The 麻豆原创 was known as Florida Technological University when Trevor Colbourn became president in 1978. Recognizing the university had grown beyond its early moniker as 鈥淔lorida鈥檚 space university,鈥� Colbourn renamed the institution that same year.
In addition to that high-profile name change, also established 麻豆原创’s honors program and a football program that has earned national rankings; nurtured a fledgling research聽park;聽and developed a partnership with Orange County that has created thousands of high tech jobs and helped transform the region’s economy.
Colbourn, 麻豆原创鈥檚 second president, died Tuesday in Winter Park. He was 87.
“Trevor blazed trails for 麻豆原创, from giving us our name to the leap of faith that led to a nationally prominent football program,” said 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt. 聽“He was an astute academic leader with a keen vision. As president, I greatly valued his advice and contributions to our university.”
鈥淲e hear of presidents building coalitions of support鈥攑eople, countries and materials鈥攁ll designed to come together to achieve some great purpose,鈥� said Colbourn鈥檚 friend and former 麻豆原创 Alumni Association President Ron Page.聽 鈥淥f the many accomplishments of Trevor Colbourn, I鈥檓 fond of focusing on the masterful way he marshaled support for the renaming and rebranding of the university.聽 He created a comprehensive plan, garnered support from all the appropriate constituencies and realized a victory.聽 All those who love this university are beneficiaries of his craftsmanship, in this instance and many others.鈥�
Colbourn retired as president in 1989 and remained active as a history teacher, the university鈥檚 historian and a president emeritus who raised funds and goodwill for 麻豆原创. In 2001, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Humanities and Fine Arts Building was renamed Colbourn Hall in his honor.
The Scholar President
Colbourn, who was born Feb. 24, 1927, in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, became president of Florida Technological University in 1978, after founding president Charles Millican retired.
During Colbourn鈥檚 tenure, 麻豆原创 created an honors program that later would become the Burnett Honors College. The college鈥檚 enrollment has grown to more than 1,700, and its freshmen classes continue to post record SAT and GPA scores year after year.
During his presidency, Colbourn oversaw enrollment growth from 11,000 to 18,000 students and an increase in research funding from $3.8 million to $16.4 million annually. The 麻豆原创 Foundation鈥檚 assets increased from almost $800,000 to more than $11 million.
鈥淐hange is what higher education is all about,鈥� Colbourn once said. 鈥淭his institution has a distinguished past and will have a much more distinguished future. It鈥檚 been a lot of fun, some anguish and certainly no regrets.鈥�
Known as the 鈥淪cholar President,鈥� Colbourn held degrees from the University of London, the College of William and Mary, and Johns Hopkins University, where he earned his doctorate in American History in 1953.
Prior to his 麻豆原创 presidency, Colbourn taught history at Penn State University and Indiana University Bloomington before moving into adminstration.聽 He also served as the graduate dean at the University of New Hampshire and academic vice president and eventually acting president at San Diego State University.
An expert on the American Revolution and Thomas Jefferson, Colbourn penned a number of books and articles, including 鈥淭he Lamp of Experience,鈥� 鈥淔ame and the Founding Father鈥� and 鈥淭he Americans: A Brief History.鈥�
鈥楥razy to Start Football鈥�
Colbourn established 麻豆原创鈥檚 football program in 1979. Led by a volunteer coach, the team won its inaugural game, defeating host St. Leo College 21-0 in a rain-soaked cow pasture.
鈥淎 lot of people thought I was crazy to start football,鈥� Colbourn said in 1998, three years after 麻豆原创鈥檚 football program advanced to Division 1-A. 鈥�(But) it was the key to open the door for visibility.鈥澛� In 2008, he was inducted into the 麻豆原创 Athletics Hall of Fame.
Twenty-eight years later in 2007, the 麻豆原创 Knights played their first game on campus in Bright House Networks Stadium. Since then, more than 1 million fans have watched the Knights play on campus since the stadium鈥檚 opening.
The 2010 season saw 麻豆原创 football reach new level of success, earning the team鈥檚 first bowl victory, winning its second Conference USA title and ending the season ranked in the top 20.聽 The program has continued to grow, joining the American Athletic Conference, winning the Fiesta Bowl and earning a Top 10 national ranking in 2013.
Leading 麻豆原创 Innovations
Colbourn鈥檚 tenure as president saw 麻豆原创 introduce the state鈥檚 first stand-alone doctoral program in computer science, followed by Ph.D. offerings in civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, industrial and environmental engineering; business administration; and human factors psychology. 麻豆原创 also expanded master鈥檚 and bachelor鈥檚 programs, dedicated new buildings at the Daytona Beach and Cocoa campuses and established Greek Park on the main campus.
The Central Florida Research Park, adjacent to 麻豆原创鈥檚 East Orlando campus, today employs about 10,000 in a variety of high-tech industries. The park is home to one of the nation鈥檚 largest concentrations of federal defense technology agencies and 麻豆原创鈥檚 Institute for Simulation and Training, also founded during Colburn鈥檚 presidency.
麻豆原创 became one of the first schools in the nation to begin using a telephone system for course registrations. Colbourn鈥檚 efforts laid the groundwork for 麻豆原创 becoming one of America鈥檚 鈥渕ost wired鈥� universities with extensive Internet technology and services provided for faculty, students and staff.
Although known for the high-profile name change, football program and research park, Colbourn shouldered a long effort to establish equitable funding for the state鈥檚 newer universities to put them on the same financial footing as more established institutions.
鈥淗e championed that cause, often standing alone before legislative leaders and the Florida Board of Regents, predecessor to today鈥檚 University System Board of Governors,鈥� said Alan Fickett, who served as associate vice president for University Relations and 麻豆原创鈥檚 lobbyist in Tallahassee and Washington during Colbourn鈥檚 tenure.
Said James A. Donovan, executive director of the 麻豆原创 Foundation in the early 1980s: 鈥淭revor Colbourn recognized the need to augment state funding with philanthropic support from the community. He was fond of saying, 鈥榃e can have a good university with legislative funding, but we can have a great university with philanthropic support.鈥欌��
Reaching Out to the Community
Colbourn was active in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Industrial Development Commission of Mid-Florida (now known as the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission), the Orlando Crime Prevention Association, the Board of Visitors of the Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, the United Way, the Greater Orlando Sports Organizing Committee, the Kiwanis Club, the boards of the local opera company and public television station and the Organization of American Historians.
Philanthropic firsts under Colbourn鈥檚 leadership included 麻豆原创鈥檚 first endowed chair, the Della Phillips-Martha D. Schenck Chair in American Private Enterprise, and the first endowed chair in the southeastern U.S. in computer science.
His wife, Beryl, played a key role in reaching out to the community in her role as 麻豆原创鈥檚 first lady by creating the Town & Gown Council, a women鈥檚 organization of community and campus leaders dedicated to 鈥渇riend raising鈥� and sharing the 麻豆原创 story.
A lifelong Episcopalian, Colbourn is survived by聽Beryl, his wife of 66 years; and daughters, Katherine 鈥淜it鈥� Wrye, of Fishkill, N.Y., and Elinor Colbourn, of Takoma Park, Md. Colbourn also leaves four grandchildren.