Celebrations begin for UCF’s 50th anniversary

UCF kicked off the countdown to its 50th anniversary on June 10, 2013 by unveiling new skins for two shuttles in its fleet with a brand-new design.

On June 10, 1963, then-Gov. Farris Bryant signed Legislative Bill 125, officially creating a new state university, according to UCF’s new “50 Years of UCF” interactive timeline.

Sandra A. Varry, senior archivist for Special Collections & University Archives in UCF Libraries, said most departments on campus, in anticipation of the golden anniversary, want to develop their own timelines because the school has grown so fast.

“[They] want to get photographs from their own pasts,” Varry said. “They want to get portraits that were taken, name changes for departments and schools, that sort of thing.”

Grant Heston, associate vice president for UCF News & Information said UCF is planning different events that will be spread over the course of the next year to celebrate the milestone.

“I think the 50th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the faculty and staff over the past five decades,” Heston said. “We’re excited about honoring the past and looking to the future for what is in store for this great institution.”

The location for UCF, known then as Florida Technological University, was selected out of finalists on South Orange Blossom Trail and in Seminole County on a 1,227-acre patch of land on Alafaya Trail, according to the timeline.

Heston said it’s difficult to find important issues in Central Florida that UCF is not involved with, like economic developments, community support, higher education and health care.

He said this year leading up to the 50th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate those accomplishments and see how UCF can celebrate for the next 50 or 100 years.

“It’s going to be a magnificent celebration,” Heston said, “and we’re all looking forward to it.”