1963 – Governor Farris Bryant signed State Senate Bill No. 125 creating Florida Technological University in east Orlando on this date. Now known as the University of Central Florida, the school’s humble beginnings in the early 1960s as a technological university aimed at providing access to higher education to serve Florida’s burgeoning space industry seems far from the school’s current status as the second largest university by total enrollment in the country. The school officially opened its doors in October 1968 with 1,948 students enrolled, and experienced tremendous growth in the latter quarter of the 20^th century now offering hundreds of degree programs from twelve colleges spread over twelve satellite campuses throughout central Florida. UCF has a current enrollment of over 60,000 graduate and undergraduate students.