ONE NSU MAGAZINE Shepard Broad Shepard Broad, J.D., founded the law firm Broad and Cassel in 1946, which still exists. In 1947, he acquired 250 acres of swampland between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and founded the town of Bay Harbor Islands, Florida. He served as mayor of Bay Harbor Islands for 26 years, stepping down at age 70. In 1988, Broad retired as chairman of the executive committee of the Miami-based American Savings & Loan Association, which he founded in 1950 with $7,500 and which later grew to become one of Florida’s largest thrift institutions. • Gold Fellow—Shepard Broad • Gold Fellow—The Shepard Broad Foundation James Farquhar James Farquhar is often referred to as “Mr. Nova,” as the university may not have survived without him. According to a Sun Sentinel article, Farquhar donated 100 acres to the budding university—a gift whose value exceeded $500,000. In 1969, the university was faced with the possibility of having to close its doors, so Farquhar came to the rescue, donating a significant sum of money to the university. Farquhar served as chairman of the board of trustees for both the South Florida Education Center and Nova University of Advanced Technology. • NSU Board of Trustee chair (1964–1972) • NSU Board of Trustee vice president (1973) • NSU Board of Trustee member (1974–1983, 1991) • Shark Circle member Abraham S. Fischler Abraham S. Fischler, Ed.D., who served as the university’s president from 1970–1992, was a risk-taker who helped revolutionize the U.S. educational system by promoting drastic changes to the way students learn. He felt the curriculum needed to be tailored to each student’s individual needs, with content delivered in a manner and at a pace consistent with the student’s learning style. In 1971, thanks to his forward-thinking approach, the university developed and offered the first doctoral distance education program in the United States. Fischler’s program was the forerunner of today’s online education paradigm—an instructional method available at nearly every institution of higher learning. • Silver Fellow 15
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