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Series I: History of CREOL, 1984-1991 includes a brief overview at the beginning that explains how the materials came to be collected and thereafter are arranged chronologically. Dr. Martin Stickly asked Dr. Ronald L. Phillips to collate the materials that show how government support was rallied, funds were solicited and faculty hired for CREOL. These records include letters, memoranda, reports and news releases and they provide insight into the history of CREOL. Originally created as the State University System's Center of Excellence in optical and laser sciences, the Center for Research in Electro-Optics and Lasers was renamed in 1996 as the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers. It is now a research center within the College of Optics & Photonics. CREOL provides education in optical science and engineering, conducts scholarly fundamental and applied research and aids in the development of Florida's technology-based industries.

This collection provides insight into the creation of the University of Central Florida seal and contains correspondence, drawings, photographs, and news releases. Series I: Correspondence, 1966-1967, holds correspondence and sketches from various designers, citizens, Board of Regents officials, and Dr. Charles Millican. The correspondence in this series shows how the search for the seal began and the effort by the Board of Regents to gather information from all of the public and private Florida universities. Series II: Seal Design, 1967, holds notes, suggestions photographs, and logo examples. Many handwritten lists were created as well as typewritten seal queries for the FTU staff. There are also handwritten notes that were taken during an unnamed university seal conference. Series III: Publicity, 1968, holds news releases, a photograph, and a graphics usage brochure. The collection holds several copies of the news release sent to inform the public of the new FTU seal design. A photograph and a copy of the newspaper article it was featured in is included in this collection, as well as a university publication that explains how to use the university seal in digital form. Series IV: University Seal Preliminary Designs, undated (est. 1967-1968), is comprised of artwork created as design concepts for the new university seal. There are forty-two in this series and all are primarily made from a heavy paper or paper board while some use plastic sheets with logos painted on them to create the final piece. The seal of the University of Central Florida was one of the first items created for Florida Technological University. In 1966, a local citizen wrote a letter to the Florida Governor asking to take into consideration some thoughts he had as to what the new seal should look like. Within a few months, the staff at the newly formed Florida Technological University, with the help of the Board of Regents, began to collect information and designer input as to what the new seal should be. In a twenty-two month long process, the seal was finally chosen and unveiled to the public on April 5th, 1968. The final seal is made up of the Pegasus, designed to "bridge the gap between the humanities and space technology" and was chosen to keep with the university's goal of moving forward and making a "rendezvous with space and the stars". This collection highlights the initial correspondence between the community and the university and the task undertaken by the staff at FTU to create the new university seal.

The Colbourn Oral History collection contains interviews conducted between Dr. Colbourn and people who were vital to the foundation of the University such as founders, previous presidents, donators, faculty/staff, and other contributors. This collection offers insight into the founding of Florida Technological University (now, the University of Central Florida) Series I: Final Transcripts, 1987-2006 contains the final released transcripts of the interviews along with duplicates of those transcripts. Series II: Edited Transcripts, 1993-2006 contains the edited transcripts of the final transcripts that have not been released to the public by the interviewee. Series III: Audio Tapes, 1995-2006 contains the audio tapes of the original interviews. These audio tapes have also not been released to the public by the interviewee. H. Trevor Colbourn was born in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia on 24 February 1927. Known by his second name, Trevor Colbourn became President of Florida Technological University, now UCF, in 1978. After retiring as president, Dr. Colbourn returned to teaching history full-time at the University. In 1990, he earned the title President Emeritus and assumed the role of University Historian in 1991. As part of the latter appointment, he compiled an oral history of the University. Dr. Colbourn interviewed many people that were vital to the foundation of the University, such as founders, other presidents, donors, faculty, and staff.

In the 1970s, Michael Berman was taking photographs for the Theatre Department of the Florida Technological University (now, University of Central Florida) and the campus newspaper, the Central Florida Future. Taken while attending and then working at the university, the collection contains black and white and color negatives that depict moments of the everyday life at the university, theatrical acts, various events both on and outside of campus, portraits, as well as nature scenes.

This collection includes documents pertaining to Michael Crumpton's involvement with Florida Technological University's Village Center, with the Association of College Unions International, and with proposing a new student union for FTU. The collection contains a phone survey used to research the university's name change from FTU to UCF, a proposal for a new student union, and a proposal for the Village Center's first minority committee.