Hollins was considered progressive for his time, said the school's principal in 2020, Robert Florio, citing his advocacy of equality in education and hiring of graduates from historically black colleges and universities.

His family owned and operated one of the largest ranches in the state in Citrus County from 1942 until 1992 when all but a small portion was sold upon the death of his son, Maurice L. Hollins.

In 1971, the school became national news when the campus became embroiled in a community protest against racial integration through forced busing.

Its original mascot, "the Rebel"—an aged, white-haired colonel[9]—was a play on the relationship between the term "Dixie" and the Confederate States.

[10] In 1989, the Rebel was subjected to criticism as a racist symbol, but the student body at the time voted to keep the mascot unchanged.