TALLAHASSEE — Florida State University College of Law alumni Tommy Warren, a 1974 graduate and prominent Tallahassee civil rights attorney, and his wife Kathy Villacorta, a 1977 graduate, have made an additional $100,000 cash gift to the law school. The gift will expand and bolster the existing Calvin Patterson Civil Rights Endowed Scholarship, which the couple established in 2004 with a $100,000 gift. The original gift was eligible for a 50 percent match from the state of Florida, providing an additional $50,000 for the permanent endowment. In recognition of the additional gift, the Admissions Office in the law school’s new Advocacy Center will be named the Calvin Patterson Admissions Office.

The Calvin Patterson Civil Rights Endowed Scholarship pays tribute to the university’s first African-American football player, who Warren became close friends with while playing football and rooming together at Florida State. The scholarship will be used in general to enrich the law school and to provide internships and scholarships to College of Law students who have demonstrated a significant interest in and commitment to protecting and furthering the civil rights of women, African-Americans, and the LGBT community, including, but not limited to, in the areas of employment, health, voting, education, or housing and who are committed to a career in those fields.

“My friendship with Calvin had a profound impact on who I am personally and what I have done professionally,” said Warren. “It is our hope that this scholarship will ensure that there are competent and committed attorneys willing to provide representation in all of the areas identified in the expanded endowed scholarship. We also hope the expansion of the Patterson Scholarship will encourage other law school alums to support these goals by contributing to the Scholarship.”

“We are all extremely grateful to Tommy and Kathy for their generosity and for their vision of a law school and legal system that serve all our citizens,” said Dean Don Weidner.

Warren practices in Tallahassee, Florida, specializing in class action fair employment law.