The University of South Florida is an institution like no other. Founded in 1956, we have redefined what it means to be a young university, breaking records and forging ahead to challenge even our oldest peer institutions. With incredible velocity, we advance communities and pioneer new higher education standards. We embrace the unknown. Conquer it. And then do it again. We define ourselves not by a name, a date, or a city, but by the impact we have on the world. We share one goal. We transform lives.
Take a look back at over 60 years of our institution’s history to learn more about our extraordinary progress – and what remains to be achieved.
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LeRoy Collins Signs House Bill 1007 Into Law
June 18, 1955
Florida Governor LeRoy Collins signs into law House Bill 1007, written by Representative Sam Gibbons, creating a new state university in Hillsborough County.
Florida Cabinet Approves Site Build
December 18, 1956
The Florida Cabinet approves a resolution to build the new university on the Fowler Avenue property. At the time, a private civilian airport occupied the space, which had functioned as the Hillsborough Army Airfield during World War II. USF would later be built on the practice bombing range just north of the airfield.
John S. Allen Named First President
July 16, 1957
The Board of Control names John S. Allen the first president of USF.
Florida Cabinet Approves "USF" Name
October 22, 1957
The Florida Cabinet approves the name "University of South Florida," in part because it is the southernmost state university in Florida at the time.
Groundbreaking Ceremonies
September 5, 1958
Groundbreaking ceremonies take place on the new Tampa campus. Contracts for the first three buildings were awarded shortly thereafter.
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First Day of USF Classes
September 26, 1960
A convocation ceremony marks the first day of classes for USF’s first-ever students. With classes under way, USF becomes the first major state university planned, built and opened in the 20th century, as well as Florida's first university located in a major metropolitan area.
"Golden Brahman" Chosen as Mascot
November 1962
The "Golden Brahman" is chosen as the university's mascot and is unveiled at an All-University Fun Fest.
WUSF-FM Begins Broadcasting
1963
WUSF-FM begins broadcasting as the second noncommercial public radio station licensed in Florida.
Inaugural Commencement Ceremony
December 1963
The university holds its inaugural commencement ceremony on December 22. Throughout the month, 326 total degrees are conferred during commencement ceremonies.
Board of Regents Approves Master's Degrees
November 1, 1964
The Board of Regents approves planning for master's degree programs in all four colleges: Education, Liberal Arts, Basic Studies and Business Administration.
USF Receives Full Accreditation
1965
USF receives full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
USF Occupies Site of St. Petersburg Campus
July 1, 1965
USF occupies the site of the St. Petersburg campus on Bayboro Harbor.
USF Plays First Intercollegiate Sports Event
September 1965
USF plays its first intercollegiate sports event, defeating Florida Southern College's men's soccer team.
First Edition of “The Oracle”
1966
Students publish the first edition of “The Oracle,” the student newspaper that replaced the campus edition of the Tampa Daily Times, started in September 1960.
First Greek Organization
September 1967
Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity becomes the first Greek organization on campus. It went national with four more fraternities and three sororities early in the month.
USF Admitted to NCAA
March 1968
USF is admitted to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
USF Alumni Association Incorporated
1969
The USF Alumni Association is incorporated.
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First USF Basketball Game
December 4, 1970
The first USF basketball game is played against the University of Florida at Curtis Hixon Hall. USF wins, 85-78.
USF Medical School Opens
1971
The USF medical school opens. In July, the school's charter students begin their studies.
Cecil Mackey Becomes Second President
February 1971
Cecil Mackey becomes USF's second president and begins an era that brings USF to a new level, with a focus on research and increasing funding.
First Doctoral Degree Conferred
May 25, 1971
First doctoral degree conferred to Joseph Houbrick, a student of biology and marine science.
College of Liberal Arts Formed
1972
The College of Basic Studies is dissolved and the College of Liberal Arts is split into four new colleges: the College of Arts & Letters, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences and Fine Arts. The CBS acts as a community college within USF, instructing students in mandatory courses for the equivalent of two years.
School of Nursing Opens
1973
The School of Nursing opens.
New College Joins USF Sarasota
September 6, 1974
New College in Sarasota joins the state university system and USF Sarasota.
John Lott Brown Named Third President
April 15, 1978
John Lott Brown is inaugurated as USF's third president.
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Graduate School Created
1980
USF's Graduate School is created.
Sun Dome Opens
November 29, 1980
The USF Sun Dome is inflated and booked for concerts, sporting events and commencement ceremonies.
Baseball Wins First Sun Belt Championship
May 19, 1982
USF's baseball team wins its first Sun Belt championship.
First Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology
1984
USF becomes the nation's first university to offer a Ph.D. in applied anthropology.
Moffitt Cancer Center Opens on USF Campus
1986
Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute opens on the USF campus.
Francis T. Borkowski Becomes Fourth President
February 15, 1988
Francis T. Borkowski begins his term as the fourth USF president.
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College of Arts and Sciences Formed
1991
The Colleges of Arts & Letters, Natural Sciences and Social and Behavioral Sciences are merged into a new college: the College of Arts and Sciences. CAS becomes the largest college on the USF campus.
USF Ranked Nation's 18th Largest University
1994
USF is ranked as the nation's 18th largest university in terms of enrollment; it is the 8th largest urban university.
Betty Castor Becomes Fifth President
January 17, 1994
Betty Castor becomes the fifth president of USF.
Alumni Center Opens
1996
The Sam & Martha Gibbons Alumni Center opens.
USF Begins First Season of NCAA Football
September 6, 1997
USF begins its first-ever season of NCAA football. The Bulls, playing in Division I-AA, open with an 80-3 win at Raymond James Stadium over Kentucky Wesleyan before 49,000 fans.
USF Named "Research I" University
1998
USF is named by the Florida Board of Regents as a "Research I" university, along with the University of Florida and Florida State University.
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USF St. Petersburg Admits First Students
2000
USF St. Petersburg begins admitting freshmen and sophomores under a plan approved by the Board of Regents and the Legislature to offer more classes for underclassmen. Students can take all the classes they need at St. Pete and earn a 4-year degree there.
Judy Genshaft Becomes Sixth President
July 5, 2000
Judy Genshaft takes office as the sixth president of USF.
USF Admitted to Big East Conference
November 5, 2003
USF is admitted into the Big East Conference.
USF Approved To Become a System
October 26, 2004
The Board of Trustees approves for USF to become a system.
Largest Gift in USF History
May 20, 2005
Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel pledge $18 million to USF. With the state match, the gift is valued at $34.5 million, the largest gift in USF history. The gift will be used to construct the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions.
USF St. Petersburg Opens First Residence Hall
August 2006
USF St. Petersburg opens its first student residence hall and officially becomes a residential campus.
USF Sarasota-Manatee's First Day of Classes
August 28, 2006
USF Sarasota-Manatee holds its first day of classes on its new, bay-front campus in Manatee County.
USF Classified for Community Engagement
December 2006
USF is the only university in Florida to be selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's new Community Engagement classification.
C.W. Bill Young Hall Opens
November 2, 2007
USF celebrates the grand opening of C.W. Bill Young Hall, which houses USF's Joint Military Leadership Center and ROTC programs.
USF Ranks 63rd as Top Research University
2008
The National Science Foundation announces that USF ranks 63rd among the nation's top research universities, according to a survey of federally financed research and development expenditures at universities and colleges in 2006.
Phyllis P. Marshall Student Center Opens
August 20, 2008
The new Phyllis P. Marshall Student Center opens to the public. As the hub of student life on the USF Tampa campus, the center features an expanded dining center, food court, a 1,200 seat ballroom, meeting spaces and lounges.
Carol and Frank Morsani Center Opens
October 2008
USF Health opens the Carol and Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare, the first ambulatory health center in the country built from the ground up around quality, service and technology, where the patient is the center of the health care system.
Men's Soccer Wins First Big East Championship
November 2008
The USF men's soccer team wins the first Big East championship in program history.
Women's Basketball Wins WNIT Championship
April 4, 2009
The USF women's basketball team makes program history by winning the WNIT Championship for the first time.
Office of Veteran Services Opens
June 2009
USF becomes the first university in the country to strike an accord with the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer special services for veterans taking advantage of the new GI Bill, called The Office of Veteran Services on Campus.
USF Named Nation's Fastest Growing University
August 28, 2009
The Chronicle of Higher Education names USF the nation's fastest growing university for federal research funds.
USF Kicks Off USF: Unstoppable Campaign
October 2009
USF kicks off the USF: Unstoppable Campaign, a comprehensive fundraising effort by the University of South Florida to celebrate the energy, vision and future of one of the country's most exciting and engaged universities.
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Genshaft/Greenbaum Passport Scholars Created
February 5, 2011
USF President Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steve Greenbaum, donate $1 million to create the new Genshaft/Greenbaum Passport Scholars Fund, which provides financial support to USF students who want to study abroad.
Athletics Center Renamed to Honor Selmon
September 4, 2011
The university's athletics center is renamed in honor of Lee Roy Selmon, the first athletic director at USF, after he passes away.
USF Health Opens CAMLS
March 30, 2012
USF Health opens the revolutionary Center for Advanced Medical Learning Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa.
USF Ranks 14th as ‘Up and Coming’ University
September 10, 2013
In the 2014 edition of the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges, USF is ranked 14th as an ‘up and coming’ university among the country’s national universities.
USF Moves to No. 43 in Research Spending
December 2, 2013
The University of South Florida moved up to No. 43 in the federal government’s ranking of research spending among both public and private institutions.
Rocky Wins Capital One Mascot Challenge
Jan. 1, 2014
Students, alumni, staff, and fans helped Rocky The Bull earn the distinguished Capital One National Mascot of the Year.
Supporters voted each week for their favorite mascots in the Capital One Mascot Challenge. Rocky finished with a perfect record, the first-ever mascot to accomplish this feat, and received $20,000 for USF's mascot program. Go Bulls!
USF Receives Largest Gift
October 10, 2014
Longtime USF supporters Pam and Les Muma give $25 million, the single largest individual gift in the university's history, to the USF College of Business.
USF Sets Record in Research Grants
September 9, 2015
Researchers across the University of South Florida System set a new record of $440,577,680 in research grants and contracts in the 2014-15 academic year.
USF Ranks Top 50 in Best Values in Higher Ed
December 18, 2015
The University of South Florida ranks among the nation’s top 50 best values in public higher education for 2016, according to a new list by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
State’s First Emerging Preeminent University
June 21, 2016
The Florida Board of Governors designates USF as the state’s first “emerging preeminent university,” recognizing its strong trajectory toward national prominence.
Top University for Eliminating Completion Gap
March 1, 2017
USF is recognized as the top university in Florida – and #6 in the nation – for eliminating the completion gap between black and white students.
Leader for Improvements in Graduation Rates
September 2017
The Chronicle of Higher Education recognizes USF Tampa as the nation’s leader among public universities in showing the greatest improvements in six-year graduation rates, from 2011 to 2015.
Top University for Latino Student Success
December 4, 2017
The Education Trust names USF the top public university in the nation for Latino student success.
USF System Required to Consolidate
March 2, 2018
Governor Rick Scott signed the Florida Excellence in Higher Education of 2018, requiring the USF System and its three campuses to consolidate accreditations under one umbrella by July 1, 2020.
USF Achieves Preeminence
June 2018
The university achieves Preeminent State Research University Status, as designated by the Florida Board of Governors.
USF Awarded Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa
August 2018
USF is awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious national honor organization in the country.
President Judy Genshaft Announces Retirement
September 9, 2018
USF President Judy Genshaft announces her retirement after 19 years at the helm of the university.
USF Ranks #42 Nationally
November 2018
The University of South Florida ranks 25th among public universities for research spending and 42nd among all universities nationally.
President Judy Genshaft's Final Commencement
April 2019
President Judy Genshaft leads her final USF commencement ceremonies. She conferred more than 210,000 degrees during her 19-year tenure.
$20 Million for Judy Genshaft Honors College
May 22, 2019
President Judy Genshaft and husband Steven Greenbaum donate $20 million to establish the Judy Genshaft Honors College. It will also help fund a new five-story building for the college.
Steven C. Currall Becomes Seventh President
July 1, 2019
Dr. Steven C. Currall becomes USF’s seventh president.
Maple Drive Renamed to USF Genshaft Drive
August 2019
USF Maple Drive renamed to honor former President Judy Genshaft. USF Genshaft Drive will be home to the Judy Genshaft Honors College.
Gift Establishes Taneja College of Pharmacy
August 16, 2019
A $10 million gift from the Taneja Family Foundation establishes the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy. The donation marks the largest philanthropic gift to a pharmacy school in the state of Florida.
Top 50 for Best Public Universities
September 2019
USF breaks the top 50 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of best public universities in America, climbing 14 spots from last year to reach no. 44. Since 2015, USF has climbed 44 spots from No. 88 to No. 44, an unparalleled trajectory among public or private universities in the United States.
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USF Consolidates
July 1, 2020
The University of South Florida consolidates its three separate institutions into one, singularly-accredited university with campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee.
Rhea Law Voted as Eighth President
March 30, 2022
The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) voted unanimously to confirm Rhea Law as the University of South Florida’s eighth president.
USF Reaches Highest Ranking Ever
September 2022
USF reaches its highest ranking ever by U.S News & World Report at No. 42 among all public universities. USF also sits at No. 97 among all universities public or private. This marks the fourth consecutive year that USF has ranked in the top 50 public universities and the first time USF has broken into the top 100 among all universities.
Sarasota-Manatee Housing Construction Begins
March 1, 2023
Construction began for the first-ever student center and residence hall on the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus. The six-story, 100,000-square-foot building is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024.
New Judy Genshaft Honors College Building
May 12, 2023
USF unveils historic new Judy Genshaft Honors College building.
The five-story, 85,000-square-foot facility will serve USF’s most accomplished and talented students from every undergraduate college and strengthen the university’s position to attract the top talent within the state of Florida and beyond.
New Student Health and Wellness Center Opens
May 17, 2023
USF’s new three-story, 47,000-square-foot Student Health and Wellness Center opened, nearly four times the size of the old Student Health Center, which had been located near the USF Tampa bookstore since 1980.
It offers general medical, urgent care and specialty services, including and gynecology, physical therapy, dermatology, immunizations, nutrition, and travel medicine.
USF Joins the AAU
June 1, 2023
USF is the first public university in Florida in nearly 40 years to be invited to join the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Reaching the AAU, a group of the leading research universities in the United States and Canada, achieves a long-standing goal first set by the USF Board of Trustees in the university’s strategic plan in 2007.
Transformational Funding for USF
June 15, 2023
This year’s state budget represents the largest operational budget increase in USF history.
This included $24.3 million to fund the new Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences Research and Teaching facility on the USF St. Petersburg campus, positioning St. Petersburg as a world-class center of marine and environmental science.Research Vessel Granted to USF
July 12, 2023
The Research Vessel Western Flyer was granted to USF by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and will be the most technologically advanced vessel in the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) fleet. The Western Flyer will operate in southeastern U.S. waters stretching into the northern Caribbean Sea.
USF Earns Recognition as Top Employer
July 25, 2023
Newsweek ranks USF as one of America’s greatest workplaces for 2023. USF is the only university in Florida to appear on the list and one of only a small group of colleges and universities nationwide to be ranked.
BOG Approves Plan for New On-Campus Stadium
September 8, 2023
The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) voted in favor of the financing plan for USF’s new 35,000-seat on-campus stadium, scheduled to open in fall 2026. The $340 million stadium will host USF football and women’s lacrosse, concerts, and other events.
Morsani College of Medicine 50th Anniversary
January 2024
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of when the charter class of USF Health Morsani College of Medicine graduated. Learn more at MCOM’s 50th anniversary website.
Historic Season for Men's Basketball
March 2024
- For the first time in program history, men's basketball was ranked in the AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll.
- The Bulls finished the season with NCAA's longest, active winning streak: 15 games.
- Amir Abdur-Rahim became the first USF coach to be named a conference Coach of the Year in men's basketball.
- Chris Youngblood earned a Co-Player of the Year honor.
New On-Campus Stadium Renderings
April 11, 2024
USF announced today that a groundbreaking ceremony for the stadium will be held during the university’s annual Homecoming Week celebration, scheduled for Oct. 14-19, 2024. USF also released two new daytime renderings of the on-campus stadium, which follow the first set of renderings published in December
Record-Breaking Giving Week
April 25, 2024
USF’s recent Giving Week broke all previous university records.
9,259 donors (including 1,408 first-time donors) gave to 370 causes, raising more than $7 million. There was also a 70% increase in alumni donors from the previous year.State Names TGH Behavioral Health Hospital
May 13, 2024
Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and USF celebrated a new state law that named the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital one of the first four behavioral health teaching hospitals in the state of Florida. It creates the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within USF’s Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI).
USF St. Petersburg Welcomes New Comfort Dog
May 21, 2024
Meet Snowbird, a Goldador (a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever), the newest member of USF St. Petersburg’s university police department, and the campus’ first-ever comfort dog.
Along with his handler, Ofc. Mark Lickenfelt, Snowbird’s job will be to deliver goodwill and quiet compassion to students, faculty, and staff.
USF Celebrates One Year in AAU
June 1, 2024
Throughout the last year, USF’s membership in the Association of American Universities has become a springboard to an array of benefits for the USF community, Tampa Bay region, and state of Florida. From the successful recruitment and retention of world-class faculty and students to more corporations and community organizations inquiring and establishing new partnerships with the university – AAU membership is fueling USF’s momentum.
USF Sarasota-Manatee's First-Ever Residence Hall Opens
August 19, 2024
University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee's first-ever residence hall opens, welcoming students for the fall 2024 semester.
Named after a rare tropical butterfly that frequents the campus, Atala Hall will be home to 200 students empowered to help build a new campus community at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
USF Breaks Ground on New On-Campus Stadium
November 8, 2024
Ground was broken for the University of South Florida’s new on-campus stadium. Beginning in fall 2027, the approximately 35,000-seat facility will host home USF football and lacrosse games, additional sporting events, concerts, and festivals.
Historic $40M Gift Establishes First AI College in Florida
March 11, 2025
USF announced a record-setting $40 million gift to establish the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. This transformational investment—the largest in USF’s nearly 70-year history—marks the first of its kind in Florida and positions USF as a national leader in uniting AI and cybersecurity into a dedicated college.