ORLANDO, Fla. – Former UCF president Dr. John C. Hitt, who led the University of Central Florida for 26 years and helped transform UCF into one of the largest in the country, has died.
Hitt died Monday at the age of 82, UCF announced on its website.
Hitt held positions at Tulane University, Texas Christian University, Bradley University and the University of Maine before becoming UCF’s president in 1992.
Over the next few decades, UCF’s enrollment increased from 21,000 students to 66,180 students by the time he retired in 2018.
Under Hitt, UCF also opened its College of Medicine at Lake Nona, the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and created the DirectConnect program with area state colleges, like Valencia College and Seminole State College.
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Hitt’s tenure was the longest of any state university president since the 1940s.
UCF police Chief Carl Metzger shared a message on Twitter about the former president.
Thank you for your leadership and vision, President Emeritus Hitt. We are eternally grateful for your support of Public Safety. Sending love to Martha, his family and friends, and the entire university community today 💛 https://t.co/KQc8tQ0qHB
— Chief Carl Metzger (@UCFChiefMetzger) February 21, 2023
Hitt is survived by his wife Martha, their two children and grandchildren and a great-grandson.
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