Davie may be best known for horses, ranches and its Western character, but education has played an equally important role in shaping the town. From a small pioneer school serving children in an agricultural community to a modern hub of colleges, universities and research, Davie’s educational history mirrors the town’s remarkable growth.
That story begins with the Old Davie School, built in 1918 for just $12,000. Designed by prominent architect August Geiger, it was the first permanent school in the Everglades and today is Broward County’s oldest existing school building. About 90 students from Davie and surrounding farming areas attended during its early years. The school became more than a place for lessons; it also served as an important gathering place for the young community.
Decades later, education would again help transform Davie—this time on a much larger scale.
In 1959, the Florida Legislature authorized what became Broward College. Its permanent Central Campus was built on the former Forman Field, a World War II-era military aviation site in Davie. The college moved there in 1963, helping establish the area as a center for higher education.
That same former airfield would also become home to Nova Southeastern University. Founded in 1964 as Nova University of Advanced Technology, the university later moved from downtown Fort Lauderdale to Davie. What began as a graduate research institution expanded into a major university offering programs in fields ranging from law and business to medicine, psychology, education and computing. Today, its Davie/Fort Lauderdale campus is home to 12 colleges, centers and schools.
Florida Atlantic University added another major presence when its Davie campus was established in 1990. Located alongside Broward College as part of the South Florida Education Center, the campus now offers coursework in approximately 30 degree programs and includes more than 300,000 square feet of classrooms, laboratories and offices. It is also an important base for environmental research, including work related to Everglades restoration.
Together, these institutions have changed the character of Davie. Thousands of students arrive each day to study everything from nursing and business to science, education, law and medicine. Faculty, researchers and graduates have also helped create a steady connection between the town and South Florida’s healthcare, business and professional communities.
Yet Davie’s educational story still circles back to its beginnings. The Old Davie School now operates as a museum, where students can sit inside a restored classroom, write with dip pens and learn what life was like for Broward’s early settlers.
In a town famous for preserving its past, education has continually pointed Davie toward its future. From a one-room pioneer experience to sprawling university campuses, learning has been one of the quiet forces behind Davie’s transformation for more than a century.
