Warrington College of Business mourns the loss of Gary Gerson

It is with deep sadness that the University of Florida Warrington College of Business shares the loss of one of its alumni and significant supporters – Gary R. Gerson (BSAc ‘54, MBA ‘55). The namesake of Gerson Hall, the home of the Fisher School of Accounting, passed on October 22 at the age of 92.

“The building of Gerson Hall was a transformative event for the Fisher School,” said Gary McGill, Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Fisher School of Accounting and Hough Graduate School of Business. “Gary Gerson exemplified service to the accounting profession and serves as a role model for our students.”

Originally born in Maryland, Gerson grew up in Miami Beach and attended the University of Florida, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and master’s in business administration. While a student at the University of Florida, Gerson tutored more than 60 athletes on the Florida Gators football team under Coach Bob Woodruff. 

“And not one player lost eligibility due to grades during my tenure,” he said in a 2016 interview with The Miami Herald. “The tutoring made such an impact that in 2002, they made me the only non-athlete to ever be inducted into UF’s Athletic Hall of Fame.”

Gerson quickly earned his CPA degree after graduating from the University of Florida, becoming the youngest CPA in the United States at just 21 years old. 

During the Korean War, Gerson was commissioned in the U.S. Navy and served as Assistant Gunnery and Operations Officer on a destroyer escort. After two years of sea duty, he was appointed to the Navy Area Audit Office in Orlando where he was responsible for auditing tens of millions of dollars of contracts. 

He launched his own public accounting practice in Miami Beach in 1958, a firm that would become Gerson Preston Robinson & Company. Originally a one-man shop, the firm is now Gerson Preston Klein Lips Eisenberg & Gelber, one of the largest independent accounting firms with nearly 100 employees and offices across South Florida. 

Proud of his business’ humble beginnings, Gerson used the same desk throughout his entire career. After telling a local furniture owner he was looking for a desk to use at his CPA firm, the shop owner said he would make Gerson the “nicest desk in South Florida” if Gerson would help get his taxes up to date. 

“That desk sits in my office to this day and is the only piece of furniture that moved from our old office to our new location,” Gerson told the Miami Herald. “It reminds me to come into work every day with the same hunger and passion that I did nearly 60 years ago when starting this firm.”

Gerson’s leadership extended beyond his CPA firm. He was a fervent advocate for education, and the University of Florida was among the beneficiaries of Gerson’s generous support. Over the years, Gerson supported several scholarships in the Warrington College of Business and College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, with a focus on Jewish studies programs. Gerson also established the UF Academic and Tutoring Department for athletes and funded scholarships at both Florida International University and the University of Miami. 

In 1994, Gerson was honored with the university’s most prestigious award, the Distinguished Alumnus Award for his dedication to supporting the University of Florida and its students. 

“Philanthropy has always been part of who I am,” he said. “As soon as I started making money, I also started giving back to charities and causes I felt passionate about. This not only benefited me as a person, but has also helped expand our firm’s business and social network. I enjoy fundraising for organizations in which I’m involved because I care deeply about the cause.”

Read more about Gerson in his obituary.