes Dean of the College of Dentistry.
Communicore Building opens. - 1975 Dr. Chandler Stetson becomes Vice President of Health Affairs.
- 1976 College of Veterinary Medicine opens.
J. Patrick O’Leary(’67) is the first COM alumnus to receive Hippocratic award. - 1977 Will Deal becomes interim Dean of the College of Medicine.
Dr. Kenneth Finger serves as interim Vice President of Health Affairs. - 1978 Dr. Will Deal becomes Dean of the College of Medicine and Vice President of Health Affairs.
Dr. Michael Schwartz becomes Dean of the College of Pharmacy.
Dr. Amanda Baker serves as acting Dean of the College of Nursing. - 1980 Dr. Kenneth Finger serves as interim Vice President of Health Affairs.
Dr. Lois Malasanos is appointed Dean of the College of Nursing.
Dr. Emerson Besch becomes acting Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
UF’s kidney transplantation program, founded by Dr. William Pfaff, who performed the first successful transplant in Florida, performs landmark 400th transplant. - 1981 Dr. Richard Gutekunst becomes Dean of the College of Health Related Professions.
Dr. Kirk Gelatt is appointed Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. - 1982 Dr. David Challoner is appointed Vice President of Health Affairs.
Dr. William Collett serves as interim Dean of the College of Dentistry; Dr. A. Lewis Leo follows as interim Dean.
Nation’s first neonatal foal intensive care unit opens at UF veterinary hospital.
A Ronald McDonald House opens near Shands. - 1983 Dr. Donald W. Legler appointed Dean of the College of Dentistry.
- 1985 First cochlear implant device to restore hearing impairment is performed at Shands; Bioglass implants also used by UF researchers to restore hearing in first human patients with damaged middle-ear bones, helping patients to hear again.
- 1985 UF’s heart and liver transplant programs begin.
- 1986 Florida’s first Hope Lodge for cancer patients opens near UF campus.
- 1987 Florida Probe, an instrument measuring loss of support tissue around teeth, is developed at UF’s dental college
- 1988 Dr. Lee Dockery becomes interim Dean of the College of Medicine.
Dr. Atwood Asbury serves as acting Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. - 1989 Dr. Allen Neims appointed Dean of COM.
Dr. Richard Dierks is appointed Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. - 1990 Lab-grown skin grafts for burn victims developed by UF researcher Dr. Ammon Peck. President George Bush declares the 1990s “Decade of the Brain” in support of basic research.
- 1992 UF College of Pharmacy’s Drug Information Service celebrates 20th year of statewide service; UF receives $18 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to build a neuroscience research center, the UF Brain Institute.
- 1994 PerioGlas, a bioactive glass developed at UF for restoring jaw bone, goes on worldwide market. First lung transplant in Florida performed at Shands.
Dr. Joseph Kehoes serves as interim Dean of the College of Dentistry. - 1995 Southeast’s first umbilical cord blood transplant on an infant and adult performed; state’s first kidney/pancreas transplant occurs; first gene therapy treatment for brain cancer is done. HIV saliva test, developed by UF veterinarian, is released to the marketplace in several foreign countries; 13-week-old Gary Weems of Pensacola, Fla., has a heart transplant performed at Shands, becoming first infant to undergo a heart transplant in Florida.
- 1995-2013 Dr. William H. Riffee is appointed and serves as Dean of the College of Pharmacy.
- 1995-2007 Dr. Robert Frank is appointed and serves as Dean of the College of Health Professions.
- 1995- 2002 Dr. Frank A. Cattalonotto is appointed Dean of the College of Dentistry.
- 1995- 2013 Dr. Kathleen Long is appointed and serves as Dean of the College of Nursing.
- 1996 Dr. Edward Copeland becomes interim Dean of the College of Medicine.
College of Health-Related Professions renamed College of Health Professions. - 1997 Dr. Kenneth Berns becomes Dean of the College of Medicine.
Dr. Joseph DiPietro is appointed Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. - 1998 Dr. Kenneth Berns serves as interim Vice President of Health Affairs.
- 1999 The Preclinical Simulation Laborator in the College of Dentistry is opened.
The College of Dentistry holds its first Professional Coating Ceremon. - 2000 Dr. Kenneth Berns appointed Vice President of Health Affairs.
UF opens the first Center for Implant Dentistry in the country. - 2002 Dr. Douglas Barrett appointed Vice President of Health Affairs.
Dr. Craig Tisher becomes Dean of the College of Medicine.
Dr. Teresa Dolan appointed interim Dean of the College of Dentistry. - 2003-2013 Dr. Teresa Dolan becomes Dean of the College of Dentistry.
The new building for the Colleges of Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy is dedicated.
College of Health Professions renamed the College of Public Health and Health Professions. - 2006 Dr. Glen Hofsis becomes Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
In the College of Public Health and Health Professions, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health established to include divisions of Rehabilitation Counseling and Social and Behavioral Sciences - 2007 Dr. Bruce Kone becomes Dean of the College of Medicine.
- 2007-2009 Dr. Michael Perri appointed interim Dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions.
- 2008 Dr. Michael Good becomes interim dean of the College of Medicine.
- 2009 Dr. David Guzick becomes Senior Vice President, Health Affairs, of the Health Science Center.
- 2009-2022 Dr. Michael Perri appointed and serves as Dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions.
- 2009-2018 Dr. Michael Good appointed Dean of the College of Medicine, serves until 2018.
- 2013-2015 Dr. Boyd Robinson serves as Interim Dean of the College of Dentistry
- 2013-2022 Dr. Julie Johson appointed and serves as Dean of the College of Pharmacy
- 2013-2023 Dr. Anna M. McDaniel, appointed Dean of the College of Nursing
- 2015- Dr. A. Isabel Garcia, appointed Dean of the College of Dentistry
- 2018-2020 Dr. Adrian Tyndall, serves as Interim Dean of the College of Medicine
- 2019-2021 Dr. Dana Zimmel serves as Interim Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine
- 2020 Dr. Colleen G. Koch, appointed Dean of the College of Medicine
- 2021 Dr. Dana Zimmel appointed Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine
- 2022 Dr. Beth A. Virnig appointed Dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions
- 2022 Sr. John Gums serves as Interim Dean of the College of Pharmacy
- 2022 Dr. Peter W. Swaan appointed Dean of the College of Pharmacy
- 2023 Dr. Deborah Lyon serves as interim Dean of the College of Nursing
- 2024 Dr. Shakira Henderson to start her tenure as Dean of the College of Nursing