TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida State University College of Business is mourning the passing of E. Ray Solomon, the college’s longest serving dean. He died Monday at age 89.
"We are heartbroken at the loss of Dean Solomon," said Michael Hartline, the college’s current dean. "He was a remarkable person and leader who was admired and loved by students and colleagues alike and who left an indelible mark on all of us who knew him.”
Solomon’s career at Florida State spanned 35 years, beginning in 1962 when he joined the faculty as a professor of risk management and insurance.
He became dean in 1974, serving during a period of great change and growth for the college.
During his tenure as dean, the School of Business became the College of Business, enrollment of undergraduates increased significantly, and the college expanded and diversified by adding many new majors.
Solomon was instrumental in the development of the Real Estate program, which now ranks No. 11 nationally. The graduate programs grew and flourished during this period.
Stepping down from his position as dean in 1991, he become the college’s first Midyette Eminent Scholar in Risk Management and Insurance before his retirement in 1997.
Born in Carrabelle, Florida, Solomon graduated from the College of Business in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
He served in the U.S. Army for two years and worked in the insurance industry for six years before returning to his alma mater to earn a master’s degree in risk management and insurance. He earned his doctorate, also in risk management and insurance, at the University of Wisconsin.
A memorial service will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at First Baptist Church in downtown Tallahassee. A reception will immediately follow at the Governors Club.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those wishing to honor his memory donate to The E. Ray Solomon Presidential Scholarship at FSU Foundation (F01012). The mailing address is: Gift Services, FSU Foundation, 325 W. College Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32301-1403. Please put the name of the scholarship fund in the notes field of the check.
Or a donation can be made to the E. Ray Solomon Endowment at the Southern Scholarship Foundation. The address is: Southern Scholarship Foundation, 322 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32304. Please include the name, E. Ray Solomon Endowment on the memo line of the check.
