Missiles, Mischief, and Mayhem: The Secret History of Countdown College: Florida Institute of Technology 1958-2023 Paperback – March 26, 2024
by Gordon M. Patterson (Author)
Florida Tech's story is one of unlikely beginnings and unwavering commitment. In 1958, inspired by the burgeoning space program at Cape Canaveral, a young nuclear physicist named Jerry Keuper launched a university. This ambitious endeavor, initially called Brevard Engineering College (BEC), faced numerous challenges. Nicknamed "Countdown College" due to its student body of "missilemen" (both men and women) working on the space program, BEC started with meager resources. The first contribution was 37 cents, and classes were held in rented junior high school rooms. In 1959, local school officials threatened to block the continued use of the rented classrooms because Florida Tech’s faculty and students did not believe that Jim Crow segregation had any place in education. The college found a temporary home in an abandoned church and a decommissioned Navy barracks. In 1961, the university moved to its permanent campus in Melbourne, Florida. Five years later, the university changed its name to Florida Institute of Technology. This book chronicles some of the adventures, escapades, and antics that shaped the “secret history” of one of America’s leading STEM universities.
Available on Amazon and many other booksellers.
All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Florida Tech Botanical Gardens.
