Photo courtesy of USFSP campus archives
By Matthew McGovern
Lester Tuttle, University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s first campus dean, died on Jan. 15 at the age of 91.
“Through his leadership and vision, Dr. Les Tuttle was instrumental in building a strong foundation for USF St. Petersburg during its early years,” a university spokesperson told The Crow’s Nest.
Several of Tuttle’s colleagues said that his impact on the St. Petersburg campus laid the groundwork for future generations of students through his kindness and inviting demeanor.
“From my perspective, my early impressions of him were very positive. He was a very warm person that made people feel comfortable right off the spot,” Darryl Paulson, professor emeritus of history at USF, said.
Paulson stated that amid a lack of on-campus resources and funding during Tuttle’s time at USF St. Petersburg, which began in 1968, he worked to forge connections with local community leaders to improve the academic experience for professors and students alike.
From 1939 to 1950, the property that would become USF St. Petersburg served as a training center for the U.S. Maritime Service. From 1950 to 1965, it sat vacant.
“He was dealing with a university that was…a former merchant marine barracks —he wanted things to grow,” Paulson said.
USF St. Petersburg’s special projects facilitator, Joan ‘Sudsy’ Tschiderer, was a student during Tuttle’s administrative tenure. She echoed Paulson’s sentiment, saying that Tuttle sought to make everyone on the St. Petersburg campus feel welcome.
“He was a high-energy person with calming stability. He would always initiate conversations with students, and it never felt hierarchical,” Tschiderer said. “It always seemed like he wanted to make every individual a part of the campus.”
