Friend of Florida College Dies

Roscoe B. Knight, beloved friend of Florida College and the legendary “voice of the Falcons,” passed away on Tuesday, August 5 in Little Rock, Ark. He was 92.

Knight worked as a school administrator in Cullman, Ala., before moving to Florida in 1958 with his wife Betty. He was hired as principal, as well as teacher for the fifth and sixth grades, at what would eventually become the Florida College Academy.

He left the Academy in 1971 to become a full-time teacher at Florida College. For nine years he taught social studies and English. He never shied away from extra tutoring and after-hours help for students.

Knight’s primary mission at FC was as “a counselor to hundreds of students in need of special attention,” said President C.G. “Colly” Caldwell. “He had a really kind heart towards students he felt were at some disadvantage in the culture here. He took a lot of the non-Christians, and particularly athletes, under his wing.”

Knight participated actively in the school’s sports programs. He coached the cross country teams, and in both 1977 and 1979 his runners won the NLCAA national championship. Additionally, he developed a strong intramural program at the college, and could often be seen refereeing in his famous zebra stripes at intramural football games.

For years the school held faculty jamboree nights, and Knight would show up as the “country bumpkin” from Alabama for a comedy routine. “He was a character,” Vice President H.E. “Buddy” Payne summarized.

Knight retired from teaching in 1980, but continued his post as the “voice of the Falcons.” From 1969 to 1992, he called basketball games from the Falcon Nest in Conn Gymnasium with what Payne described as “a loud and bombastic voice.”

In 1992, the Knights moved back to Cullman, Ala., where they remained involved with the college through the North Alabama Alumni Club. They later moved to Little Rock to be near their daughter Nancy.

In a letter to the college, President Caldwell wrote: “Roscoe was a special, unique personality on our campus for many years and was deeply loved.”

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, August 8 in Cullman.

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