Florida Southern's New Endowed Chair In Accounting Highlights Department's Real-World Training

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Mar 25, 2021, 17:15 ET

LAKELAND, Fla., March 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Southern College has named Dr. William Quilliam as the inaugural recipient of The Louise Templeton Endowed Chair in Accounting in the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise.

Florida Southern College has appointed Dr. William Quilliam as The Louise Templeton Endowed Chair in Accounting. An associate professor of accounting, department chair, and MAcc program director, Dr. Quilliam is the endowment’s first recipient. He says he feels “a little bit of a link” to Templeton because of their shared small-town roots in the Midwest; he grew up in Indiana, just 150 miles from Templeton’s hometown.

Dr. Quilliam is an associate professor of accounting, department chair, and Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program director. He came to Florida Southern in 2010, having taught accounting since 1986 at institutions including the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and the University of South Florida. He teaches financial accounting, cost/managerial accounting, auditing, and accounting information systems.

"With this newly established endowed chair, which honors the work and legacy of revered accounting professor Louise Templeton, the Florida Southern community recognizes the diligence and exceptional character of our business faculty," said President Anne B. Kerr. "Just as Louise greatly influenced many hundreds of students who entered the field of accountancy during her 25 years as an FSC educator, our talented faculty of today continue to have a remarkable impact on the lives and future careers of FSC's current accounting students."

Louise E. Templeton served as a professor of accounting in Florida Southern's Department of Business Administration from 1954 until her retirement in 1979, receiving the title of Professor of Business Emerita in 1987. Early in her career at FSC, she wrote of "the personal characteristics required by the accounting profession and its members – honesty, integrity, neatness, conciseness, and high moral standards." She was a trailblazer for women in the profession, and achieved and taught the highest standards of professionalism. Templeton died in 2009.

"As the first member of our distinguished faculty to be appointed as The Louise Templeton Endowed Chair in Accountancy, Dr. Quilliam embodies the highest standards of personal and academic excellence," said Dr. Brad Hollingshead, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "This appointment is a well-deserved recognition of his commitment to accountancy and to the success of the hard-working scholars who enter this important financial profession."

Dr. Quilliam is active within the accounting profession, with plans to serve as president of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Scholarship Foundation for a one-year term starting on July 1, 2021. He encourages students to become involved with organizations such as FICPA, and makes it a priority to maintain high CPA pass rates. His teaching philosophy prepares students for a lifetime of continual learning through a lively, interactive atmosphere.

"My appointment to this position as an endowed chair is a tremendous honor," Dr. Quilliam said. "Together with my outstanding colleagues who focus on so many crucial areas of study in Barnett Business, I am extremely enthusiastic about the continuing growth of the program and its mission to make a significant and impactful difference in the lives of our students."

About Florida Southern College

Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in the state. It maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio; is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning; and boasts 30 NCAA Division II national championships. It is ranked among the top 10 Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report in its 2021 "Best Colleges" guide, and is included in The Princeton Review's 2021 "386 Best Colleges" guide, the "Fiske Guide to Colleges 2021," and Forbes magazine's "America's Top Colleges." Home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, FSC was twice named "Most Beautiful Campus in the Nation" by The Princeton Review, and one of the nation's "Ten College Campuses with the Best Architecture" by Architectural Digest. Connect with Florida Southern College.

SOURCE Florida Southern College