Florida State University’s First Lady Jai Vartikar joined hundreds of students, alumni and campus leaders Wednesday, April 22 for the inaugural Legacy Tea, an event that honored the university’s roots as a women’s college and recognized the impact of female leaders.
Hosted by the Panhellenic Association in the Student Union Ballrooms, the event was part of the university’s yearlong 175th anniversary celebration.
The program featured remarks from student, faculty and university leaders, including Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht, history Professor and Department Chair Jennifer Koslow, Panhellenic President Emma Clark and this year’s featured speaker FSU First Lady Jai Vartikar.
Vartikar said the event reflects a central truth about Florida State’s history: “When we talk about the legacy of Florida State University, we are talking about the legacy of women.”
Florida State’s early history reflects that legacy. While the institution began as the West Florida Seminary, it awarded its first two diplomas in 1880 to women. The university later became the Florida State College for Women, growing into one of the largest and most respected women’s colleges in the nation.
That period helped shape the university’s identity. The college’s focus on developing the “complete woman” — intellectually, morally and creatively — is still reflected in Florida State’s motto: Vires, Artes, Mores, or strength, skill and character.
That history was also highlighted during the program by Koslow, who spoke about the university’s evolution from a women’s college to the modern institution it is today. Throughout Florida State College for Women’s history, hosting and attending teas held an important role for students.
“As I thought about the past and the present, I wonder about the teas,” Koslow shared. “I wonder about how our students would think about them as spaces to mix the social and the educational, as places to engage in civil conversation, as places where people could learn to be leaders. And so, if our past is any indicator, these types of spaces certainly hold great potential.”
FSU returned to coeducation in 1947, but Vartikar said the influence of those earlier generations remains clear today.
“Caring about student success is the foundation of excellence that was built generations ago by women,” she said. “It was women who created our special family culture. They set high standards, supported one another, and made this university a place where women could thrive.”
The Legacy Tea also focused on the present. In her remarks on “The Modern Woman Leader,” Clark spoke about the role women continue to play in shaping the university.
“The modern woman leader is not someone who has just realized her own potential, but someone who is actively involved in the realization of someone else’s,” Clark said. “We have women’s leadership written into our founding, and we now have the responsibility to continue that narrative. The modern woman leader is not a departure from the women who pioneered our institution, but rather proof of their investment.”
Vartikar, who holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology, said it is especially meaningful to see women shaping discovery and innovation across campus.
“Whether they are students, faculty or staff members, women at FSU are innovators, mentors and changemakers,” she said.
She also pointed to alumnae making an impact beyond campus, including Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx and an FSU graduate, who will return as a commencement speaker this spring and be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
The event highlighted achievements in athletics as well, including national championships in women’s soccer and the recent launch of women’s lacrosse as the university’s 21st varsity sport.
The evening included performances by the Acabelles and string quartet. Attendees also had the opportunity to take home a keepsake Florida State College for Women (FSCW) miniature replica diploma, even using the same embosser used to place the seal on the diplomas of FSCW graduates.
For organizers, the Legacy Tea was both a reflection and a call to action.
“Legacy isn’t just something we inherit — it’s something we steward,” Vartikar said, encouraging students to carry the university’s traditions forward.
She expressed hope that the event will become an annual tradition, giving future generations a chance to reflect on the role women have played in shaping Florida State University and the role they will continue to play in its future.
