Collections

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 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.

Dr. Cyndia Morales Muñiz is a UCF Alumna who works as UCF's Director of HSI Culture and Partnerships. Her collection contains information regarding several organizations, programs, and events tailored towards the Latino and Hispanic population at the University of Central Florida.

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 UCF Board of Trustees was created in 2001 after the Board of Regents was terminated. This collection contains the agendas, minutes, and supporting documents that pertain to the UCF Board of Trustees meetings. These documents include general reports, changes in policy, actions and motions.

Since its establishment in 1994, the Black Faculty and Staff Association works to provide mentoring and opportunities for students at the University of Central Florida. This collection of records contains documents related to these subjects.