Homer Black (1924-2008) was a highly esteemed member of the College of Business accounting faculty for more than 30 years, many of them as department chair. He is remembered fondly by former students who credit him with laying the foundation for their success. Today, many of Black’s former students are heads of major accounting firms or professors at prestigious universities.

Black was highly regarded in the accounting profession both in Florida and across the nation. He co-authored one of the first accounting text books to be adopted nationally and several accounting handbooks and journal articles.

In addition to serving on numerous Florida State University committees, he was active in professional accounting organizations, most notably the American Accounting Association. He was a co-founder of the Academy for Ethics in Financial Reporting, which disseminated information on best practices in ethical accounting; was a panelist at American Accounting Association meetings; and served on a number of the organization’s committees.

“Dr. Black’s clear instruction and commitment to the accounting profession were demonstrated by the values he taught and practical insight he shared, which were instrumental in my success in public accounting,” said one of his nominators, now the head of a prominent accounting firm, adding he still benefits from Black’s “wise counsel.”

Another former student who had worked as a student assistant said of Black: “Dr. Black worked tirelessly to help ensure career opportunities were available for students with the Big Eight accounting firms. I know he worked behind the scenes to open the door for me in both my internship and my career with EY.” 

– By Barbara Ash