Collections

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.

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 Division of Academic Affairs at the University of Central Florida traces its beginning to 1967, when C.B. Gambrell, Jr. was elected to serve as its first Vice President. The Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs has a wide range of responsibilities and thus the collection contains academic program reviews, academic policies, reports, meeting minutes, and grade policies as well as information on strategic planning, degree programs, registration, Faculty Senate, accreditation, and the State University System of Florida among many other topics.

The University of Central Florida Office of Undergraduate Admission records, 1978-2024, contains promotional and informational material about undergraduate admissions. This collection includes information booklets, a scrapbook, photographs, DVDs, CDs, and a plaque. These materials contain information about student life, courses, undergraduate applications, and more. The collection provides insight into the promotional materials used to recruit potential students to UCF. The plaque is from the Interinstitutional Cooperation Committee that was given to W. Dan Chapman and other Florida administrators. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions was founded in 1963 and has changed names once since its inception from UCF Admissions to UCF Undergraduate Admissions. The Undergraduate Admissions Office provides students with tools and information to determine if UCF is right for them. They also provide information about the undergraduate admissions process.

The basis for this record group are photographs that were taken for use as publicity material for the University of Central Florida. The images document all aspects of university life, including annual events such as commencement and homecoming, portraits of faculty, students, alumni, and visitors to the university including speakers, performers, and government officials. Buildings on both the main campus and regional campuses are shown during construction and after completion. Instructors are shown teaching and researching and students are shown studying in laboratories and classrooms.

The UCF Police Department collection, 1969-2012, includes materials from and about the University of Central Florida Police Department (UCFPD). It consists of news clippings, officer training materials and other departmental files, and printed ephemera relating to the activities of the department and its involvement with the UCF and Central Florida community. Established in 1973, the University of Central Florida Police Department (UCFPD) serves the main campus as well as UCF Downtown, the Rosen College of Hospitality and Management, the Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona, and all UCF-managed housing facilities. The UCFPD serves nearly 68,000 students, 13,000 employees, and thousands of visitors each year. UCFPD has Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Community Partnership, K-9, and Community Service Units, as well as a Communications Center and Records department. As one of the few universities in the country with its own dedicated Communications Center, UCFPD has 24/7 dispatchers.

This collection of posters illustrates events at the University of Central Florida since its inception as Florida Technological University to the present. It holds materials published by both student and university organizations pertaining to university events, schedules, calendars, and promotions.