Search

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 College of Education records 1965-2014, contains documents and ephemera from the founding of the college as well as council and committee records, annual reports, and renovation plans which contain valuable information about the projects and concerns of the college throughout its existence. There are also documents and photographs from the Exceptional Education Institute, Alumni of the Decade, and the 40th anniversary of the College. The College of Education was among the first individual colleges established at the University of Central Florida (formerly Florida Technological University). Although it initially lacked a dedicated building, the college's size was considerable, boasting a large number of students and staff. Later, in 1976, the Educational Teaching Gymnasium (now the Education Complex) was built and became home to the College of Education. In 2003, the Teaching Academy (TA) building was completed, providing the bulk of classrooms and offices for College of Education faculty, staff, and students.

Florida Technological University, now the University of Central Florida, set out in 1968 to create a program of nursing that would be accessible to students in Central Florida. This collection contains the correspondence, minutes, and curriculum pertaining to the creation and implementation of the Department of Nursing at UCF. In 1995, the Department of Nursing became the School of Nursing and in 2007, the school became the College of Nursing, which is the university's eleventh college.

This collection is organized in one chronological series and seven subseries that includes items such as constitutional revisions, meeting minutes, surveys, analyses, reports and correspondence as well as many other miscellaneous senate documents.

Initially founded as the FTU Foundation, Inc. in 1969, the UCF Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization that performs a multitude of services for the University of Central Florida, including acting as financial advisors, real estate consultants, and the university's primary fund-raising arm. This collection contains materials pertaining to the FTU/UCF Foundation, its creation, operation and fund-raising projects.

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.

The University of Central Florida Memorabilia collection, 1965-2020 documents University of Central Florida (UCF) events and activities, such as such as homecoming, various sporting events, building dedications, and university anniversaries. It chiefly contains a variety of memorabilia, including t-shirts, cups, glassware, buttons, pins, programs, plaques, and other commemorative objects related to UCF students, alumni, faculty, staff, and university presidents. It also includes memorabilia from UCF's early days as Florida Technological University. The Pegasus Seal, the university's emblem, is featured on many objects, including those created when the university was named Florida Technological University. This artificial collection was brought together by UCF Special Collections & University Archives staff over time from various known and unknown sources. Items continue to be added as they are collected. Originally named Florida Technological University, the University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public multi-campus, metropolitan research university. Florida Technological University (FTU) was founded in 1963 by the State of Florida to provide educated professionals to work in the growing space program. Building began in 1967 and classes started in 1968. Charles N. Millican served as the founding president. His successor, H. Trevor Colbourn, started the university's football program. In 1978, FTU's name was officially changed to UCF. Steven Altman presided over the university from 1989-1991. John C. Hitt served as president from 1992 until 2018. Dale Whittaker was UCF's fifth president from 2018 to 2019. Alexander Cartwright became the university's president in 2020.

The Office of the General Counsel strives to protect the University of Central Florida from adverse legal and financial consequences and to provide counseling to university units and departments by using the foundational principles that guide the conduct, performance, and decisions of the university. This collection of records contains documents relating to the General Counsel's dealings with the legal advice and cases the university has been involved in the past.

Charles N. Millican was the first President of Florida Technological University, serving from 1 December 1965 until 31 January 1978. This collection of his administrative papers documents the organization of Florida's university system during those years with particular reference to the decision to found a new university in Central Florida and the physical and philosophical construction of the university that would become the University of Central Florida. Millican's papers include his correspondence, speeches and reports, State University System reports, as well as minutes of the Board of Regents and the Council of Presidents meetings. Of particular interest are documents that were written before his appointment, which concern the establishment of the University, initial planning conferences, site selection and legislative lobbying. After his appointment, topics of historical significance include construction, five-year plan, groundbreaking, dedication and presidential inauguration. Photographs are distributed throughout the record group and show faculty, students, staff, administrators, buildings and dignitaries who had any involvement with the University or its president. All aspects of university life are represented in these papers, academic affairs and faculty achievements, student affairs, and administrative decisions. Commencement ceremonies are well documented especially President Richard M. Nixon's speech at the 1973 commencement. Other topics in the collection include evaluation of the president, college housing program, faculty opinions and regional campuses.

H. Trevor Colbourn was the second president of Florida Technological University and the first president of the University of Central Florida because he was responsible for the name change. Dr. Colbourn served from 1978 to 1989, and during that time, he established the football program, honors program, Institute of Simulation and Training, and Central Florida Research Park. The collection of correspondence, reports, memoranda, photographs and pamphlets not only covers the period of his presidency but also his earlier research interests and subsequent service to the university as Professor of History and University Historian. Included in these materials are earlier documents created by Dr. Colbourn's predecessor, Dr. Charles N. Millican.