John C. Hitt was an American professor and academic leader who served as the fourth president of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, from 1992 to 2018. He passed away on February 20, 2023.
John Hitt Obituary
One of America’s top college presidents, according to the former board of trustees chairman Marcos Marchena, Hitt was instrumental in creating a campus where one in four students are the first in their family to attend college.
He was twice awarded Orlando’s most prominent person by Orlando Magazine and the Central Floridian of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel in 2005. Being the governor with the longest term, he was the dean of Florida’s university presidents.
The auditor’s conclusion that tens of millions of dollars were fraudulently spent on construction during his presidency significantly damaged his reputation.
He admitted to the spending and left his paid fundraising position. Due to the controversy, his replacement Dale Whittaker and the university’s CFO William Merck also resigned. Four additional finance officials lost their jobs.
Hitt agreed to a five-year contract extension in October 2011. To honour him and his 20 years as president, the main campus library was given a new name in 2012. He received a 6% rise in 2012 and then proposed a 5% boost to the faculty in 2013.
Hitt announced that he would retire on June 30, 2018, on October 24, 2017.
On February 20, 2023, Hitt passed away at the age of 82.