Bill '65 and Mary Ann Becker Business Building
2015
On November 5, 2015, the Bill '65 and Mary Ann Becker Business Building was dedicated to citrus businessman (Class of 1965) and his wife Mary Ann. Inside, the building provides state-of-the-art learning experiences to students, from a trade floor simulator to computer labs geared towards investment and trading strategies. The Becker Business Building is also home to the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise, which was dedicated in 2011 to Trustee Dr. Barney Barnett (Class of 1965) by his wife Dr. Carol Jenkins Barnett (Class of 1979) as a birthday present.
William 鈥淏ill鈥� Becker was a student at Florida Southern College in 1963. He majored in economics and minored in citrus. His father, Richard, was the founder and owner of Becker Groves, which was located near Orlando, Florida. After graduating, Bill Becker became the general manager of Becker Groves. He later served as Vice President of Becker Holding Corporation, helping to direct the juice processing plant. In 1991, Becker founded the Becker Trading Company, owing 4000 acres of groves and several processing plants. Becker also served as Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, and President of the National Juice Products Association and the Florida Citrus Processors Association. He was inducted into the Citrus Hall of Fame in 2011. Mary Ann is his wife.
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