Florida Atlantic University

Built on the site of the abandoned Boca Raton Army Air Field, Florida Atlantic niversity, in the short period since its founding in the 1960s, has come to be a well-regarded institution of higher education in Florida. Overcoming such early challenges as poor road systems in the area, unsuccessful recruiting efforts, and student unrest arising from the Civil Rights Movement and the conflict in Vietnam, university leaders tirelessly promoted the vision that would eventually become a reality–Florida Atlantic University becoming a successful regional university. This engaging pictorial retrospective begins in the days prior to FAU’s first semester and depicts the early players in the school’s establishment, the construction of the first campus buildings, and the legislative planning and funding that made much of it possible. Fascinating original photographs capture student life through the decades–athletic teams and social clubs, dormitories and dining halls, classes and commencement ceremonies–as well as pay tribute to the faculty members and administrators who have helped to shape not just a university, but the hearts and minds of countless students through the years.