Collections

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 Chris Smith collection, 1985-2012, is comprised of photographs, t-shirts, posters, banners, flyers, newspapers, and other items relating to Daytona LGBTQ+ locals and events, as well as the UCF Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Student Union (GLBSU). The collection documents LGBTQ+ community members and events in Daytona from 1991 to 2012. It includes photographs of drag performances at LGBTQ+ clubs and bars in Daytona Beach. This collection also includes materials relating to speakers and events hosted by the UCF GLBSU, offering insight into the campus experience of LGBTQ+ students in the 1990s. Christopher Lee Smith was a student at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and a former member of the UCF Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Student Union from 1994-1995. Smith was elected as Treasurer of the organization in the Spring 1995 semester. Smith lived in Daytona Beach, FL and participated in various nightlife events within the LGBTQ+ community.

The Henry Okraski collection on modeling and simulation, 1948-2019 (bulk 1961-2007), documents the history of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division and the history of the modeling and simulation field. The collection consists of correspondence, informational and instruction booklets, technical and progress reports, pamphlets, programs, newspaper clippings, articles, overhead projector transparencies, 35 mm projector slides, and a CD. The overhead projector transparencies cover a wide variety of simulation and modeling topics such as advancements made in the field, benefits of use, and graphics of how the simulators work. The 35 mm projector slides contain images of simulators and the machines in use. The photographs contain images of early flight simulators in use. The collection also includes materials related to Henry "Hank" Okraski's professional life and achievements, and a small number of biographical materials related to Luis De Florez, an influential figure in the modeling and simulation industry. Henry "Hank" Carl Okraski was born on January 2, 1936 in Utica, New York to Andrew and Helen Okraski. In 1958, Okraski graduated from Clarkson University with a B.S.  in Electrical Engineering. He later received a master's degree in engineering from the University of Florida. After graduating from Clarkson University, Okraski joined Link Aviation in Binghampton, New York, where he worked as a field engineer. In 1962, Okraski joined the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (then known as the Naval Training Device Center) in Port Washington, New York, working as a GS-11 electrical engineer specializing in field support for naval aviation simulators. Okraski moved up in ranks, becoming the Senior Executive Service as Director of Research and Engineering, Deputy Technical Director, and Chief Scientist. During this time, he also served on multiple NATO study groups. In 1994, Okraski retired from government service.  Post-retirement, he served as a chairman of the board for the National Center for Simulations, which he co-founded, from 1993 to 2003. He was also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Central Florida, where he assisted with developing simulation academic programs, and at Rollins College.

This collection contains the files that Louis Rotundo used for the research of his book, Into the Unknown: The X-1 Story. The book "describes the complete history of the world's first supersonic aircraft, the Bell X-1." Materials consist of manuscripts, reports, interview transcripts, news clippings, photographs, and multimedia. This collection provides insight into the history of the X-1 plane and the work of Louis Rotundo. Louis C. Rotundo was born on October 28, 1949. He graduated from the University of Central Florida (UCF) in 1975 and then worked for United States Senator Lawton Childes as an aide. Rotundo served as a lobbyist for the State of Florida and was employed by UCF from 1980 to 1988 as Special Assistant to the Director of the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) and Special Assistant to the President of UCF from 1984 to 1987. After departing from UCF in 1988, Rotundo worked as the Principal of Louis Rotundo and Associates, a Central Florida based company that specializes in lobbying and consulting.

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.

The Ken Kazmerski collection, 1987-2010, contains forms, photos, shirts, banners, newspaper articles, and memorabilia relating to the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Student Union at the University of Central Florida and other LGBTQ+ topics and organizations in Central Florida. Kenneth "Ken" Kazmerski moved to Orlando, Florida in 1980, joining the University of Central Florida (UCF) as an associate professor of Sociology. In 1983, he was named chair of the Department of Social Work. In 1994, he became the faculty advisor for the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Student Union (GLBSU) at UCF. Kazmerski was a staunch supporter, marching alongside GLBSU students and advocating for funding and increased recognition for the group. Kazmerski retired from UCF in 2003. In 2005, he served on the GLBT History Project committee, a group charged with creating a one-day exhibit for the first Come Out With Pride event in Orlando. Later, the GLBT History Project became an independent organization known as the GLBT History Museum. Kazmerski was a founding member and served as president of the GLBT Museum.

The Marilyn Crotty papers, 1972-2018 (bulk 1976-1978), chiefly consist of news clippings, correspondence, reports, organizational records, and publications collected by Marilyn Crotty during her involvement with the Florida Governor's Commission on the Status of Women (COSOW). This collection documents the commission's organizational history and its efforts toward the betterment of women in the Central Florida area. The collection offers a glimpse into second-wave feminist activism in Florida and strategies in the 1970s to promote the feminist movement and gain support. Marilyn Ettinger Crotty is a Florida educator, activist, and civic leader whose career included work in public service, local government, and higher education. She served on the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, the Florida Environmental Efficiency Study Commission, and the Florida Governor's Commission on the Status of Women (COSOW). In 1982, she established Valencia Community College's Center for Community Leadership, a state-funded institute that provided training programs for local government employees and elected officials. In 1990, the University of Central Florida hired her to direct the John Scott Dailey Institute of Government, a position she held until her retirement in 2018.

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.

The Orlando Shakespeare Theater Collection contains playbills, programs, reviews, newspaper clippings, films, cassettes, reels, and schedules. It also includes items relating to the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival Partnership (OSF) such as Simply Shakespeare, Central Florida's first Shakespearean troupe, and the UCF Shakespeare Summer Institute as well as the NEH grant funded faculty study project "Hamlet: Exploring the Renaissance Mind in Action" which was presented in the Summer 1991.

The Library collection documents the history of the John C. Hitt library. There are several subseries pertaining to different leaders, committees, and departments found within the library. This collection contains photographs, negatives, CDs, VHSs, and documents.