Flagler College is a private four-year liberal arts college in St. Augustine, Florida, United States. It was founded in 1968 and offers 29 majors and 34 minors.
The college has been named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the "Best Regional Colleges in the South" (ranks #2 in 2018 and 2017) and in The Princeton Review "Best 380 Colleges."
The campus comprises 19 acres and the centerpiece of which is the Ponce de León Hotel, built in 1888 as a luxury hotel. The architects were John Carrere and Thomas Hastings, working for Henry Morrison Flagler, the industrialist, oil magnate and railroad pioneer. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lawrence Lewis, Jr., was the driving force behind Flagler's development. It was his vision to create a small, private liberal arts college on the old hotel grounds. Lewis was Chairman of Flagler's Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, guiding the college through a reorganization in 1971. He directed millions of dollars through foundations, family and personal funds into new construction, restoration projects, endowment and various other programs to ensure Flager's continued success. Lewis was related to Henry Flagler through his mother, Louise Wise Lewis Francis, who was the niece of Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, who married Henry Flagler in 1901 making him Lewis' great uncle.