In the 1950s, East Central Florida underwent a vast transformation with the creation of the American space program.

he sleepy fishing communities stretching from Titusville to Melbourne became home to an army of engineers, rocket scientists and technicians who would soon take Florida and the nation into the missile age. With no opportunities for advanced study nearby, a handful of determined men and women launched Brevard Engineering College in 1958. In 1966, Florida's secretary of state approved the college's petition to change its name to Florida Institute of Technology. In its short history, Florida Tech has overcome formidable hurdles and succeeded in winning a place in the top ranks of scientific and technological universities. A college on the rise, Florida Tech has not only a bright future, but a rich and colorful history that has been captured in striking photographs. The exciting story of Countdown College-from the lift-off of Bumper 8 in 1950, which launched the space program in Florida, to the most recent high-tech additions to campus facilities-is the subject of this captivating new pictorial history.

In Florida Institute of Technology, professor of humanities Dr. Gordon Patterson has compiled a wonderful array of images from the university archives, private collections, and published sources to showcase the school's extraordinary history. From athletics and administrators to extracurricular activities and classroom assignments, this valuable retrospective share the story of Florida Tech and the people who have made it a reality.