Eugene and Sheila Pettis support UF’s unique educational experience.
When Eugene Pettis* (BA ’82, JD ’85) chose to attend the predominately white University of Florida in 1978, it was proof he had moved beyond his past.
Eugene and Sheila Pettis at home in Fort Lauderdale. Eugene was recently elected the first black president of the Florida Bar. Photo byn Josh Ritchie.
In the sixth grade, he was beaten by two white male teachers who hit him 67 times with a leather strap. The teachers were later fired, but the psychological damage was hard for Pettis to overcome. The incident, Eugene says, “put me on an incline of racial discrimination and hatred.”
It wasn’t until his first year of high school (after getting into two different fights in the first two weeks) that a teacher’s warning of suspension and his mother’s prayers for change sunk in. He started doing well in school, became captain of the basketball team and eventually made his way to UF.
Pettis, now a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, says UF was critical to his development. He gained leadership skills through his involvement with student government, Florida Blue Key and Accent and learned how to get along with people from all walks of life through what he calls “holistic education.”
“There is excellence in the classroom, but UF also gives you great real-life experience,” he says.
That’s why Pettis and his wife, Sheila, have donated more than $1 million to UF. Their most recent donation, an endowment for the Black Law Student Association, will help fund activities where members gain professional skills. Eugene was a member of the organization as a student.
“We want students to experience a broad range of educational experiences,” says Sheila, a substitute teacher in the Broward County school system.
The couple has also established scholarships for minority students at local schools. Eugene hopes the students they support will make a difference in the world.
“Education is the great equalizer,” he says. “What you gain with it, no one can take from you.”
— Jillian Kremer (4JM)
*UF Alumni Association life member.
Get Involved
To support law-school programs such as the Pettis Family Fund, please call 352-273-0640.
