USF’s soccer stadium has a direct link to the Declaration of Independence

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing

Fifteen years ago, a $1.5 million gift from Dick and Cornelia "Cornie" Corbett transformed USF's soccer stadium into one of the nation's premier collegiate venues. Less obvious was what came with it: A direct connection to the founding of the United States.

Cornelia Corbett, whose last name now adorns the stadium, is a descendant of Elbridge Gerry, one of the men who helped shape the nation's earliest years and is counted among the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

As the university celebrates its 70th anniversary and the nation its 250th, that connection places USF within a broader arc that stretches from the founding era to present day.

"Cornie comes from a family that was there at the very beginning of the country, the Founding Fathers," said her husband, Dick Corbett, a former aide to President John F. Kennedy who later worked in the Kennedy business office and on U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. He's now one of Tampa's leading real estate developers. "When your roots go back to people who helped shape the nation, it gives you a different perspective on giving back."

The connection begins with Gerry, Cornelia Corbett's great-great-great grandfather.

Born July 17, 1744, into a merchant family in Marblehead, Massachusetts, Gerry emerged as an early critic of British rule. He opposed the sale and consumption of British tea in the years leading up to the American Revolution, served in the Massachusetts legislature and later represented the colony in the Continental Congress.

Gerry's role in supporting independence led John Adams to praise him by writing, "If every Man here was a Gerry, the Liberties of America would be safe against the Gates of Earth and Hell."

When the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, Gerry was among the delegates supporting the break from Great Britain. Though absent from the formal ceremony on Aug. 2, he signed the document around a month later and is recognized as one of its 56 signatories. Today, his name remains among the most legible on the Declaration.

However, when asked to sign the U.S. Constitution, Gerry refused, arguing it did not do enough to limit federal power or protect individual liberties. His objections helped fuel demands for additional protections, contributing to the adoption of the Bill of Rights. He went on to serve under President James Madison as fifth vice president of the United States.

"Roots like that shaped Cornie's lasting commitment to giving back," Dick Corbett said.

That commitment deepened when the Gerry and Corbett families were joined through the marriage of Dick and Cornelia.

Dick Corbett's own life intersected with another significant chapter in American history. He worked with the Kennedy organization during John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign and was seated near the podium when Kennedy delivered his infamous, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" remarks during his 1961 inauguration ceremony. Corbett then served in the Kennedy business office and became national treasurer of Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign before building a successful development career that included Tampa's International Plaza.

Cornelia Corbett later owned the Tampa Bay Rowdies from 1986 through 1993.

Despite neither attending the university, together the Corbetts made philanthropy a priority, with USF among their most significant commitments.

Their support includes a gift that helped build Corbett Stadium and a later $500,000 donation that funded the digital wall inside the Muma College of Business building on the Tampa campus. Made up of 32 high-resolution screens, the wall serves as a central information hub featuring a stock ticker; student, faculty and alumni stories; campus announcements; social media feeds; and live news programming.

"USF is part of our community," Dick Corbett said. "We've always believed that if you have the ability to help, you should. That is what this great nation was founded on. Supporting the students here just felt like the right thing to do."