Henry Holland Buckman (1858–1914) was an attorney fromDuval County, Florida. He served as aDemocratic member of theFlorida House of Representatives.[1][2] He served on the Judiciary Committee. He also served as a member for the 18th district of theFlorida Senate.[2]
Buckman is known for being the author of the Buckman Act, a 1905 law that reorganized higher education into three institutions,segregated byrace andgender, as follows:
The Buckman Act also created theFlorida Board of Control, the state-wide governing body for Florida's universities and colleges, and the predecessor of today'sFlorida Board of Governors. The gender separation aspect of the Buckman Act was later reversed by theFlorida Legislature in 1947, when Florida State University and the University of Florida began to enroll both men and women. The legislature was compelled to expand the available capacity of both institutions to make room for theWorld War II veterans who wished to use theG.I. Bill to pursue university educations. The racial segregation aspect of the Buckman Act was undone by theMcLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents andBrown v. Board of Education decisions of theU.S. Supreme Court.
Buckman was also instrumental in establishing a state road system in Florida and developing the St. Johns River channel.[citation needed]
Buckman Hall at theUniversity of Florida,[3] and theBuckman Bridge inJacksonville, Florida are both named for Representative Buckman.TheHenry H. Buckman Lock is part of theCross Florida Barge Canal project, also named in honor of Buckman.