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 Burt Szabo music collection is comprised of sheet music of pieces Burtz Szabo collected, composed, arranged, and/or published. Albert Edward "Burt" Szabo, a composer, arranger, and music educator, was born in Ohio in 1931. He composed and published several pieces of music for barbershop quartets, choruses, schools, and churches. Szabo was a faculty member of the music department at the University of Central Florida (then Florida Technological University). He taught courses in music composition, music theory, and music calligraphy and created the melody and lyrics for the university's alma mater in 1974. A strong proponent of the barbershop musical style, Szabo worked for the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA) in Kenosha, Wisconsin as their Music Publications Editor from 1982 to 1992. He was inducted into the Barbershop Society Hall of Fame in 2009 and worked as an Arrangement judge for the Barbershop Harmony Society. His publications, such as the Barbershop Arranging Manual and his work on the Barbershop Harmony Society staff, cemented his long-lasting influence on the musical style. Szabo passed away in 2022.

The Fairwinds Alumni Center collection contains scrapbooks and photos of alumni events, Orientation Team (O-Team) retreats, and 4EVER KNIGHTS. Included are two framed artworks and a football poster. This collection is useful to historical research on alumni and orientation activities. Series I: Scrapbooks and Photos, 1968-2018 contains scrapbooks, photographs of Orientation team retreats, alumni events, and 4EVER KNIGHTS. The Fairwinds Alumni Center was established in 2005. They offer a range of services for UCF alumni such as networking and programs to better serve the community and alumni. In 1994, UCF alumni created the group, 4EVER KNIGHTS. The Orientation Team, also known as O-Team, is a group of students who participate in incoming students' academic preparedness.

This collection of records contains the findings of FSEC's many research projects as well as grant proposals, yearly and mid-term reports, newsletters, newspapers, printed PowerPoint presentations, emails, and memos. This collection is useful to research on the activities of the Florida Solar Energy Center. Series I: Reports, 1974-2009 contains reports sanctioned by FSEC and includes proposals, test methods, assessments, projects, annual performances, mid-term performances, et al. Series II: Other Publications, 1977-2012 contains publications (no report/control number) both sanctioned by and not sanctioned about FSEC and includes newsletters, news reports, programs, products, directories, et al. Series III: Miscellaneous, 2001-2010 contains documents both sanctioned and not sanctioned by FSEC and includes powerpoint presentations, lists, and workshops. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) is a research institute of the University of Central Florida that serves as the epicenter for Florida's solar activity. As said by the UCF Report December 3, 1986 issue, the creation of FSEC by the Florida State Legislature in 1974 was a direct result of a shortage of oil that had been plaguing the world since the previous year. The initial plan for the newly minted institute was to research alternative power sources in order increase the use of clean energy sources. According to FSEC's Public Information Office, their activities and goals now broadly include the Commercialization of Solar Energy, programs for solar equipment testing, certification and standards, educational services, dissemination of information about solar energy, solar demonstration projects, and lastly the advancement of research and development. Since becoming fully operational in 1975, FSEC has had main great strides in the fields of photovoltaic (PV) applications, building designs, education, and training programs, all of which has allowed the center to become nationally recognized as stated by the UCF Report September 18, 1985 issue.

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.

The John T. Washington collection, 1957-1980, documents UCF professor John T. Washington's life outside of his affiliation with UCF and his legacy. It chiefly consists of church sermons and materials, photographs, programs, minutes, agendas, and awards relating to John T. Washington's community service and role as a pastor as well as the scholarship award and honor society established in his name after his death. The collection provides insight into John T. Washington's life as the founder and pastor of the First Church of Peace and the efforts to maintain his legacy after his death with the John T. Washington Community Service Awards and Scholarship and the John T. Washington Honor Society. John Thomas Washington was born in 1940 in Immokalee, Florida. He was an associate professor of sociology at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and one of UCF's first Black faculty members. Washington worked to promote diversity at UCF, serving as one of the first advisors for the Black Student Union as well as other student organizations. He also aided in developing UCF's Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action and the Office of Multicultural Academic and Support Services. Before his time at UCF, Washington served as an airman in the United States Air Force from 1962-1964. He went on to earn his bachelor's and master's degrees at Rollins College and his Ph.D. at the University of Florida. In addition to his work at UCF, Washington founded the First Church of Peace in Orlando and served as the church's pastor. Washington died in 1983 at the age of 42 from a sudden heart attack. Following his death, the Student Services Building was renamed the John T. Washington Center in 1984. The John T. Washington Community Service Awards & Scholarship were also founded in his honor. In 1996, the John T. Washington Honor Society was established to uphold Washington's values of public service.

This collection contains materials related to the Knights Racing program, which spawned from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) chapter at Florida Technological University, now University of Central Florida. Materials found in this collection include newspaper clippings, chapter documents, photographs, plaques, racing car designs, and more. This collection provides insight into the Knights Racing program at Florida Technological University (University of Central Florida) and the groups involved. The Knights Racing Program has been a staple of the University of Central Florida since the creation of the FTU chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in 1972. Before the program became widely known as "Knights Racing," the racing teams were simply referred to as simply the members of the ASME chapter. The program's name, "Knights Racing," originated with UCF's mascot change in 2007 which shortened the UCF's mascot from "The Golden Knights" to "The Knights." The Mini Baja Competition was coined under the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), who began to hold competitions for the Baja carts. This competition consists of students designing, building, and operating a recreational offroading vehicle. At the time of their creation, the Baja Racing Team and the Formula SAE team were one team; however, they separated in 2019 due to Student Government Association funding limitations. Since their divorce in 2019, the teams compete, design, and build their cars independently. As of 2021, the Formula SAE and Baja Racing Teams remain under the umbrella of the "Knights Racing Program" though they act independently.

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 Mindy Colton collection, 1986-2009, features samples of Mindy Colton's graphic designs during her seventeen-year career at the University of Central Florida (UCF). While serving As Director and Designer of Publications, Colton oversaw various design projects for UCF, including academic factbooks, annual reports, posters, calendars, advertising campaigns, and event invitations, made for students, faculty, staff, and the public. Her work frequently features not only graphic design, but also her own artwork. Mindy Zimmerman Colton was born in New York City and studied at the Art Students League of New York and attended the High School of Music and Art in NYC. Colton attended Parsons School of Design and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University School of Fine Art in St. Louis. She received her M.A. from the University of Central Florida. From 1987 to 2002, Colton worked at UCF as the Director and Designer of Publications. During her seventeen-year tenure at UCF, she oversaw the design and graphics for all UCF publications, crafting a consistent visual identity for the university. After leaving UCF, Colton focused on her fine arts career, developing a passion for bronze sculpture. Colton has exhibited widely, won multiple awards, and received six grants supporting her artistic work.

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.