Peter King

UWF degree and year of graduation:
Cum Laude BA, Philosophy, 1973
Cum Laude BA, Religious Studies, 1973
Honorary Doctorate, Fine Arts, 2003

Why did you choose to attend UWF?
UWF was recommended to me by an instructor at St. Petersburg Junior College. I came to Pensacola to visit over Spring Break and fell in love with the campus. I was impressed by the caliber of instructors UWF had. I feel that I got an Ivy League education at a public school price.

What were your goals as a student?
Studying and learning as much as I could.

What is your best memory from your days at UWF?
All of the great classes I had. I had so much fun learning with high-powered professors. There were so many great people. I enjoyed engaging the professors. I was always the one asking tons of questions. Professors didn’t have to talk as much because I was doing so much talking!

Who was your favorite professor and why?
Dr. William Mountcastle. We really hit it off. I started UWF as a psychology major. I took one class with Dr. Mountcastle and changed my major to religious studies.

What do you do now?
I teach workshops in Architectural Ceramics; I own StoneHaus Architectural Ceramics in Pensacola; I design and produce ceramic artwork; I write articles for national and international magazines and reviews; I am planning to build an art school with my wife, Xinia Marin, on 21 acres we own in the mountains of Costa Rica.

How did UWF help you progress to this point?
The education I received – I had great professors who taught me how to really read, write, and learn. I am now able to read, study and learn so many different things, no matter how dry the material because of how I was taught to learn. I was able to teach myself Spanish without ever taking a course. Almost everything I learned about ceramics was self-taught by reading books about it.

How do you stay connected to UWF?
I am always doing something there. In 1995 while working at the University of Costa Rica I met so many students from other Florida universities, but none from UWF. I started trying to establish getting UWF students down there to study and take advantage of the art program the University of Costa Rica has. UWF students finally did their first show in Costa Rica last year and a show from the University of Costa Rica will be coming to UWF next year. I have also donated my own works of art to UWF. The most recent piece of art being “Dance of the Sun and Moon,” which I created with Xinia Marin. It will be dedicated during the UWF’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. There is also a piece at WUWF which is dedicated to Dr. Tom Perry, who was the first station director.

What advice do you have to current and future UWF students?
Don’t think about training, think about education. Study something that’s not in your field to broaden your horizons.

What quality makes UWF special or unique?
The isolation of the campus – it has a physical beauty. It is still a small school, so you get a chance to know everyone in your department. The intimacy is nice – you don’t get lost.

Outside of working, what activities and organizations are you currently involved in and what are your hobbies?
I am mainly involved with working and lecturing at different schools and promoting UWF studies at the University of Costa Rica. My hobbies include reading – I love to read philosophy, foreign affairs, history, usually what I read is academic. I also love to travel, but now I mainly travel to Costa Rica.

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