Local Viewpoint:
Hitt influenced fashion statement.
When John Hitt announced that he is stepping down as president of the University of Central Florida at the end of this school year, the university assembled a list of his accomplishments. The list was familiar to many: establishing a medical school, building a stadium and so on.
Missing from the list was Hitt’s greatest accomplishment: fashion maven.
I am not talking about his personal wardrobe, which ranges from dark suits to darker suits. Instead I am talking about the wardrobe of the 64,000 UCF students.
When I began teaching as an adjunct in 1987, I noticed something strange. As I gazed out on several dozen students — nearly all freshmen — most were wearing T-shirts from other schools. The two most prominent were the blue and orange from the University of Florida and the garnet and gold from Florida State. There were lots of red and white shirts from the University of Georgia and a few University of Miami shirts.
What I didn’t see were Tshirts emblazoned with UCF colors. The reason was simple: The school was 25 years old, but it was a consolation school, the Miss Congeniality of universities, attracting students who really wanted to be somewhere else. Some lacked the grades to go elsewhere or were saving money by living at home and commuting. They showed their disappointment by wearing the shirts of the schools they wanted to attend.
Today that has changed. Students routinely show up wearing something with the UCF colors or mascot, and it is rare to see a shirt from another school. The credit goes to Hitt, who has turned UCF from a school of convenience to one of the largest public universities in the nation.
When I began teaching, the campus became a ghost town on weekends. I was struck by the number of students heading to other colleges to take part in weekend events. Former President Trevor Colburn created a football team, but it played in Division III (its first game was against St. Leo College), and playing downtown didn’t do anything to improve campus life. Against all the naysayers, Hitt built a stadium and took the school into NCAA Division I.
More important, he launched a massive dormitorybuilding program. Today about 10,000 students live in university-related housing. He also built an arena in the midst of the student housing, which brings in top-name acts.
Gradually, he created a school with the feel of a major university.
Hitt has had the luxury of time to accomplish his goals. He is the longest-serving president of a four-year college in Florida history, and over the past 230 years, fewer than two dozen public-university presidents have served longer terms. During his tenure, the University of Florida has had four presidents, and Florida State has had five.
Between now and when he leaves in June, there will be dozens of events to pay tribute to his presidency, but the chances are that among all the tributes, no one will mention John Hitt: Fashion Maven.