Celebrating the university’s 50th anniversary, University of North Florida library archivists opened a time capsule created in 1997, revealing documents and memorabilia important to university history. The capsule was compiled and donated by the library during the celebration of UNF’s 25th anniversary. Originally opened by the library staff in December 2021, the exhibit for the capsule was revealed in the following month. 

In 1997, the planners of the capsule instructed each college and major campus organization to contribute anything that could later have historical value to the university. As the main goal, the capsule served to provide tangible evidence of UNF’s “good work, sense of history, and confidence.” 

Now uncovered, some of these items include video cassettes, photos, a student handbook, a 25th birthday party program, media guides to several UNF teams, and more. Several documents from the capsule relate to the celebration of UNF’s 25th anniversary. 

One of the interesting documents is a letter UNF President Adam W. Herbert wrote and addressed to the future as a way to share his hopes and UNF’s previous accomplishments. Herbert was optimistic about the future of the university alongside its rapid growth during his presidency. 

“Our hope is that you will challenge those who follow you to remain firm in the conviction that UNF must maintain its commitment to academic excellence built on a foundation of outstanding teaching, responsive to the students we serve, and actively engaged in service to the community,” wrote Herbert as he concluded his letter. 

The library added an annual report from 1973 to the capsule. This was when the library was still located in present-day Founders Hall. The report overview states that the library should always maintain a carefully selected collection of physical books, hopefully, to outnumber non-printed material. Today, the library still has a huge collection of physical books, but online databases allow students to access more information than previously anticipated by the librarians in 1973. 

A brochure, titled “Wildest Campus in Florida,” promoted on-campus housing to students while highlighting UNF’s more natural environment. Today, this brochure provides insight into campus life in 1997 and the changes the campus has undergone. The cheapest place to live was $1050 a semester at Osprey Hall. The most expensive meal plan at the time was $750. For on-campus dining, UNF had the Osprey Cafe, a Courtyard Cafe, Dunkin Donuts, TCBY, Chick-fil-A, Pizza Hut, a convenience store, and the Boathouse. The brochure also mentions past concerts held on campus with performances by Green Day, Alanis Morissette, Ice Cube, and others. Some of the other events included a Toga Party, a visiting hypnotist, and guest speaker Danny Glover, the actor. 

A review of the 25th anniversary shares memories from the celebratory year. During a Presidential lecture series, internationally recognized writers Elie Wiesel and Maya Angelou spoke at UNF. In March, Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, reflected on his experience as an Auschwitz survivor while asking the audience to seek tolerance. 

Similar to Wiesel, Angelou encouraged the audience to remember that humans are more alike than different. She also shared how poetry helped her deal with childhood trauma. 

“I was told poetry would put starch in my backbone. It helped me and will always remain a rainbow in the clouds to me,” Angelou said. 

The full collection can be found here. 

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