As Thad Seymour Jr. delivered his commencement address on Dec. 13, he noted a unique accomplishment he earned that day: being part of the first father and son duo to receive honorary degrees from UCF. Former interim president of UCF and retired executive, Seymour was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in recognition of his lifetime of selflessness, achievement and dedication to giving back to the community. About 34 years earlier, his father, Thaddeus Seymour Sr., was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from UCF in May 1990.

“My late father, Thaddeus Seymour Sr., devoted his career to higher education as both a teacher and administrator, including serving for 12 years as president of Rollins College in Winter Park,” Seymour said during his commencement speech. “Throughout my life I have worked to embrace and act upon the values that he and my late mother Polly shared with their children.”

“The bestowing of degrees at commencement was always my favorite part of the year at UCF, so to be recognized in this way, by the university that Katie, [my wife], and I so deeply love, is truly an honor.” — Thad Seymour Jr., honorary degree recipient

Thaddeus Seymour Sr. also served as the dean of Dartmouth College and president of Wabash College. With this upbringing on college campuses, Seymour says education was a logical path.

Seymour has contributed to UCF in varying roles since 2015. Prior to serving as UCF interim president from February 2019 to April 2020, he led the development of the university’s previous strategic plan and was named vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer.

“His strategic insight and leadership were instrumental in shaping our previous roadmap, which served as a guiding force for the university’s academic and operational growth,” Provost Michael D. Johnson wrote in his recommendation letter. “By uniting university leadership, faculty, and community stakeholders, Thad ensured the plan aligned with the needs of both UCF and the broader Central Florida region, positioning UCF as a leader in innovation and economic development.”

Seymour also played an instrumental role in making UCF Downtown — which celebrates its five-year anniversary this year — a reality. As the intellectual anchor to Orlando’s Creative Village, UCF Downtown has awarded over 10,300 degrees to Knights in select majors across the university’s College of Business, College of Community Innovation and Education, and College of Sciences, as well as students at Valencia College.

“In my DNA is this belief that education is the single most important thing that can improve a person’s opportunities, their quality of life, their livelihood and their impact on the world,” Seymour said in an interview in 2019. “And education should not be a privilege, but rather widely available to expand opportunity and strengthen our society.”

“Thad was also a key architect in the creation of UCF’s Downtown Campus, a transformative project that has redefined urban education in Central Florida,” Johnson continued in his letter. “His efforts to bring together diverse partners — including the City of Orlando, Valencia College and private industry — were critical to the success of this ambitious initiative. Today, UCF Downtown serves more than 8,000 students and has become a hub for experiential learning, community engagement, and economic revitalization, thanks to Thad’s leadership and vision.”

Seymour earned a bachelor’s in history from Dartmouth College, and a master’s and doctoral degree in history, from the University of Wisconsin. He also graduated from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University with an MBA.

For three decades, Seymour worked as a business executive in technology and healthcare industries, including his work as vice president of marketing and strategy at Curascript, a subsidiary of Express Scripts, which had acquired Priority Healthcare where he had quarterbacked the $1.3 billion transaction as vice president of corporate development.

Leveraging this expertise and a skill for fostering partnerships, Seymour has contributed to the growth of Central Florida. He helped bring more than $3 billion to Lake Nona Medical City by leading strategy and business development for the area in his role as senior vice president of Tavistock Development Company. He created and served as founding president of the Lake Nona Institute, which hosts the widely acclaimed annual Lake Nona Impact Forum focused on health innovation. Seymour also led efforts to bring the United States Tennis Association to Lake Nona — resulting in the nation’s largest tennis complex.

He has served on the board of the Orlando Economic Partnership, Visit Orlando, BioFlorida, and Innovate Orlando. Seymour is a past chair of the statewide Florida Research Consortium, StarterStudio, an entrepreneurial support nonprofit organization in downtown Orlando, and Shepherd’s Hope, which provides free medical care to more than 20,000 uninsured patients annually throughout Central Florida.

Now retired, Seymour and his wife, Katie, remain active community volunteers, including training puppies for Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that provides services dogs for free to those needing assistance.

“For his exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment to UCF, and his visionary approach to higher education, I can think of no one more deserving of the honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service than Thad Seymour,” Johnson stated in his letter. “His contributions have left a lasting legacy at UCF and within the Central Florida community.”

Honorary degrees require a detailed nomination process, a recommendation from the university president, and ultimately, approval from the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees’ vote, which occurred on Sept. 27, 2024, for one to awarded to Seymour was unanimous.

“The bestowing of degrees at commencement was always my favorite part of the year at UCF, so to be recognized in this way, by the university that Katie, [my wife], and I so deeply love, is truly an honor,” Seymour says.

As Seymour joined Knights who were awarded nearly 6,500 degrees this semester, he encouraged them to do three things: honor this special place and take it with them, celebrate the “crooked path” that lies ahead, and be the best leader they could be.

“Ultimately, I found my way back to academia, having the honor and pleasure to work with incredible leaders at UCF who were redefining the future of higher education. I couldn’t have planned or predicted my ‘crooked path’ any better than you will be able to,” Seymour said during his commencement speech. “But by celebrating it you are always ready to pivot when a new and unexpected opportunity appears before you. Armed with what UCF has provided to you, I’m confident that your path will be rewarding and impactful in ways you can’t even imagine today.”