Former Florida House Speaker and FSU President T.K. Wetherell has gone into hospice care after battling cancer for a decade and a half.
Lucy Morgan was Capital Bureau Chief for the old St. Petersburg Times while Wetherell was in the Florida House from 1980 until 1992, his final two years as speaker.
“His best impact was probably more as appropriations chair than as speaker," Morgan says. "He did not take himself too seriously and he loved Florida and did everything he could for it while he was there.”
Morgan noted Wetherell continued to serve after his time in the Legislature.
“Of course he also loved Florida State and went on there and did even more. But he was one of the most enjoyable public officials to cover in my lifetime.”
Wetherell was Florida State University president from 2002 until 2010 and headed up Tallahassee Community College during the five years preceding that. He reportedly told family and friends this week that he was done battling the cancer that has plagued him for nearly 15 of those years.
News of Wetherell's condition was first reported by Florida Politics.
