History

Our history is remarkable. In just 60 years, the University of South Florida has flourished into a top Florida university and a world-renowned research institution.

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.

  1. 1950s

    1. LeRoy Collins Signs House Bill 1007 Into Law

      June 18, 1955

      House Bill 1007

      Florida Governor LeRoy Collins signs into law House Bill 1007, written by Representative Sam Gibbons, creating a new state university in Hillsborough County.

    2. Florida Cabinet Approves Site Build

      December 18, 1956

      Map of original site of USF campus

      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.

    3. John S. Allen Named First President

      July 16, 1957

      John S. Allen at his desk

      The Board of Control names John S. Allen the first president of USF.

    4. Florida Cabinet Approves "USF" Name

      October 22, 1957

      Florida Cabinet approves the name, University of South Florida

      The Florida Cabinet approves the name "University of South Florida," in part because it is the southernmost state university in Florida at the time.

    5. Groundbreaking Ceremonies

      September 5, 1958

      President Allen breaking ground on USF's campus

      Groundbreaking ceremonies take place on the new Tampa campus. Contracts for the first three buildings were awarded shortly thereafter.

  2. 1960s

    1. First Day of USF Classes

      September 26, 1960

      Program from first convocation ceremony

      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.

    2. "Golden Brahman" Chosen as Mascot

      November 1962

      A cartoon drawing of the Golden Brahman

      The "Golden Brahman" is chosen as the university's mascot and is unveiled at an All-University Fun Fest.

    3. WUSF-FM Begins Broadcasting

      1963

      Exterior of WUSF

      WUSF-FM begins broadcasting as the second noncommercial public radio station licensed in Florida. 

    4. Inaugural Commencement Ceremony

      December 1963

      Graduates at USF's first commencement ceremony

      The university holds its inaugural commencement ceremony on December 22. Throughout the month, 326 total degrees are conferred during commencement ceremonies.

    5. 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.

    6. USF Receives Full Accreditation

      1965

      USF receives full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

    7. USF Occupies Site of St. Petersburg Campus

      July 1, 1965

      USF St. Petersburg campus

      USF occupies the site of the St. Petersburg campus on Bayboro Harbor.

    8. USF Plays First Intercollegiate Sports Event

      September 1965

      USF plays its first intercollegiate sports event, defeating Florida Southern College's men's soccer team.

    9. 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.

    10. 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.

    11. USF Admitted to NCAA

      March 1968

      USF is admitted to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

    12. USF Alumni Association Incorporated

      1969

      The USF Alumni Association is incorporated.

  3. 1970s

    1. First USF Basketball Game

      December 4, 1970

      An exterior view of Curtis Hixon Hall

      The first USF basketball game is played against the University of Florida at Curtis Hixon Hall. USF wins, 85-78.

    2. USF Medical School Opens

      1971

      The USF medical school opens. In July, the school's charter students begin their studies.

    3. Cecil Mackey Becomes Second President

      February 1971

      Cecil Mackey

      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.

    4. First Doctoral Degree Conferred

      May 25, 1971

      First doctoral degree conferred to Joseph Houbrick, a student of biology and marine science.

    5. 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.

       

    6. School of Nursing Opens

      1973

      The School of Nursing opens.

    7. New College Joins USF Sarasota

      September 6, 1974

      USFSM campus

      New College in Sarasota joins the state university system and USF Sarasota.

    8. John Lott Brown Named Third President

      April 15, 1978

      John Lott Brown on the telephone

      John Lott Brown is inaugurated as USF's third president.

  4. 1980s

    1. Graduate School Created

      1980

      USF's Graduate School is created.

    2. Sun Dome Opens

      November 29, 1980

      USF Sun Dome

      The USF Sun Dome is inflated and booked for concerts, sporting events and commencement ceremonies.

    3. Baseball Wins First Sun Belt Championship

      May 19, 1982

      USF's baseball team wins its first Sun Belt championship.

    4. First Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology

      1984

      USF becomes the nation's first university to offer a Ph.D. in applied anthropology.

    5. Moffitt Cancer Center Opens on USF Campus

      1986

      Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute opens on the USF campus.

    6. Francis T. Borkowski Becomes Fourth President

      February 15, 1988

      Francis Borkowski speaking

      Francis T. Borkowski begins his term as the fourth USF president.

  5. 1990s

    1. 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.

    2. 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.

    3. Betty Castor Becomes Fifth President

      January 17, 1994

      Betty Castor with Lee Roy Selmon and Paul Griffin

      Betty Castor becomes the fifth president of USF.

    4. Alumni Center Opens

      1996

      Gibbons Alumni Center exterior

      The Sam & Martha Gibbons Alumni Center opens.

    5. 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.

    6. 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. 

  6. 2000s

    1. 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.

    2. Judy Genshaft Becomes Sixth President

      July 5, 2000

      President Judy Genshaft

      Judy Genshaft takes office as the sixth president of USF.

    3. USF Admitted to Big East Conference

      November 5, 2003

      USF is admitted into the Big East Conference.

    4. USF Approved To Become a System

      October 26, 2004

      The Board of Trustees approves for USF to become a system.

    5. 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.

    6. USF St. Petersburg Opens First Residence Hall

      August 2006

      A view of the Bull on USFSP campus

      USF St. Petersburg opens its first student residence hall and officially becomes a residential campus.

    7. 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.

    8. 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.

    9. 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.

    10. 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.

    11. Phyllis P. Marshall Student Center Opens

      August 20, 2008

      Marshall Student Center

      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.

    12. 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. 

    13. 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.

    14. 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.

    15. Office of Veteran Services Opens

      June 2009

      Service members in uniform

      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.

    16. 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.

    17. USF Kicks Off USF: Unstoppable Campaign

      October 2009

      President Genshaft announces USF: Unstoppable campaign success

      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.

  7. 2010s

    1. 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. 

    2. 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.

    3. USF Health Opens CAMLS

      March 30, 2012

      CAMLS ribbon-cutting ceremony

      USF Health opens the revolutionary Center for Advanced Medical Learning Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa.

    4. 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.

    5. 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.

    6. 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.

    7. 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.

    8. 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.

    9. State’s First Emerging Preeminent University

      June 21, 2016

      President Genshaft announces USF's status as emerging preeminent

      The Florida Board of Governors designates USF as the state’s first “emerging preeminent university,” recognizing its strong trajectory toward national prominence.

    10. 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.

    11. 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.

    12. 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.

    13. 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.

    14. USF Achieves Preeminence

      June 2018

      The university achieves Preeminent State Research University Status, as designated by the Florida Board of Governors.

    15. USF Awarded Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa

      August 2018

      USF earns the next chapter of Phi Beta Kappa

      USF is awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious national honor organization in the country.

    16. President Judy Genshaft Announces Retirement

      September 9, 2018

      President Judy Genshaft announces her retirement

      USF President Judy Genshaft announces her retirement after 19 years at the helm of the university.

    17. USF Ranks #42 Nationally

      November 2018

      USF recognized as top 25 public research university

      The University of South Florida ranks 25th among public universities for research spending and 42nd among all universities nationally.

    18. 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.

    19. $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.

    20. Steven C. Currall Becomes Seventh President

      July 1, 2019

      President Currall on campus

      Dr. Steven C. Currall becomes USF’s seventh president.

    21. 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.

    22. 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.

    23. Top 50 for Best Public Universities

      September 2019

      America's fastest-rising university. Now ranked #44 among public universities in US News & World Report.

      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.

  8. 2020s

    1. USF Consolidates

      July 1, 2020

      ONE USF graphic with landmarks from all three campuses in green. St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Sarasota-Manatee campuses shown.

      The University of South Florida consolidates its three separate institutions into one, singularly-accredited university with campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee.

    2. Rhea Law Voted as Eighth President

      March 30, 2022

      President Rhea Law

      The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) voted unanimously to confirm Rhea Law as the University of South Florida’s eighth president.

    3. USF Reaches Highest Ranking Ever

      September 2022

      #42 highest ranking ever

      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.

    4. Sarasota-Manatee Housing Construction Begins

      March 1, 2023

      Community leaders hold shovels for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Sarasota-Manatee student center and residence hall.

      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.

    5. New Judy Genshaft Honors College Building

      May 2023

      President Emerita Judy Genshaft and her family

      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.

    6. USF Joins the AAU

      June 1, 2023

      University of South Florida joins AAU. Association of American Universities.

      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.