University of South Florida: The First 50 Years

Timeline: First 50 Years
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s

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June 18, 1955 - Florida Governor Lee Roy Collins signs into law House Bill 1007, written by Representative Sam Gibbons, creating a new state university in Hillsborough County.

December 18, 1956 - The Florida Cabinet approves a resolution to build the new university on the Fowler Avenue property. At the time, World War II’s Henderson Air Field occupied the space. USF would later be built on the practice bombing range just north of the airfield.

July 16, 1957 - The Board of Control name John S. Allen the first president of USF.

August 1, 1957 - John S. Allen’s first day of work as president of USF.

October 22, 1957 - The Florida Cabinet approves the name "University of South Florida," in part because it is the southern most university in the state at the time. Representative Gibbons hopes the name of the university will ensure the support of legislators in southern districts, many of which fall under USF’s area of operation.

July 1958 - USF acquires historic Chinsegut Hill property near Brooksville as a site for conferences and retreats. Some of the Foundation’s first meetings take place at the site, and will be used for planning conferences between students, faculty, and administrators for the next ten years.

September 5, 1958 - Florida Governor LeRoy Collins sinks a spade into a sandy USF campus at the groundbreaking ceremony. Construction has already begun on campus and occurs in the background of the event.

July 1959 - When the state cuts dormitory funding, USF launches its first campaign, "Dollars for Dorms," which raises $80,000. The first community involvement with the university, it teamed up with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce in a historic grassroots effort.