Collections

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 University of Central Florida Building Renderings Collection is comprised of both original and printed artwork that was created to give its audience a glimpse of what a potential building on the campus of Florida Technological University would look like before it was constructed. While all of the buildings featured in this collection were eventually constructed, some features of the buildings are different than what the renderings depict. The majority of the artwork was created in 1966, before major construction on the campus was started; however, there are a few pieces that date through to 1968.

The University of Central Florida Commencement Video collection, 1989-2005 contains video recordings of graduation ceremonies for Fall, Spring, and Summer terms at the University of Central Florida (UCF) between the years of 1998 and 2005 on video cassettes and DVDs. The commencement video recordings document these events and provide audiovisual evidence of the university's traditions, leadership, and graduating classes over time. The University of Central Florida (UCF), founded in 1963 as Florida Technological University (FTU), holds commencement ceremonies to recognize and celebrate the academic achievements of its graduates after each Fall, Spring, and Summer semester. Commencements have taken place in the Orlando Municipal Auditorium, inside a drained Reflection Pond, outside Trevor Colbourn Hall, and the Addition Financial Arena. These ceremonies confer degrees and honor student accomplishments. Past commencement speakers include astronaut John Young in 1970 and United States President Richard Nixon in 1973.

The collection contains materials created and used by the UCF Presidential Inauguration Committee for the inauguration celebration of UCF's fourth president, John C. Hitt. Event maps, brochures, correspondence, budgets, inauguration day materials, President Hitt's inauguration speech, and letters of congratulation from academic institutions world wide are found here.

The John C. Hitt collection, 1963-2018 (bulk 1992-2018), is made up of materials collected during John C. Hitt's 26 years as president of the University of Central Florida, as well as memorabilia he owned from before his time at the University. These items pertain to his presidency and contain correspondence with other university presidents and notes sent within the Office of the President, as well as various awards and memorabilia collected throughout his presidency. These include magazines, VHS tapes, books, shirts, photos, and a signed basketball. John C. Hitt was born on December 1, 1940 in Houston, Texas. On March 1, 1992, Hitt was appointed as the fourth president of the University of Central Florida (UCF). As president, he awarded over 260,000 degrees and opened several buildings across campus, including the Bright House Networks Stadium, Student Union, and Burnett Honors College. Enrollment at UCF more than tripled during his tenure, graduation and retention rates rose, minority enrollment increased from 17% to 46%, and the average SAT score for incoming freshmen increased by over 300. On June 30, 2018, after 26 years of service, Hitt retired. He died on February 20, 2023 at the age of 82 and is survived by his wife Martha Hitt as well as their two children, Charles and Sharon.

The University of Central Florida is a public multi-campus, metropolitan research university that not only educates the local community but also partners with technological companies and with educational facilities abroad. As Chief Executive Officer of the University, the president has support from a large team; therefore, the Records of the Office of the President document the University's major interests. Nevertheless, correspondence, reports, minutes, leaflets and news clippings also show the breadth and depth of the president's work and his personal interests.

The University of Central Florida scrapbooks contains bound and unbound scrapbooks created by offices, organizations, and individuals affiliated with Florida Technological University (FTU), now University of Central Florida (UCF) which relate to the University's history, including university presidents, academics, athletics and extramural sports, student organizations and activities, and alumni. Materials in this collection include news clippings, photographs, correspondence, ephemera, and microfilm. This collection provides insight into UCF's history, the early activities of university organizations and programs, and the way these actitivties were documented. The University of Central Florida (UCF), then Florida Tecnhological University (FTU), was founded in 1963 and welcomed its first class of students in 1968. At its founding, FTU aimed to provide science, technology, enfineering and math education to support the growing United States space program in Florida. FTU was renamed in 1978 to the University of Central Florida, and broadened its academic scope. These scrapbooks were created and collected by various parties affiliated with UCF.