Don’s Rambles: Don’s Rambles: Strolling Through UM’s Legacy and City Roots

Meandering Around Town #19

AN ADVENTURE IN WHICH A FORMER MAYOR CONTINUES TO SEEK THE “SOUL” OF HIS HOMETOWN

My wanderings through our hometown would not be complete without a ramble through the campus of the University of Miami (UM) – truly part of the City Beautiful’s soul. City founder George Merrick was convinced that no community could be great without a grand and glorious institution of higher education. That is evident by the fact that due to his generosity and total commitment, “the U’s” charter of incorporation was finalized the same year the city was officially established – 1925. Thus, both the city and the university have their roots dating back 100 years.

To ensure the university’s selection of Coral Gables for the campus, Merrick donated 160 acres along with a promise to raise $5 million, an offer to which the Board of Regents replied: “…we have come to the unanimous conclusion that the site you offer is the most happy site which could possibly be selected.” As noted in “Rendezvous with Greatness” (a book authored by William Marina and Charlton Tebeau to celebrate UM’s 75th anniversary) the regents felt that Merrick had already established for Coral Gables a certain architectural unity, high- grade requirements for buildings, and a noticeable “community spirit.”

That “spirit” is alive and well today. As Jacqueline Menendez, UM’s vice president for communications, observed during my recent visit: “In the very beginning, the goal of both the city and the university was to attract people from all over the world to this vibrant community. As we approach our 100th birthdays, we celebrate having accomplished that, and then some.”

UM is home (on several campuses) to almost 20,000 enrollees, a population which includes undergraduate and graduate students majoring in a multitude of disciplines including specialty areas such as law, medicine, architecture, nursing, music, and oceanography. Over 4,000 of these degree seekers are housed amongst the beautiful flowering shrubs and towering shade trees on the grounds here in Coral Gables.

But the university is not solely dedicated to its student body. It generously shares with Gables residents an immense amount of cultural programming provided in very special public spaces such as the Ring Theater, the Lowe Art Museum, the library’s Special Collections Department, the Kislak Center, Gusman Concert Hall, and now the Knight Center.

While roaming by the Mark Light baseball field and the Watsco basketball arena, I am reminded of the excitement that the university’s intercollegiate sports program brings to its Coral Gables neighbors, and how proud we are to claim the Hurricanes as our own. With an impressive five football national championships, four College World Series victories, and an ACC basketball championship, the “U” has a strong reputation in the sports world – a reputation which brings valuable positive attention to our community.

In summary, you can rightfully say that the City of Coral Gables and the University of Miami are joined at the hip, and that Merrick’s dream for the enduring nature of this educational institution has been fully realized. GO CANES! 

*Extracted text from the school’s Alma Mater. 

This column appears monthly by Don Slesnick, who served as mayor of Coral Gables from 2001 to 2011. If you wish to reach him with suggestions on where he should next meander in search of the city’s soul, email donslesnick@scllp.com.