Collections

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.

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.

This collection contains documents, correspondence, newsletters and ephemera relating to the College of Health and Public Affairs (COHPA) and its School of Public Administration. The majority of the collection was given by Dr. Wendell Lawther, who began teaching at UCF in 1984 and was a professor for the COHPA Department of Public Administration (later School of Public Administration) for thirty years.

The University of Central Florida Eternal Knights collection, 2008-2025, documents past University of Central Florida (UCF) Eternal Knights Memorial Services, organized by the Office of Student Involvement. Materials in the collection include service programs, as well as unclaimed certificates of achievement, Student Government letters, name tents, letters of remembrance, and honorary degrees. The collection also contains two glass awards, a diploma cover, and a small ribbon from the ceremony. The collection encompasses services held from 2008 to 2025. The University of Central Florida's first Eternal Knights Memorial Service took place in 2002. Held each spring in the Student Union by the Office of Student Involvement (OSI), the service honors the lives of students who have passed away over the course of the academic year, from the previous spring and summer leading up to the current semester. Students, family, and friends are invited to attend and recognize individuals, along with the broader UCF community. A livestream is available for those who cannot attend in person.  

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 Mr. and Miss UCF pageants aim to give students scholarship opportunities as well as help promote community engagement. This collection contains photographs, programs, DVDs, and documents surrounding the Mr. and Miss UCF competitions. There is also material relating to the Miss Florida, Miss America, and different county pageants.

Audio recordings and programs of graduate student recitals from UCF Music Department.

The University of Central Florida News and Information records, 1974-2018, contains materials from the Office of News and Information relating to UCF's history, achievements, finances, presidents, faculty, departments, entities, and partnerships. This collection provides researchers with insight into UCF-related history, news, and news reporting. The University of Central Florida Office of News and Information, now defunct, disseminated news about the University to the media. It was founded in 1968 as the Public Relations department. That same year, the department was renamed the Department of Public Information. In 1979, it was briefly renamed the Office of Information Services before becoming the Office of Public Affairs the following year. In 1997, the department was renamed the Office of Public Relations and renamed News and Information three years later in 2000. In 2026, the Office of Strategic Communications does similar work with the media.