By Pete Reinwald, Jayme Ice, Megan Mowery and Rebecca Sage
Charles E. “Charlie” Rockwood, a Florida State University professor emeritus and a transformational philanthropist, passed away on June 26, 2025 – four years after his trailblazing wife, Persis Rockwood. He was 93.
Charlie Rockwood joined the FSU faculty in 1960. He retired as professor emeritus of economics in 1991.
He and his wife generously gave more than $14.2 million in gifts to the College of Business, College of Music and College of Social Sciences and Public Policy.
Their $10 million philanthropic investment in the College of Business in 2022 established the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing, the first U.S. marketing school named for a woman. Charlie Rockwood announced the gift a year after the passing of Persis, an FSU professor emerita who in 2018 became the first woman inducted into the College of Business’ Charles A. Rovetta Faculty Hall of Fame. She established an array of firsts, including the first woman at FSU to become a full professor of marketing in 1973.
The two were married for 54 years.
“The College of Business mourns the passing of Charlie Rockwood, a magnificent friend of our college and university,” said Michael Hartline, dean of the college. “We’ll always remember his extraordinary generosity, dedication to FSU and devotion to his beloved Persis. He made sure that our marketing department would forever stand in her honor.”
The Rockwoods, significant supporters of Tallahassee’s arts community, also gave $2.25 million to establish the Rockwood Organ at the College of Music. This custom-built pipe organ, designed by renowned craftsman Paul Fritts, will become part of a planned renovation and expansion of the Housewright Music Building. In addition, the Rockwoods established a named parterre in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, plus a $1 million endowment for piano students, which Persis Rockwood had played since she was a child.
“Charlie was an avid concertgoer who delighted in sharing the joy of music with our students, faculty and audiences,” said Todd Queen, dean of the College of Music. “As we fondly recall Charlie’s smile and patronage, we are grateful for the legacy he and Persis established here. Their incredible gifts will carry forward the Rockwood name for generations.”
In the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Dean Tim Chapin expressed sadness about Charlie Rockwood’s passing but appreciation for the Rockwoods’ support, which included the establishment of the Drs. Charles and Persis Rockwood Graduate Fellowship Endowment Fund.
“Charlie Rockwood was a beloved mentor and intellectual voice during his long career within the Department of Economics, as well as a major presence in the broader Tallahassee community through the Rotary Club,” said Chapin. “Charlie’s wit, twinkling eyes and big heart were on display for all to see, especially when Persis was the topic of the moment. The impact of Charlie and Persis at FSU cannot be overstated – first as longtime, productive and impactful faculty members and then as immense supporters of the university that they loved.”
During a 2022 event at the College of Business, Charlie Rockwood joined Hartline to announce the $10 million gift to establish the Rockwood School of Marketing. In his comments, Rockwood focused entirely on his wife, who taught in the college for three decades beginning in 1960.
“She loved FSU,” he said of Persis. “She was very modest. She did not tell students her background, I don’t think ever. She would ask them things like, ‘What is your goal outside of your work ethic? What have you got for a goal in life?'”
The Rockwoods’ gift included a $3.5 million endowment for faculty support, including funding for an eminent scholar chair, professorships, emerging scholars and research; a $3 million endowment for student support, including scholarships and professional development; and a $2.5 million endowment for “preeminence,” providing discretionary funding for the Rockwood School’s most pressing needs.
Their philanthropic investment also included $1 million for Legacy Hall, the college’s future home, scheduled to open for classes in Jan. 2026. That portion of the gift funded the Dr. Persis Rockwood Academic Programs Suite and the Dr. Persis Rockwood Academic and Behavioral Research Lab.