Red Hat Day honors, celebrates Wertheim College namesake

Dr. Herbert Wertheim proudly displays a replica diploma he received from Florida State University President Richard McCullough during Red Hat Day at the Herbert Wertheim College of Business.
Photo by Kallen M. Lunt Click to enlarge

Florida State University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business set aside Thursday to tip a red hat – or hundreds of red hats – to the college’s biggest benefactor.

The college’s inaugural Red Hat Day featured students, faculty, staff, alumni and university officials who gathered, topped in red, in honor and celebration of Dr. Herbert Wertheim, whose record philanthropic investment launched a new era of preeminence in the college and whose ever-present red fedora has emerged as a collegewide symbol of distinction and optimism.

“Wear your red hat with joy,” Dr. Wertheim said during an afternoon ceremony inside the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence.

Dr. Wertheim’s recent $65 million commitment – the largest endowment in FSU’s history and the second-largest gift the university has ever received – named the college and its new state-of-the-art-facility, the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence. The investment also includes funds that, for starters, expand scholarships, enhance professional development, enrich faculty development and embrace emerging academic trends.

Red Hat Day fittingly focused on students, giving many a first opportunity to greet the munificent man in the red hat. The event included lunch from 4 Rivers Smokehouse; a “Hang with Herbie” networking event; multiple food trucks; and speeches by FSU President Richard McCullough, Wertheim College Dean Michael D. Hartline and Dr. Wertheim himself.

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