Charles Norman Millican, Ph.D. was the founding President of the
University of Central Florida, then named Florida Technological University died he was , 94.
(October 9, 1916 – December 1, 2010)
Family and Education

Millican was born in
Wilson, Arkansas. As a young man, he worked as a part-time reporter for
Dun and Bradstreet while earning a
bachelor of science degree in Business and Religion from
Union University. He graduated in 1941 and was named pastor of Olive Branch Baptist Church in
Mississippi.
Millican later entered the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in
Kentucky. But, he returned to
Jackson, Mississippi to serve as a coordinator for the 44th College Training Detachment of the
United States Army Air Forces from 1943 to 1945.
He married Frances Hilliard on May 15, 1945 in
Jackson, Tennessee.
Millican returned to school, and in 1946 earned his
master of arts degree in
Economics from
George Peabody College, then joining the Commerce Department at his alma mater Union University. He would move south to
Gainesville, Florida in 1948, to earn a
Ph.D. in Business Finance and Economics from the
University of Florida. Millican joined the university faculty, and was appointed the Assistant Dean of the
Warrington College of Business Administration in 1956. Soon thereafter, he left for
Texas where he became Dean of the School of Business Administration at
Hardin-Simmons University.
In 1959 he moved to
Tampa, Florida, to become Dean of the College of Business Administration at the
University of South Florida.
University of Central Florida Presidency
In 1965 he was appointed the founding president of a new state university in
Florida, then without a name or even a campus. Millican, with the advice of a citizen advisory group, selected the name "Florida Technological University," though it is now known as the
University of Central Florida.
[1] The campus site he selected was just east of
Orlando, Florida. He is also credited with establishing twin tenets for the university, "Accent on the Individual" and "Accent on Excellence." Millican also chose the new university's motto: "Reach for the Stars." And, he was a co-designer of its distinctive "Pegasus" seal. The highlight of Millican's presidency was at his new university's commencement ceremonies in 1973, when he played host to
President Richard Nixon.
Millican stepped-down as university president on January 31, 1978, but remained on the faculty. He was given the title of "President Emeritus," and taught classes in finance. Due to his role in shaping the university, Millican is considered by many to be the "Father of UCF."
[2]
Later years
After leaving UCF, Millican served as the president of nearby
Lake Highland Preparatory School from 1982 to 1985, and continued as President Emeritus-Consultant until 1993. Millican returned to serve the University in 1993 as President Emeritus and Special Assistant to the
Chief Executive Officer of the UCF Foundation. Millican died on December 1, 2010, at his home in Central Florida.
[2]
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