New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college located in Sarasota, Florida, United States. It was founded originally as a private institution and is now an autonomous honors college of the State University System of Florida. Originally conceived during the late 1950s, New College was founded in 1960 as a private college by local civic leaders for academically talented students. Financial assistance was provided by the Board of Homeland Missions of the Congregational Christian Church. George F. Baughman served as the first president from 1961 to 1965. Envisioned as a new attempt at... liberal arts education in the South, the core values of the freedom of inquiry and the responsibility of individual students for their own education were to be implemented through a unique academic program. Open to students of all races, genders, and religious affiliations, New College opened its doors in 1964 to a premier class of 101 students. Faculty members included the historian and philosopher, Arnold J. Toynbee, who was lured out of retirement to join the charter faculty.
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