Green and Gold: A Half-Century of USF

The year is 1945. World War 2 has ended and thousands of soldiers return home triumphantly to start their lives again. For many of these young Americans a college education is within reach for the first time thanks to a new program called the G.I. Bill. The state of Florida proved to be a popular destination for this influx of new residents. Florida's population soared through the end of the 40s and into the early 1950s. The strain that these eager new students placed on Florida's education system was apparent. In one thousand fifty five. Only three universities operated in Florida all situated in the far northern part of the state. Gainesville boasted the University of Florida a well-established all male school. Tallahassee house both Florida State University formerly Florida State College for Women and Florida A&M University and historically black college. By the mid 1950s all three state universities in Florida were

filled to capacity. Sam Givens was part of the flood of returning soldiers after World War 2. Sam was a paratrooper and on the day he was dropped behind enemy lines. Hours before the allied forces hit the beaches of Normandy. After the war was won Sam returned to Florida to fight another battle the battle for more state schools. My children were getting ready to enter school. They were. Facing something called double sessions that is half of the students would go to school in the morning and a half in the afternoon. I remember my oldest son had his classmate in the boiler room of a Memorial School here in Tampa and it was so hot that he was allowed to take off his shirt in class I don't know what the girls did but it was the school system was in bad shape because of.

The baby boom and because of Florida's population growth by the mid 1950s Sam Gibbons was a member of the Florida legislature. One evening I was sitting in a colleague's kitchen table in Tallahassee. Sam Gibbons wrote a simple bill to create a state university in Hillsborough County. Quietly. It passed through the Florida legislature and governor Leroy Collins signed it into law. I knew State University was about to be born in Tampa Bay. The first independent state university in America to be conceived designed and built in the 20th century. The University of South Florida. The book it with the book. In late 1950s the University of South Florida was still just a glimmer

in Sam Givens III. Governor Collins had signed a bill into law giving life to a four year institution in Hillsborough County. But this new university had no campus no president no name and no students. Sam to get his dream off the ground he would first have to find the perfect site in Tampa Bay. The battle for the location of Florida's fourth State University quickly took on a life of its own. The bill the governor signed clearly stated that the university would be located in Hillsborough County. But for some reason other Florida cities began campaigning to have the new campus located within their boundaries. St. Petersburg Sarasota Orlando West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale all put in beds for the university competing furiously for consideration. Much to the amusement of Sam Givens. Tampa Tribune and The St. Petersburg Times in the.

Brayden papers assassinated papers Lakeland papers all around here had we had been talking about it. And quite a competition had developed about where the university was going to be. At first I thought that was an irritant and then I realized that was a blessing because. The question of where the university is going to be had eclipsed the question of whether there was going to be a university or not. Nelson Poynter and his newspaper the St. Petersburg Times lobbied hard to have the school located on their side of the bay. Hillsborough County's proposed site was north of Temple Terrace near an abandoned World War Two air base called Henderson field. Today only one building from the old base remains now housing popular Mel's hotdogs near Busch Gardens. Announced a new brewery was to be built a mile from the proposed campus of the St. Pete Times had a heyday. One

column asserted that the university might as well be named. And an illustration of the potential University football team as the Florida Brewers. In October of 1956. The Florida State Board of Control put the matter to rest when it officially confirmed Hillsborough County as the site of the new university and the fall or location was chosen. Florida University officially existed but it still had no president and no students. The energy generated from the conflict over the campus location quickly transferred into a new battle over the school again with the local press at the forefront of the skirmish. With the public and media otherwise engaged. The State Board of Control set about finding the right president to grow a university from scratch and they already had someone in

mind. Jon Stewart Allen was serving as vice president of the University of Florida while Sam Givens was busy championing the fledgling US sat through the Florida legislature. A Quaker from Indiana was an astronomer and a gentleman who firmly believed that academics were the foundation of a university education. In 1987 before the new university even had the Board of Control chose John Allen as the first President of us that. He was the perfect first president for us to have. All other universities in the state had grown from. Teachers colleges and and things like that in the in the universities and here is one that was starting. With. No faculty no students and no administration no land and no nothing just an idea. John Allen moved to Tampa with his wife Grace and quickly set up shop in a small office

in the Hillsborough County Courthouse. He carried with him one note pad up box of pencils and ashtray for visitors and great hope. For his downtown location. John made frequent trips to the Fowler Avenue site. His wife Grace remembers the first time she saw the campus property. Well it seemed to me it would come to a wilderness. They came here and John drove me out Fowler Avenue which was just sand. And he pointed to the campus which was. Sand Spurs and palmetto and so on and said. This is it. And he always claimed that my response was is that what we're coming to. John Allen's vision quickly began to bring the young university together. The first campus master plan called for five multi purpose buildings and the most important of which to John was the library. He considered the library to be the heart of his new university. To the sand. His first professional hire for

U.S.-Afghan was the school's library director Elliot Hardaway. While John Allen was assembling his faculty and designing the campus the name debate raged on. Over 100 suggestions surfaced including University of the Western Hemisphere. Florida Peninsular state citrus State University and College of the Sunshine State. You know all sorts of names poured in like. Floral University pen the made in University and University of Tampa Temple Terrace. All of them pretty hopeless. Oh and the bottle kept you from St. Petersburg. But John with anxious at the name university DNA indicating that we were a true University. When the name University of South Florida was suggested it made sense at the time. It was indeed Florida southern most State University with

the other three schools situated well to the north in Gainesville and Tallahassee. Somebody says Where is South Florida. I said any place south of Gainesville is south Florida as far as I'm concerned. You can. You can divide where South Florida is if you want to but it's the University of South Florida. On a hot morning in September of 1958. Five hundred spectators gathered for USF groundbreaking ceremony. The chamberlain high school band played majorettes perform for the crowd. Governor Collins and President Allen touring the first soil of the planned five buildings. Forty two local high school juniors also wielding shovels representing the first freshman class to potentially enter USF in 1960. Right on schedule. USF opened on September 26 1960 for the convocation and dedication ceremony. More than 6000 people gathered that

day for the official launch of Florida's U.S. university. Governor Leroy Collins honor John Allen with the silver replica of the university's seal. From the beginning the U.S.'s student body was unlike any other university student body in the country. If anything could be declared U.S.'s biggest tradition it was the on the traditional nature of it students. Are opening class. Was made up of 900 students. And I thought they were very brave individuals. To come to a university that was just opening its doors. They had no idea of its reputation or what its reputation with me. And so here they were 900 students. And I was always very pleased and proud of them. Barbara Campbell Johnson had the honor of being USF first student in 1960 she was 22 years old and married with children. But she always

knew she wanted a college degree. Because I had children I was not able to go to another school and University of Tampa was too expensive. So it gave students the opportunity to go to receive an education. And. Forever change their lives. The first of many nontraditional students. Barbara remembers that many of the students lived off campus and had families. We were here to get an education. And at that time there were. There were no sororities no fraternities. It was not a social school. It really wasn't. It would never been voted one of the top party schools. US was nontraditional in more ways than one. In 1960 when USF was accepting its charter student class state universities were segregated black students not only were forced to attend

separate schools they also took a completely separate entrance exams. When Ernest Boger applied to USF in 1981 the senior from Tampa's Blake High school made history when he began classes during the fall semester USF became the first State University in Florida to integrate at the undergraduate level. Boker had many scholarship offers to other more established schools but he felt the newness of us contributed to the welcome he received on campus. I don't know if I thought a lot about myself being an African-American student at the time I was busy trying to earn good grades in my courses. Busy with the musical groups busy with basketball. And things of that nature so on a day in day out basis it was not a particular not not particularly an issue. Although Ernest USF experience was positive some private

establishments around the campus were not as open minded. Skag Leonis University restaurant was a popular off campus restaurant on Fowler Avenue as one of the few eateries in the area at the time. The university restaurant was a meeting place for students staff and faculty alike. As long as they were white. When I walked in the manager apparently say Who is that. And the band kept saying well that's Ernie. He says I'm sorry we can't serve him well in about five or six minutes decision was made that if they're not going to serve Ernie none of us are going to eat here. And so about 100 people all members of the concert band ensemble left that restaurant the next day a group of concerned faculty and students picketed the restaurant. But it did serve to send notice that this was not the kind of thing that we expected to happen in the university community.

The university restaurant did eventually open its doors to all races but only after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawing discrimination in public places. Social changes like integration were not always in that with a progressive attitude. The early 1960s in Florida still saw a remnant of McCarthy ask which Hans liked the johns Committee led by Florida Senator Charlie Johns believed that university's tendencies toward racial equality made them hotbeds of other subversive activities like homosexuality communism and pornography. After he had harassed the University of Florida Florida State and Florida Johns turned his sights on the University of South Florida. John Terry a Geisha and style approach to his investigations waking students up late at night and taking them to a hotel. They all Mayberry

highway for questioning. President Alan discovered this and insisted that John's move his operation on campus and conduct his interviews in the open. The resulting report asserted that US have curriculum corrupted students through the use of trashy pornographic work such as The Grapes of Wrath and Brave New World and that some faculty were not qualified to teach because they introduced evolution into their classrooms. By this time though public tolerance for the activities of the Johns committee was running low the Tampa Tribune called the committee's activities a disgrace. The committee dissolved in 1964 but a lot of damage had been done. President Allen did not agree with the actions of the Johns Committee. He developed an overly cautious attitude about potentially controversial faculty members. The American Association of University Professors censured us for the questionable terminations of a professor stating the action violated academic

freedom. This was a black mark from which us have had difficulty recovering USF would not feel the displeasure of the AUP again until 2003 when the organization condemned USF for its handling of the Sami Al-Arian case. Despite the growing pains one thing can be said about early U.S. AFF students they were the coolest students in the state unlike the University of Florida and FSU. All of us buildings were air conditioned. Much to the annoyance of us and FSU students. The state granted us half the luxury of air conditioning. However dorms were stricken from early plans due to budget cuts. The lack of dorms kept us at a commuter school a limited number of female students resided on the fourth floor of the Marshall Center then called the university center. But in 1960 when the school opened there were no other options for living on campus.

The Tampa Bay community stepped in and started a highly successful fundraising drive called Dollars for dorms. Alva hall a coed residence dorm was completed in one thousand sixty one. The Halls opened soon after the small community was tight knit and closely watched. Residents had to show identification and punch in and out every time they left and entered their building. Under no circumstances were males allowed in women's room and female students had strict curfew even on the weekends. In time regulations eased curfews were extended clocking in and out disappeared in 1970 and three years later students were granted the right to have visitors in their air conditioned dorm rooms. The comfort of the early buildings at USF stood in contrast to the stark nests of the campus grounds often described as a desert. The

campus was a sandy place devoid of trees. The buildings were far apart and simply walking from one class to another was a challenge. In the beginning students were very upset because buildings were far apart and they couldn't figure out why they had to walk so far forgetting that in a short time new buildings would fill those empty spaces. The story is about the sand were true and John always carried a whisper I'm in the car to sweep it out. The Perri came home. Despite the barren campus the early faculty was full of energy and had progressive attitudes. Many of them had given up opportunities at more established pools to be part of a new tradition at USA. President Alan promoted an innovative interdisciplinary approach to teaching and the appeal of an unblemished new born university with no preconceived ways of doing

things was irresistible. The University of South Florida attracted the best and the brightest from around the country. John I Oriole father of Tampa Mayor Pam my Oreo was one of the first professors at us sat and taught in the English department for over 30 years. We had first rate faculty members. Taken from different parts of the country. They could have taught anywhere. The average age I think at the time I came here with 39. They were all up and coming. They were creative people. This structure of the university lent itself to the creativity of these people it's amazing what we had at that time. I was I was really impressed. Yeah. Word of the outstanding professors and student oriented approach at Tampa University spread quickly urban location and made it

possible for thousands of students to attend college who otherwise would not have been able to afford to leave their homes and go to a university in another town. The Tampa Bay area was an ethnic Metropolis perfectly illustrated by the international cultural make up of first generation a tad Cuban and Spanish families were elated at the opportunity for their children to receive a quality university education so close to home in many cases they were the first in their families to attend college. This multicultural student Bland was the beginning of a tradition of ethnic diversity at USF that continues to this day. The number of students attending US AF grew at a phenomenal rate increasing exponentially. Academically USF was already becoming known for producing outstanding teachers and accountants. Culturally USF was instrumental in bringing the arts to Tampa Bay with no

major Performing Arts Hall in town. USF was the perfect place to see a play listen to a concert band or experience the ballet. In 1963 USF held its first graduation ceremony conferring three hundred twenty five degrees. The University of South Florida often running. Nothing could stop it. US that may have been born in the 50s but it came of age during the turbulence of the sixties. US Sas had been in operation for barely one year when students logged their first protest not against any war or civil issue but against the injustice of the USF dress code. Students demanded their right to wear Bermuda shorts in what became known as the USA shorts riot. When I first came here in 63 they had a protest. The women were walking around. And they were carrying banners. And they were fighting

for the right to wear Bermuda shorts. And I says Oh my gosh what kind of a campus is this and that I Vassar. All the women wore Bermuda shorts. And I says you know maybe I better not stay there you know. As in fighting for the right to wear something so ugly I'm really short. The shorts riot failed to sway the USF administration to relax the dress code but it was a good warm up for future protests throughout the 1960s and early 70s college students were feeling empowered and activism on university campuses was making headlines around the country. The University of South Florida was no exception. USF students wanted their voices to be heard. A number of students marched into President Allen's office demanded and got a black studies program. Everything from apartheid to war

to ition Heights the women's rights was reason to speak out. Protests were held on campus and off for various causes. One Vietnam War protest at USF resulted in 53 arrests. Another cause for serious concern among South Florida students was the lack of competitive sports at us at EARLY us and had no football team. No basketball team. Indeed there were no intercollegiate sports of any kind on campus. Some accuse President Allen of disliking sports but his vision for U.S. AF was an academic one. The students wanted athletics but Dr. Allen just did not want. Us to get the cart before the horse s while the library was the first building

to be built and so he wanted to make sure that this institution was well. Grounded in academics so and rightly so. He did a wonderful job and. Even though he was against football and spectator sports in those days he did finally. Prove. Basketball later on and I think you'd be pleased today with or without football. Throughout the six days. The role of sports at USF was limited the lack of basketball and football that USF didn't prevent the students from wanting a mascot however. One thousand sixty two students held a contest to determine USFS mascot suggestions such as the Dolphins Hawks barracudas sting rays and even the Florida crackers who received votes. When all the votes were counted the name Buccaneers won by a narrow margin and this was way before Tampa as

NFL team it even formed. But the USF naming committee decided to go with the second place winning name the golden Brahma suggested because of Florida status as the second biggest cattle state in the country. The Tampa Tribune was quick to point out that Abramoff is really an Asian chicken not a bull USF added an end to the name forming the golden Brahmans in the mid-1980s U.S. sports teams became known as simply the Bulls the Bulls mascot. Rocky was visible around campus since the very beginning. Aside from sports early USF students spent much of their recreational time at the Student Union the university center. The U.S. was later renamed the Marshall Center after the union's beloved director Phyllis Marshall in the 1960s there were no sororities our fraternity is on campus. President Allen was against it. Instead the students

organized into social clubs. They produced yearbooks organized bridge clubs and bowling leagues and. Every Friday and Saturday night USF students held dances outside under the stars. Phyllis Marshall attended every one indeed. She spent 34 years working with USF students and the students returned her affection in 1904. After years of lobbying students received permission from the state to rename the U.S. Phyllis Marshall Center. By the mid sixties enrollment had expanded so much that President Allen began looking for additional facilities for his university USF opened its first regional campus in 1065 acquiring the property and buildings of an old maritime base on the water in downtown St. Petersburg. That same year USF initiated the Marine Science Institute in St.

Petersburg starting a long tradition of excellence in marine studies. By 1968 USF St. Petersburg offered nearly 40 classes in five colleges. The success of the St. Petersburg campus would inspire USF leaders to reach out to other communities. Ultimately creating a large network of regional campuses. As the university grew throughout the 60s it developed its own student newspaper The Tampa Times published a weekly campus newspaper for U.S. af until 1966 when the student run Oracle published its first edition. It was originally a broadsheet and only came out on Wednesdays but the article won two prestigious pacemaker awards that first year one of the top honors in college journalism USF began its presence on the airwaves in 1963 USF radio set its first

transmission students going to their FM dials to eighty nine point seven to pick up student popular music of the day. The early stations serve the campus community and was mainly student run journalism students created a daily news report and a music program called Underground Railroad was hugely popular with the students. TV began broadcasting on Channel 16 in 1965 offering public affairs and educational programming for six hours every weekday. Some USF professors took advantage of channel 16s airwaves broadcasting information and performances in an early predecessor to distance learning that would be the backbone of the station 40 years later. In one thousand sixty five buildings and fewer than 2000 students with no dormitories. By 1970 USF boasted more than 40 buildings on two

campuses with nearly 15000 students and 12 Tories. John Allen had done what he planned. He'd build a major university out of the sand. In 1970 John Allen retired as president of U.S. af to travel with his wife Grace. But the winds of change were already blowing around the University of South Florida. When Cecil Mackey arrived on campus as USF second president he quickly assessed what needed to be done to ensure the university's future his plan would change us from primarily an undergraduate teaching college to a comprehensive research institution. President Macky would restructure. Some would say dismantle the very foundation USF academics were built upon. But the innovative curriculum that established the university was no longer economically viable with funds drying up

for state universities. Schools were forced to become more like businesses in order to survive. It seemed that the location of the school the stage of development the needs of the state. All that said this has to become a major research institution. President Macky reorganized both the university's administration and the academic colleges replacing all of the vice presidents and many deans. His far reaching changes and decisive manner made him unpopular with some USF faculty and staff. The reactions ranged from bomb threats. Somebody threw a firebomb through the window of office below mine in the administration building. They had bomb threats at my house. USAF faculty members weren't the only ones to raise a fuss during Mackie's tenure. Students protested when the president removed their beloved underground railroad from W USAF radio airwaves.

You know underground railroad was something that. Students and a lot of non students had become very attached to. And there were pretty strong indications that a lot of the young people were using the music as their background for doing drugs. We decided that programming had to change soon after the format of WSF radio changed to classical music and Public Affairs students felt shut out and argued that the campus radio and TV station should have at least some student run components. But the community embraced the new format making WSF one of the popular stations in Tampa Bay. During President Mackie's tenure. The USF graduate school was developed new college was brought into the regional campus fold finally giving us at Sarasota a physical home and us at Fort Myers which would later evolve to become Gulf Coast University offered its first classes to students in

southwest Florida. In 1971 the same year Cecil Mackey became president us have opened the doors on its New College of Medicine Florida legislators Louisville apart and Terrell Sessoms were instrumental in establishing the USF College of Medicine. They thought US urban setting was perfect for a robust medical teaching center. Because of people like Terrell Sessoms And Lou Del apart and other members of the delegation we were able to get in medical school. Lots of people feel like that the two things that you do not want in a university or a football team and a medical school. So there was a lot of debate as to whether or not either one of those should be created and the feeling once a strong case could be made for medical school here unusually strong case. We felt we really needed more physicians in the community. And the medical school would give

educational opportunities to young men and women. Each little segment that has developed over the years has become a building block to what is now one of the top medical centers in the United States. The USF Health Sciences complex would eventually grow to include the College of Nursing and the College of Public Health. A big boost to the program came when the Veterans Administration build a V.A. hospital across the street from USF. Soon after the Florida mental health institute Shriners Hospital and a cancer center were all operating on campus working in conjunction with these institutions as well as the many teaching hospitals in the Tampa Bay area USAF build a reputation for producing superior doctors nurses and medical specialists particularly in the area of aging all timers. Parkinson's and brain cell regeneration.

Us third president John Lott Brown took the helm as USF continued its transformation into a research institution. Massive budget cuts and soaring operational costs failed to keep us down during the 1980s. The growth of the university continued at a rapid pace student enrollment topped 30000 by the end of the 80s making USF the second largest university in the state. More than 100000 graduates were out in the workforce with USF diplomas over 150 buildings dotted the USF landscape and the research capabilities of the university began to skyrocket. Research deals with. Part of every faculty members job description they have to teach do research in public service. Industries are no longer doing their own research. They're buying it. And

one of the places they're buying it is from the universities. Many things many of the drugs that are developed today are actually developed at universities and not in drug houses or pharmaceutical companies. It is where the action is going to be to train students and to train the environment to think where money can be had and how do we go about making it. USF for president Frank Koski also understood the importance of research between 1988 and 1903. President Gore Koski initiated many programs that would lead the University of South Florida into the 21st century. The public university system was dominated daters in the Seminoles and it was a matter of having the boards be perceived as a major player in this state university system and a major player in the legislature as well.

President Bork Koski started us as first major fundraising campaign initiated a plan for community outreach and laid the groundwork for the future USF butt ball program. A minority outreach program dramatically increased the number of African-American and Asian students on campus. But one of President proudest achievements was the creation of the Latin Advisory Committee. The genesis for the committee sprung from a staff member a suggestion that the president stopped by the Columbia restaurant in Ebor city for lunch. Well we went there. And of course got a feel for. This wonderful area of town. That was the center. For immigrants. From. From Cuba. From Spain from from Italy. It seemed logical to me that we should develop some mechanism to bring them more into the fabric of the

university. Today one in every 10 students at USF is Hispanic USF was recently rated one of the top 35 universities in the country for Hispanic students and the Latino business community has stepped in to support Hispanic scholarship programs at U.S. Air. I've become so passionate about the interest of South Florida because I finally realized how important it is to our community both as the economic engine and as a research facility. But more important that it gives young Hispanic students and students of all races an opportunity to receive a great education changes their lives. Successor in 1994 was USF first woman president Betty Castor. One of her goals was to make USF a more attractive University with a larger vibrant student community living on campus.

That was a big issue in my mind how to make this institution how to help transform it from a commuter image to one that was more student center two to one that was more traditional and yet to recognize the great research potential that it had in this area and nationally. Underbody casters rule USF was granted the prestigious research one designation by the Florida Board of Regions placing USF in the company of a stablish schools such as the University of Florida and FSU. When we first started talking about the research One designation the other institutions didn't like it very much. They thought that they were far superior to USF But when you actually looked at the dollars coming into the university in the middle of research the chancellor made the decision made the determination that USF was a research one

university and it had a powerful impact. The research one designation not only impacted the community and faculty but also provided opportunity for us at students. The research rich environment made us after one of the few universities in the nation where undergraduates can have a true research experience. In 1908 when US efforts that surprise research one designation annual sponsored research topped 135 million dollars. Now as USF turns 50 years old sponsored research has reached 290 million. And climbing. As USF grew at record breaking speed over the decades. The students remained the heart and soul of the university. From those first brace students to walk USS barren campus in 1960 to the 42000 students today that attend classes on all four of us as campuses

USF students have supplied the energy and character of the university academically USF students improve their abilities early by winning the NBC College Bowl in 1970 and bringing back the $90000 in scholarship money yearly outdoor concerts called brought us at students together for a weekend of fun by the Hillsborough River. An outbreak of on campus in 1974 kept everyone on their toes. Students enjoyed a break from classes on us after only snow day in 1977. Parking problems have caused endless frustration since the early days of the university. And registering for classes was an ordeal not for the weak of heart. Registration lines sometimes even camping out overnight is something most

alum remember well us said students could buy anything from plans to posters from socks to Socrates at the ever popular Wednesday ball market Crescent Hill is a popular meeting place for outdoor movies and music indoor entertainment was held at the empty quay in the basement of the U.S. the opening of the Sun Dome in 1981 with a concert by Alice Cooper changed the campus dynamics forever. Big name acts like Jimmy Buffet and Ozzy Osborne performed regularly at USA the Sunday the USA basketball team the home court advantage and graduations could finally be held on campus on the Sunday. The vast floor. Greek life which had a slow start at USF grew from a few off campus houses to a full on campus Greek complex. Modern

dorms are now abundant. In fact almost half of us after choose to live on campus. Another source of pride has been US sets unprecedented rise in athletics. In 2005 the University of South Florida ended the Big East sports conference. U.S.'s athletic program has worked its way up from simple into mural games in the 60s to the Sunbelt conference Conference USA. And finally the success of the USFS Latics program is truly meteoric considering that the US have both football team is barely a decade old. But before there was football the U.S. after there was basketball in 1971 President Alan relented and allowed us to have to start a basketball program in. The U.S. after basketball had a fantastic inaugural season crushing almost every opponent at math. We were proud of a basketball team we beat Florida freshman our

state Georgia Tech and so they were a good team they were really good early homecomings at us that were built around basketball instead of being held in the fall homecoming activities like parades bonfires and music were all held in spring with the homecoming basketball game and the Sunday homecoming week always saw a burst of school spirit on campus but many students continued to dream of the day when US have homecoming would be centered around football. In 1988 President Frank Murkowski began thinking that USF football was an idea whose time had come. He requested that the Board of Regents approved a feasibility study on establishing a football program at us that. This was not normally endorsed. Especially by the Board of Regents. Because the Board of Regents was comprised principly of gators and someone'll.

And so they just didn't want another football team here in this large recruitment area. Despite the resistance from the establishment the Tampa Bay community could no longer be denied its long awaited college football team. Money came pouring in from local businesses but there was a price to be paid for this relentless pursuit of a football program for us and. It was clear that my pushing for the program. Was limiting the resources that the university would obtain. From the state. And support for programs that the university needed. To be approved by the Board of Regents. And so the choice was stay. And and drop football. The momentum or to leave. And set it up so that the thing would move. President chose to resign. Before he left. He passed the

torch on to a committee of university leaders ultimately headed by succeeding president Betty Castor. Finally the Board of Regents resisted 1095 USF got the approval it needed to start its football program. The first U.S. EP But Levitt was brought on board with great expectations. As we went through the process of interviewing he really stood out as someone with a great passion and desire to be a part of what we were trying to accomplish here to recruit players for a team that didn't exist yet. All we could tell young people is that we had a great university. And we had a great city. And we had a vision of someday being a competitive football team. So we sold a dream we sold a vision. In September of 1996 the Bulls football team held its first

practice. Three weeks later. They had their first scrimmage on the USF soccer field by 2000 Tampa Bay the fans packed the stands excited to catch a first glimpse of their new football team. One year later. Almost 50000 fans jammed into old Tampa Stadium to cheer the Bulls on to victory in their first game. It was absolutely incredible. I can remember being on the field and looking around and having chills and. It's hard to explain. To see that the green and gold. The SEE packed stadium to see that kind of turnout for a football game with a Kentucky Wesson we won 83. From that first game. Football has been unstoppable. With much community support. Hard work and a couple of lucky breaks the team has clawed its way into the Big East. The youngest team in the conference by

far the Bulls upset such heavy hitters as Lou of all Rutgers and Syracuse their first season in the Big East. The bulls are in themselves a spot in a conference Bowl championship. All of us have 18 athletic programs benefit from being a part of the Big East. The same quality of the big piece is going to be in those sports as well. Come and visit us here right here in the Tampa Bay area. For those fans that we know there's a lot of fans out there the soccer fans as a lot of basketball baseball. Volleyball by exposing them to whatever vehicles that we have. There's much more they offer at the University of South Florida for such a young university.

U.S. staff does have a lot to offer from its early days as a sandy campus devoid of emergence says one of America's top research universities to forge new ground USF has made a name for itself in the areas of medical treatment and research. Bio engineering and all timers marine science and the arts. Cutting edge research in micro electronics information technology applied physics bio physics and urban transportation has earned USF a leadership role amongst other top notch universities around the country. The university is also a leader in the Florida high tech corridor a unique partnership involving over 5000 technology companies from the Space Coast to Tampa Bay. U.S. President took the reins in 2000

just as the university's growth shifted into high gear. We are one of the fastest growing research universities in the country between Vanderbilt and USF. We are the fastest growing research university in the country. Once again US broke the traditional mold when it broke ground on its new biotechnology research park. The park brings university researchers and laboratories together with entrepreneurs and corporate partners. The goal is to bring new scientific developments and products out of the lab and into the community. Our research park is just beginning to pop in 2006. You will see more and more building on our research park and it's going to be a very big economic developer with all the licensing patents that will be coming in for the

the university but it also benefits the region. Technology has driven much of the research taking place at the University of South Florida. World recognition when small robots from a USAF center for robot assisted search and rescue were used to hunt for survivors after the World Trade Center collapsed on 9/11 and again after hurricanes devastated the Gulf Coast. Recent strengthening and Homeland Security helped establish the Center for Biological Defense on the USF campus. The USF College of Marine Science recently discovered the United States coral reef two hundred fifty feet under the Gulf of Mexico. The US have college of education graduates more teachers than any other university in Florida and is one of the largest colleges of education in the country. And the newly restructured College of visual and performing arts continues to receive

national recognition with its contemporary art museum and graphic studio. Perhaps the most impressive web of interdisciplinary colleges and programs is USF Health Sciences complex from its modest beginnings in 1971. The USF College of Medicine has grown into an internationally recognized Health Sciences Center. With Shriners Hospital Moffitt Cancer Center and the Florida mental health institute right on campus. America's busiest V.A. hospital across the street and strong partnerships with local and regional hospitals USF produces well trained medical professionals that often stay in the community. When you talk about Moffitt Cancer Center you need to know that. Their doctors are U.S.-South doctors. When you go to all Children's Hospital our home of Pediatrics is an All Children's

Hospital. And of course our largest teaching hospital is Tampa General Hospital where 60 percent of their doctors are you as doctors. The Tampa Bay area has grown right along with us after. The influence the university has had on the surrounding region has not gone unnoticed. What's good for the city Tampa's good for us that's what's good for us. It's good for the city of Tampa because the two of us are completely linked this large academic institution with its research component and now medical school Cancer Center Research Corporate Park. It is actually a major economic development engine today. Who would have thought that. Back when we came in 1963 dead you would not have described it as a major economic development engine back then. You remember the shame if you will. USF is grown to not only supply the Tampa Bay area with skilled

professionals but also infuse the community with economic vitality. A public university is always supposed to bring the state to the next level in terms of its economy. And that's what USF is all about right now is being the economic engine for the metropolitan area particularly the Tampa Bay area as well as the state. A recent study revealed that USF generates an economic impact of three point two billion dollars on the Tampa Bay region and the state of Florida every year. That amount is equivalent to the income generated by eight Super Bowls. USF not only provides graduate and undergraduate students with a superior education it also creates jobs and contributes heavily to the regional and state economy. We are your university be proud of it support our

endeavors. Talk about it with pride. It is so exciting to see the University of South Florida grow and grow in national stature that only brings more vibrancy to the Tampa Bay region. From its humble beginnings in 1956 to its emergence as one of the country's top comprehensive research universities USF has packed a lot into its short 50 year lifespan. USF now ranks as one of the top 20 largest universities in the country offering more than 200 degree programs in 10 colleges. In a short time the University of South Florida has accomplished what has taken other universities over 100 years to achieve. Sam Givens the young politician who fought so relentlessly to create a university in Tampa Bay is now

known as the father of U.S. af. For many people his hard work and sacrifice helped make the dream of a college education a reality. I guess one of the vileness feelings I get when I get folks here from the Tampa Bay area said you know I am. Not in my family had ever been to college. But I watch children go to the University of South Florida. I think we're going to see in the next 50 years a. Something that we can't even imagine.