Tunnicliffs Endow Scholarship for Women's Basketball
By Bill Bunker
Admiration of a particular coach or athlete provides the impetus for many contributions to Florida State University athletics. Bobby Bowden's successful football program attracts the majority of gifts, but when Charles Tunnicliff decided to give, he focused on women's basketball coach Sue Semrau.
"I've always been intrigued by women's basketball and the women's basketball program. My daughters played as youngsters," said the 1966 business and 1971 FSU Law School graduate. "When Sue came to FSU I felt she might be the coach to lead us to another championship. For FSU to become athletically prominent, we need to win the Sears Trophy and, in order to do that, we have to excel in sports other than football. I think she's doing an outstanding job, and I'm glad I am able to help."
At the same time Tunnicliff endowed a women's basketball scholarship, his wife, Cynthia, who also holds bachelor's and law degrees from FSU, contributed $50,000 to the FSU Alumni Center Fund. She recently served as Chair of the National Alumni Board. They are Golden Chiefs and avid Seminole football fans.
Charles and Cynthia met as Florida State students in the mid-1960s. She graduated from St. Petersburg's Boca Ciega High School and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. He was born in Johnson City, N.Y., and lived in Davenport, Iowa, and St. Louis, Mo., before moving to Thomasville, Ga., which became his entry point to Florida State.
As an undergraduate he worked in ad sales and as advertising manager for the now-defunct Florida Flambeau, FSU's student newspaper. Following two years of service as an Army officer and receipt of his law degree, Charles spent two years as general manager of the Flambeau, by then an independent publication.
Tunnicliff has worked for 25 years as an attorney with the Florida Department of Professional Regulation. Cynthia practices with the Pennington Law Firm. None of their three children attended FSU, nor do they live in Tallahassee, but all remain fans of the Seminoles.
"They all had the option of attending FSU if they wanted, but because they were born and raised in Tallahassee, it was time to experience someplace else."
Daughter Jeanette Goldsmith attended Smith as an undergraduate and received a graduate degree from Duke. She works for a consulting firm in Greenville, N.C. Son Phillip, an Auburn graduate, works in construction management in South Florida. Daughter Andrea and son-in-law Christian Amos, graduates of Greensboro College in Greensboro, N.C., are moving this summer from Tallahassee to Calhoun, Ga., where he will become offensive coordinator for Gordon County High School. The head coach there was an FSU graduate assistant.
Charles and Cynthia, however, have sunk deep roots in Tallahassee. "We wanted to stay here because of FSU and because we like Tallahassee," he said.
"We have made wonderful friends in Tallahassee and have become a part of the community because we were welcomed by them. It's been a wonderful experience for both of us. We've prospered and had a good time."
Both serve as directors of the LeMoyne Art Foundation, play key roles in the staging of the annual Red Hills Horse Trials, and are heavily involved in Maclay Gardens and its "Pops in the Garden" symphony.
Their financial contributions to the Boosters and Alumni Association mirror their deep affection for Florida State.
"When I arrived at FSU as a freshman, I was extremely thankful that they would take me, and when I came back to law school I felt the same way," Charles said. "All of my successes are related to the fact that I went to Florida State University, and I feel an intense love and loyalty to the institution. I could have given this money to anything, but it was athletics that I enjoyed and liked."
Tunnicliff believes Florida State's women's programs may be lagging behind other schools and that they deserve better.
"I definitely think that women's sports need more support, and I think it needs to start from the grass roots and swell up," he said. "Women's basketball has gone from a sport that attracted two to three hundred fans to one that draws 600 to 1,000, but it should be bigger now that most games are played at the Civic Center. The practice facility is a huge step forward for the women's program. I think as long as the boosters are involved in all the programs there will be support, but we always need better facilities to attract better players. Other ACC schools have improved their facilities to compete with FSU, and we need to keep upgrading."
Facilities notwithstanding, he feels the program is in good hands with Semrau. "I can't say enough about Sue. I think she is tremendously vital and brings great enthusiasm to her job. She's instilled that spirit not only in the people who play for her, but in others as well. That's a good sign in a coach."