In March 2018, the University of West Florida attached a historic Florida name to one of its academic departments.
The former Department of Government officially became the Reubin O’D. Askew Department of Government. It was the first academic department in UWF history to receive a formal name.
The designation honored Reubin O’Donovan Askew, a Pensacola-raised lawyer and public official who served as Florida’s 37th governor from 1971 to 1979. It also recognized the continued support of Pensacola attorney Fred Levin, a longtime UWF donor and a former law partner and friend of Askew.
The change involved more than placing a familiar name on university materials. UWF connected the department with Askew’s reputation for ethical leadership, public accountability, civic engagement and willingness to address difficult political questions.
UWF’s First Named Academic Department
UWF announced the formal naming on March 5, 2018. No academic department at the university had previously carried the name of an individual.
Universities commonly name buildings, colleges, schools, institutes, professorships and scholarship programs in recognition of major donors or distinguished public figures. Naming an academic department can be especially significant because the name becomes connected with its teaching, research, students and public events.
For UWF, the choice of Askew created a direct relationship between the study of government and the career of a leader who had spent decades working in law, state politics and national public service.
Dr. Michelle Williams, who chaired the department when the announcement was made, described Askew as one of Florida’s most important governors. She pointed to his work on tax policy, government transparency, desegregation and legislative representation.
Those subjects closely matched the department’s academic focus. Students studying political institutions, constitutional law, public policy and leadership could examine many of the same issues that shaped Askew’s career.
The Naming Followed a Major UWF Gift
The department’s new name had originally been announced in January 2018 as part of a larger gift from Fred Levin.
Levin donated his waterfront Pensacola home and estate, known as Timeless Tanglewood, to UWF. The property and much of its contents were valued at more than $8 million, making the donation the largest gift from a living donor in the university’s history at that time.
UWF planned to use the property for educational programs, university meetings, special events and visits by scholars and other guests. The estate was dedicated in honor of Askew, who had been Levin’s friend and professional colleague.
The university announced the department naming in recognition of Levin’s continued support. It was one part of a broader relationship among Levin, UWF and projects intended to preserve Askew’s legacy.
In 2017, Levin had given UWF $550,000 to establish the Reubin O’D. Askew Institute for Multidisciplinary Studies. That institute and the academic department were separate university units, although both carried Askew’s name.
The institute was created to bring together researchers and students from different disciplines. The Department of Government concentrated on political science, international affairs, law, languages and related subjects.
Fred Levin’s Connection to Askew
Fred Levin’s relationship with Askew developed through Pensacola’s legal community.
In 1955, Askew and Fred’s older brother, David Levin, established the law firm Levin & Askew. Fred Levin joined the practice in 1961. The organization later developed into the firm known as Levin Papantonio.
Askew’s political career increasingly took him away from daily legal work, but his relationship with the Levin family continued. Fred Levin later described him as both a close friend and one of Florida’s finest governors.
For Levin, naming UWF programs after Askew offered a way to preserve the former governor’s connection with Pensacola. It also introduced new generations of students to a public official whose most important work had occurred decades before many of them were born.
The naming was therefore both personal and civic. It remembered a friendship while placing Askew’s record within an educational institution serving Northwest Florida.
Askew’s Early Life in Pensacola
Reubin O’Donovan Askew was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on September 11, 1928. His family moved to Pensacola while he was a child, and the city became central to his personal and political identity.
He graduated from Pensacola High School in 1946. After graduation, he served in the United States Army as a paratrooper. He later served in the Air Force as a military intelligence officer during the Korean War.
Askew attended Florida State University, where he became student body president and earned a degree in public administration in 1951. He later completed his legal education at the University of Florida.
After returning to Pensacola, Askew entered legal practice and began seeking public office. He was elected assistant county solicitor in Escambia County in 1956.
His local career gave him experience with the justice system and introduced him to the government institutions that would remain central to his professional life.
From Pensacola to the Florida Legislature
Askew won election to the Florida House of Representatives in 1958. After two terms in the House, he moved to the Florida Senate in 1962.
He represented Northwest Florida during a period of rapid change. Population growth was shifting political influence toward urban areas, while the civil rights movement was challenging segregation throughout the South.
Askew developed a reputation for seriousness, personal discipline and an ability to work through complicated policy questions. His approach did not always align with the most popular position among voters or political organizations.
By 1970, he was prepared to run for governor. He defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Claude Kirk and took office in January 1971.
His election placed a politician closely associated with Pensacola in Florida’s highest state office. Askew was the first Pensacola resident elected governor since Edward A. Perry in the nineteenth century.
Two Terms as Florida Governor
Askew served as governor from 1971 until 1979. In 1974, Florida voters elected him to a second consecutive four-year term, making him the first governor in state history to achieve that result.
His administration operated during a period when Florida was experiencing substantial population growth and economic change. State institutions needed to adapt to new residents, expanding metropolitan areas and increasing demands for public services.
Askew became associated with reforms involving taxes, ethics, courts, representation and state administration. He supported a corporate income tax and changes to the homestead exemption.
He also championed the Sunshine Amendment, which required public officials and candidates to disclose financial interests. Askew argued that citizens needed sufficient information to identify potential conflicts between a public official’s private finances and government responsibilities.
This emphasis on openness reinforced his reputation for personal integrity. Supporters sometimes referred to him as “Reubin the Good,” a nickname reflecting both respect and his strict personal standards.
Desegregation and Political Representation
Askew’s record also included positions on racial equality and public education that could create strong political opposition.
He supported compliance with school desegregation and rejected attempts to preserve segregated systems through political resistance. His position placed him among the generation of Southern governors who tried to move their states away from the openly segregationist politics of earlier decades.
Askew also supported fairer legislative representation for Florida’s growing urban counties. Earlier district arrangements had often allowed less-populated rural regions to exercise influence that was disproportionate to their number of residents.
Reapportionment changed how representation was distributed and forced Florida politics to respond more directly to population growth in metropolitan areas.
These issues made Askew an appropriate namesake for a department teaching students how constitutions, elections, courts, legislatures and public officials shape political life.
A Career Beyond the Governor’s Office
Askew’s public service did not end when his second gubernatorial term expired.
President Jimmy Carter appointed him United States trade representative in 1979. In that position, Askew participated in international economic policy and represented the country in trade negotiations.
He later sought the Democratic presidential nomination during the 1984 election cycle. The campaign did not succeed, but it reflected the national reputation he had developed during his years as governor.
Askew also remained involved in education and public-policy discussions. He taught, lectured and participated in university programs that encouraged students to examine government as a form of public service rather than simply a route to political power.
He died in Tallahassee on March 13, 2014, at the age of 85.
What the Department Offered in 2018
When UWF formally adopted the Askew name, the department offered bachelor’s degree programs in political science, political science pre-law and international studies. It also offered a master’s degree in political science.
The programs prepared students for work in government, law, international organizations, education, policy analysis, political campaigns and related fields.
The department had also begun one of UWF’s early synchronous online graduate programs. Students could participate remotely in live classes through videoconferencing rather than relying only on prerecorded lectures and independent assignments.
This approach allowed online and on-campus students to interact with one another and with faculty members during discussions. It was particularly useful for graduate subjects in which debate, interpretation and the comparison of political ideas formed an important part of the course.
The department also housed UWF’s World Languages Program. Language instruction gave students another way to understand international politics and communicate across cultures.
The Data Analytics Lab
The 2018 announcement highlighted the department’s newly established Data Analytics Lab.
Political research increasingly depends on the ability to understand large collections of information. Election results, legislative records, survey responses, public budgets and demographic data can all help researchers identify patterns in political behavior and government policy.
The lab allowed students in the arts, humanities and social sciences to learn how to organize, analyze and interpret data. It also supported collaboration among researchers from different academic fields.
This was important because political decisions rarely involve only one discipline. Questions about voting, public health, economic development, conflict or education may require statistical analysis alongside historical, legal and cultural interpretation.
The department used the lab to help students develop practical research skills while preserving the broader questions at the center of government studies.
Research and Public-Service Projects
Faculty research was another part of the department’s development around the time of the naming.
Dr. David Ramsey received a $99,993 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to support Dialogues on the Experience of War courses. The discussion-based program used humanities texts to help military students and veterans consider experiences connected with war and service.
Other faculty projects examined how public-policy priorities changed across different subjects and legislative periods. Students could assist with collecting and coding bills, giving them direct experience with research methods.
These projects showed that the department’s work extended beyond explaining institutions from textbooks. Faculty and students examined how governments made decisions, how laws changed and how public questions affected communities.
Creating the Askew Scholars Program
Starting in fall 2018, the department planned to offer scholarships through the Askew Scholars program.
The scholarships added a practical student benefit to the new identity. Financial support could help recipients continue their education while encouraging them to study leadership, policy and public service.
Attaching Askew’s name to a scholarship also established an expectation. Students receiving the award would encounter the record of a public official remembered for ethical standards, civic responsibility and a willingness to accept political risk.
The program connected philanthropy with education. A historical name became the basis for opportunities available to current students.
Why the Name Fit the Department
A named academic unit works best when the person being honored has a clear relationship with its mission.
Askew’s career provided that connection. He studied public administration and law, served in local government, worked in both chambers of the Florida Legislature, completed two terms as governor and later represented the United States in international trade policy.
His record also gave students material for critical examination rather than simple celebration. They could study his policies, political methods, successes, limitations and the historical conditions in which he governed.
That approach reflects the purpose of a government department. Political leaders should not be reduced to monuments or slogans. Their decisions should be examined through evidence, competing interpretations and an understanding of institutions.
Honoring Askew did not require students to agree with every position he took. It invited them to consider what responsible public leadership should look like.
The Department’s Continuing Role
The Reubin O’D. Askew Department of Government continues to operate at UWF.
Its current undergraduate programs include political science, political science pre-law and international studies. Graduate students can pursue degrees in political science and international affairs, while minors are available in several related subjects.
Students can participate in internships, Model United Nations, the Moot Court Society and Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.
The department also organizes public programs addressing constitutional law, political ideas, elections and international affairs. The Askew Lecture Series brings scholars into discussions about current political and public-policy questions.
These events extend the department’s work beyond enrolled students. Pensacola residents can attend public conversations about issues that affect government and civic life.
A Pensacola Legacy Preserved Through Education
The naming of the department joined several Pensacola places and institutions carrying Askew’s name. His connection with the city is also recognized at Pensacola International Airport, Pensacola High School and along Interstate 110.
The UWF department serves a different purpose from a terminal, road or memorial marker. It places Askew’s name inside an active academic community where students continue to study government and prepare for careers in law, policy and public service.
That distinction made the March 2018 announcement significant. UWF was not only remembering a former governor. It was using his record to define the values associated with its first named academic department.
For Fred Levin, the designation honored a friend and former law partner. For the university, it recognized a major figure in Florida political history. For students, it connected their education with questions that shaped Askew’s career: How should leaders use public authority? What information do citizens deserve? When should an official accept political risk to support a principle?
Those questions remain relevant long after a governor leaves office.
By naming the Department of Government for Reubin O’D. Askew, UWF created a permanent connection among Pensacola history, Florida public service and the education of future leaders.