▁was ▁L . R . ▁Wilson , ▁who ▁served ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁He ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁James ▁R . ▁C ope , ▁who ▁remained ▁in ▁office ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁Church es ▁of ▁Christ ▁deb ated ▁internally ▁whether ▁con greg ations ▁should ▁support ▁miss ions ▁or ▁educational ▁institutions . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁sch ism ▁and ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁non - inst itution al ▁Church es ▁of ▁Christ , ▁which ▁do ▁not ▁offer ▁finan cing ▁to ▁educational ▁institutions . ▁ ▁Florida ▁College ▁was ▁unique ▁during ▁these ▁deb ates ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁college ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Church es ▁of ▁Christ ▁which ▁advoc ated ▁non - inst itution al ism . ▁Florida ▁College ▁continues ▁to ▁refuse ▁don ations ▁from ▁churches . ▁The ▁college ▁supports ▁itself ▁entirely ▁through ▁the ▁don ations ▁from ▁individuals ▁and ▁the ▁tu ition ▁paid ▁by ▁students . ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁students ▁were ▁older ▁men ▁who ▁wished ▁to ▁become ▁pre ach ers ; ▁according ▁to ▁David ▁Ed win ▁Har rell , ▁the ▁school ▁" bec ame ▁something ▁of ▁a ▁training ▁ground ▁for ▁a ▁cadre ▁of ▁non inst itution al ▁leaders ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁the ▁Southern ▁Association ▁of ▁Colleg es ▁and ▁School s ▁granted ▁Florida ▁College ▁full ▁acc red itation ▁for ▁the ▁Associ ate ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree . ▁