Collections

The Joel Strack papers document Strack's involvement in the Central Florida LGBTQ+ community from the late 1980s to 2019. The collection contains programs and promotional material from the Orlando Gay Chorus, photos, newspaper clippings, planning documents, and other materials pertaining to LGBTQ+ activism in the Central Florida area, and personal items from Strack such as a jean jacket and letters. Joel Strack was born in Sycamore, Illinois on February 29, 1960. In 1982, he moved to Orlando to start at the Disney College program at Magic Kingdom. Strack worked in several areas at the Walt Disney World parks as an entertainer and a training and development specialists. His career at Disney World spanned about three decades. In 1990, Strack joined the Orlando Gay Chorus as a founding member. The following year, Strack helped to organize GayDays® at Disney World, an event where participants wear red shirts to theme parks to be visible amongst the crowds. Joel also held the role of Vice President for Gay Community Services (GCS), later known as Gay and Lesbian Community Services (GLCS). He later resigned from the role to focus attention into other projects to better serve the Gay and Lesbian Community. Joel played a role in founding of We the People, The Gay and Lesbian Coalition for Human Rights for All People. Joel passed from a longtime illness on July 15, 2019. In September 2021, Joel Strack was posthumously awarded the Orange County Regional History Center's John Young History Maker Past Award.

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.

This collection is comprised of a series of original photographs and supporting documents tracing the career of Len Prince, an American photographer. Included are documents related to Prince's photographic exhibitions across galleries and museums of the United States, including marketing campaigns for A.I.D.S. awareness and relief fundraising. Clippings and periodicals showcase the use of Prince's photography in marketing campaigns and career highlights in both fine art and lifestyle magazines. Also included is correspondence with the artist, as well as buyers, dealers, and exhibitors of Prince's photographs. Cataloged alongside the archival materials are a series of books featuring Len Prince's photographs, as well as select catalogs of exhibits.

A collection of ephemera relating to the LGBTQ+ community in the United States and Europe.