For many years, visitors to DeFuniak Springs were told that the Florida State University was founded there. While the city was home to several educational institutions in its early years, Florida State was not one of them.
One prominent college in DeFuniak Springs was the State Normal School (above) that opened in 1887. At that time, it was the only school in Florida devoted exclusively to the preparation of teachers. DeFuniak Springs was an ideal location for a teachers college because it had already been the birthplace of the Florida Education Association in 1886.
The Florida State Normal School closed in 1905. Its female students were sent to the Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee, and the male students were sent to the University of Florida in Gainesville. That is most likely how the myth started. 100 years later, some people thought the State Normal School was moved to Tallahassee and renamed the Florida State College for Women when, in fact, the College for Women predated the State Normal School. The story was repeated often enough to become a legend.
The Florida State College for Women was founded in Tallahassee in 1857. Ninety years later, on May 15, 1947, it was renamed Florida State University, and it began admitting men.
Even though Florida State University was not founded in DeFuniak Springs, the city is home to many of its alumni who proudly display the Seminoles logo. Go ‘Noles!