Collections

This collection contains the research materials collected by Archimedes L. A. Patti for use in his historical writings. Known for his military career, his work in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and his relationship with Ho Chi Minh, Patti was recognized later in life as a respected researcher and historian on Indochina affairs. Notes, manuscripts, ephemera, photographs, maps, books and scrapbooks are held in this collection. Of important note are photographs given to Patti by Ho Chi Minh in 1945.

The Archival collection of Dr. Charles N. Millican from the collection of Norman Van Meter, 1900-2004 contains photographs, news clippings, and personal letters about Charles Millican. The photographs range from social events to private family photos. This collection provides insight into the life and career of Dr. Charles Millican. Charles Norman Millican was born October 9, 1916 in Wilson, Arkansas. He earned a B.S. in Business and Religion from Union University in 1941. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Economics from George Peabody College and became Acting Head of the Commerce Department at Union University. The Millicans moved to Florida in 1948 where Millican studied for his Ph.D. in Business Finance and Economics. When Dr. Millican was appointed President of the new university in 1965, the university had no name, no buildings, no faculty and no students; he had to create the university over which he would preside. After Millican's appointment, he hired staff, found premises, and began the slow process of creating his university. He established the twin tenets of "Accent on the Individual" and "Accent on Excellence," which continue to guide the University, and the motto, "Reach for the Stars". Although he retired as President in 1978, Millican returned to teaching finance as a professor in the College of Business at the University of Central Florida, as it was now known, and earned the title President Emeritus. He chaired the Orange County Community Referendum Committee, which passed the resort tax that built the Orange County Convention Center. He has received Distinguished Alumnus awards from both the University of Florida and Union University, and he received honorary LL.D. degrees from Rollins College and UCF.

The Bromeliad Society International (BSI) Archive consists of historical materials, including photographs related to cultivation of bromeliads; field notes related to the collection of bromeliads in the wild; list of plant entries in judged bromeliad shows; incoming and outgoing correspondence from early bromeliad growers; biographies; administrative records of the BSI such as, copyright registrations, copies of meeting minutes, annual reports, and bylaws; BSI publications; and ephemera, including posters and pins. The purpose of the BSI is to promote and maintain public and scientific interest in the research, development, preservation, and distribution of bromeliads, both natural and hybrid, throughout the world.

George Millay founded both Sea World and Wet 'n Wild for which he was named Father of the Waterpark Industry. This collection of correspondence, photographs, memorabilia, news clippings, reports and audio visual materials documents the complicated and not always successful process of building a new waterpark. In addition to materials concerning Sea World and Wet 'n Wild, the collection contains information on George Millay's other projects and his personal achievements.

This collection is comprised of research files, correspondence, news clippings, certificates, medical records, photographs, and a scrapbook that belonged to attorney and politician John L. Ducker, who was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1960-1968 and the Florida state Senate from 1968-1971. Items in the collection pertain to his personal activities, in addition to his longtime interest in politics, world and local events of the day, as well as legal affairs. John L. Ducker was one of the sponsors of the legislation establishing Florida Technological University (FTU) what is now University of Central Florida (UCF). The entire collection is open for research.

The collection is filled with Cuban history and researched materials on society's past was created by Cuban and American journalist José Guerra Alemán. The materials range from photographs of his travels to cultural sites and countries to personal notes on literature of other scholars' works and his published books. He is most notable of his published four-volume encyclopedia on Cuban history called Cuba Infinita.

Mary Monroe was a theatre student at FTU in the 1970s. Her collection of photographs, news clippings, and programs document the theatre performances during that time.

Michael A. Spencer assembled this collection of publications, photographs, drawings, correspondence programs and other materials focusing on the discovery, taxonomy and cultivation of bromeliads. Mulford B. Foster, Racine Foster and Lyman B. Smith are among the significant bromeliad collectors whose work is documented here.

Julian Nally grew bromeliads and other plants on the property that had once belonged to Henry Nehrling at Gotha, Florida. This collection documents both his work at the property and his personal life.

The NASA Photograph collection, 1962-2001 contains over 10,000 color transparencies, color and black and white photographs documenting National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) activities in the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida from 1962 to 2001. The photographs chronicle the building of space shuttle programs such as Skylab, Apollo, Soyuz, and Space Transportation System (STS) missions. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the United States government's civilian agency responsible for space exploration, aeronautics research, and scientific discovery. Established on October 1, 1958, through the National Aeronautics and Space Act, was created in response to growing national interest in space exploration during the Cold War. NASA has led numerous landmark programs, including the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and Artemis programs.