1927 – Webber College was established in Babson Park near Lakeland on this date. Now called Webber International University, the school is a private institution focused on business education. The school’s founder Roger Babson was an entrepreneur, investor and prominent business theorist who founded a number of business colleges around the country in the early 20th century. Webber was one of the first business schools founded in the U.S. exclusively for women. It is now coeducational.