John Hitt, a former president of the University of Central Florida who oversaw the construction of more than 100 new buildings, a medical school, and an on-campus football stadium, has passed away.
Less than five years after leaving the university he led for 26 years, Hitt, 82, passed away on Monday.
Before he retired, Hitt frequently discussed UCF’s role in giving those who might not have otherwise been able to achieve bachelor’s degrees access to a college education.
Who was John Hitt? Former UCF President who oversaw massive growth at Orlando campus, dead at 82
Under Hitt’s leadership, UCF expanded to become one of the biggest universities in the nation from a modest commuter school. When Hitt announced his intention to step down in 2017, the institution had roughly 22,000 students, and he claimed he had “never felt better” about it.
The enrolment at the institution tripled under Hitt’s leadership. In 2019, a new campus in downtown Orlando opened thanks to the leadership of Hitt. The on-campus stadium Hitt helped build was referred to by UCF President Alexander Cartwright in an email to students and faculty on Tuesday as “a catalyst for UCF’s upcoming entrance to the Big 12 Conference.”
Hitt was one of the first members of his family to attend college and was a Texas native. He graduated from Austin College, where he majored in psychology and played football, and afterwards attended Tulane University to obtain a PhD.
Hitt served as the interim president and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Maine before to being hired as the president of UCF. He applied along with 142 others for the top position at UCF.
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.
In October 2017, Marchena reported that under Hitt’s direction, the number of students of colour on campus increased significantly as well.