Distinguished Alumni
University of Florida Distinguished Alumnus Award
The University of Florida Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to individuals who are alumni of the University of Florida, who have excelled in his/her chosen field, or have performed outstanding service on behalf of the university. As a measure of the College of Law’s contribution to leadership, in the entire 150-year history of the University of Florida, the Distinguished Alumnus Award has been presented only 333 times — 95 of these recipients, nearly a third of all the awards ever presented, have been to graduates of the college. Nominees are approved by the UF Committee on Honorary Degrees, Distinguished Alumnus Awards and Memorials, and the committee’s recommendations become final only upon the approval of the president of the University of Florida.
Class of 2009
The Hon. Rosemary Barkett
Class of 1970
Judge Rosemary Barkett, who currently sits on the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, is a legal legend, both literally and figuratively. She has been a trail-blazer for women in the legal profession for decades, although her path has been far from ordinary.
Dexter Douglass
Class of 1955
For many, W. Dexter Douglass is the epitome of legal brilliance and accomplishment. His colorful career in the law and in state politics spans more than half a century and his leadership has helped shape our state and our nation.
The Hon. Ben F. Overton
Class of 1952
Bringing quiet reason and cooperative resolution to a world filled with conflict is a special skill few can boast. The Hon. Ben F. Overton, however, is a master at diffusing discord and mediating a path to common ground.
George H. Starke Jr.
Entered with the Class of 1961
Soft-spoken, modest and of generous nature, one might never know George H. Starke Jr. is a man who made history at the University of Florida in a way that has impacted the lives of thousands of UF students.