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:: History Site
Index :: USF Site
& Name :: 1st Student :: USF
Sarasota/Manatee
:: Traditions
Overview :: Rocky the
Bull :: Homecoming
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USF:
A Historical Perspective
The University of South Florida is one of the great legacies of the watershed social and intellectual developments of mid-Twentieth Century America. In 1956, times were good and optimism was in the air. With the Baby Boom, for the first time in history, parents of an entire generation demanded access to sound education for all children. Economic prosperity fueled a suburban transformation that included new commercial, social, and educational systems. Dr. Jonas Salk pioneered a vaccine to eradicate polio. With this and other advances in medical science, research aimed at the cure and prevention of disease became a federal priority. But with the good times came new challenges. As the Cold War settled in, the nation’s scientific and technological resources were challenged by the nuclear arms race, then the Space Race. At home, the young civil rights movement was challenging racial injustice. And in Florida, such developments as air conditioning and excellent highways converted Florida from a sparsely populated state to a boom state. Florida’s population swelled, and fields, groves, pastures, and wetlands gave way to urban development. In these circumstances, out of a sandy airfield north of Tampa rose the University of South Florida, the first public university established specifically to address the needs of Florida’s rapidly emerging urban regions. State Rep. Sam Gibbons championed USF’s creation. John S. Allen, the first president, helped Gov. Leroy Collins break ground in September 1957. On September 26, 1960, nearly 2,000 students began classes in five buildings. USF was on its way. The university chose two words to guide its path: “Truth” and “Wisdom.” USF developed rapidly. In 1965, the St. Petersburg campus opened, and USF was accredited, gaining additional academic respect. In 1967, enrollment passed 10,000. In 1968, USF was admitted to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. As the nation’s universities began accepting the challenge to reflect the rich diversity of America, USF established itself as a significant intellectual force. In the 1970s, the College of Medicine was established, New College in Sarasota became part of USF, and a strong academic program in Sarasota/Manatee was developed. Enrollment passed the 20,000 mark, and USF was discovering its own identity as a robust, confident university that was transforming its region of Florida. The university came of age in the 1980s. The graduate school was established, the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute opened, the Lakeland campus opened, and enrollment passed 30,000. USF awarded its 100,000th diploma; and USF alumni were everywhere, working and giving back to their communities. The 1990s brought widespread recognition of USF as a major research university. Research funding passed $100 million. USF was recruiting superb scientists, creative artists, and cutting-edge scholars in everything from social sciences to literature. In the first year of the 21st Century, USF has 180,000 graduates and almost 36,000 students in 200 undergraduate and graduate programs. The university is ranked in the top tier of U.S. research universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Learning, and is clearly on course to move into the magic circle of the nation’s very best public universities. Updated 2/01 * * *
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