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IRSC at 60
LEADERSHIP
In 1972, Massey left his young family in Hattiesburg to
spend a few months of 14-hour days at Duke University’s
marine science center on coastal North Carolina. He also was
chairman of the Department of Natural Science for the Prentiss
Normal and Industrial Institute, one of the first higher
education institutions for African-Americans in Mississippi,
founded in 1907 and closed in 1989.
GREAT MATCH
Massey said he can clearly remember the first time he
walked onto Indian River’s main campus in Fort Pierce.
“It was a really positive feeling. It felt comfortable,”
Massey said, looking back to that day nearly 47 years ago.
“We talk now how important it is for students to feel comfortable
when they get to college.”
In 1978, Massey was named to his first administrative post
as the director of public services. Massey said that he did not
think he would ever become an administrator. He thought he
would teach for a bit and go back to research.
But as he rose through the ranks, he learned he liked the
jobs and was good at them.
He became assistant dean of instruction in 1979 and then
associate dean of instruction in 1981 and finally dean of
instructional services in 1982, essentially the second-most
important position for determining the school’s academic
heading.
As Massey worked through the ranks at IRCC, demands
grew.
“There is no discounting my wife’s role in all of this,”
Massey said. “We moved down here and I had to do my job.
She never complained and I always had her support. She’s
been a major piece of why I was able to do it without feeling
guilty about giving up time and so forth. I would work all
day and go to community meetings on the road a lot. I can’t
recall her ever complaining.”
“You make the time,” he said when asked how he found
time to coach youth baseball for about a decade as his son,
Paul, grew up in Vero Beach.
Jo Massey also went to work, landing a job at Citrus Bank
in Vero Beach, which changed names several times as the
banking industry consolidated. After 31 years, she retired as a
vice president in charge of several branches when Wachovia
was sold to Wells Fargo 11 years ago.
1987 2018 Change
STUDENTS
College program 37,300 27914 -25.2%
Full-time equivalent 5200 13865 166.6%
EMPLOYEES
Full-time 431 811 88.2%
Part-time 596 1416 137.6%
DEGREES
Bachelor of Applied Science 0 137 NA
Bachelor of Science 0 610 NA
Associate in Arts 210 2176 936.2%
Associate in Science 113 553 389.4%
Associate in Applied Science 0 20 NA
ATD & Certificates 714 1268 77.6%
BUDGET
Operations $17.0 million $91.7 million 439.6%
Capital Outlay $0.5 million $23.4 million 4214.9%
EXTERNAL FUNDS
Grants $2.8 million $14.1 million 402.1%
Foundation Assets $6.4 million 116.3 million 1711.7%
FOUNDATION SUPPORT
Student Scholarships $0.27 million $3.33 million 1130.5%
Facility Enhancements NA $0.82 million NA
Instructional Enhancements NA $1.31 million NA
REAL ESTATE ACRES 1987 2018 Change
Main Campus, Fort Pierce 78 367 371.4%
Chastain Campus, Stuart 40 58 45.0%
Mueller Campus, Vero Beach 31 147 374.2%
Dixon Hendry, Okeechobee 45 45 0.0%
Ken Pruitt Campus, Port St. Lucie 40 132 229.8%
Marine Science Center 1 2 100.0%
Human Development Resources Center 0 1 NA
TOTAL LAND 235 752 200.2%
FACILITY SPACE in Square Feet 1987 2018 Change
Main 408,812 1,045,290 155.7%
Chastain 34,829 122,240 251.0%
Mueller 14,995 126,262 742.0%
Dixon Hendry 0 44,018 NA
Ken Pruitt 0 252,952 NA
Marine Science Center 5,550 5,500 0.0%
HDRC 0 22,696 NA
TOTAL 464,136 1,583,253 241.1%
THE PRESIDENCY
When Heise decided in 1988 to retire as IRCC president,
having endured a few rocky years that included surviving a
Florida Ethics Commission probe, Massey decided to go for
the top job.
He said that he and Jo understood at the time that if 1
he
tried for the presidency and did not make it, they would
likely have to move on to another job, which likely meant
leaving the area they’d come to love.
IRSC DURING DR. MASSEY
Source: Indian River State College
>>
The student newspaper, Pioneer Post, announced Dr. Massey’s arrival
in 1974 and his plan to teach an Introductory Marine Biology class.