DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday attended the ceremonial naming of the football stadium at American Heritage School in Delray Beach.
William R. Laurie Field is named after the CEO and founder of American Heritage Schools, which has locations in Delray Beach and Plantation.
Laurie, who was in attendance at Monday's dedication, founded American Heritage Schools in 1965. American Heritage has "grown to become the top private school in the nation for academic excellence," according to its website.
"American Heritage has been recognized as being No. 1 among all private schools for producing National Merit Scholars, including 15 among the class of 2024," DeSantis said.
Laurie spoke with WPTV about what the announcement means to him.
"I am overwhelmed with some of the comments that were made, but so much of it, I have to say, were the people that were working with me all these 60 years," Laurie said. "Each and every one of them has been a very positive part of my success and our success in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties. When you find something that you love, you are very, very fortunate in this world. So many people go through their lives and never find something they love — no matter whether it's a low-paying job or a high-paying job. That's what's important — to find your likeness, your love for something."
He said having the field bear his name is something the 94-year-old has hoped for.
"I've wanted the field named after me because it's meant so much to me from my playing football days in high school to watching college football and developing the football program here," Laurie said.
