Over lunch one day, Harris Rosen promised University of Central Florida (UCF) Professor Abraham Pizam that he would help build a school. Soon after the Rosen College of Hospitality Management opened. It quickly grew into the largest hospitality college in the U.S. with a program ranked second in the nation. Before construction, UCF had 27 students enrolled in its hospitality management program. Now more than 9,500 students have walked through the gates of the resort-style school minutes from Orlando’s world-famous attractions and nestled in the tourism district—right in the environment in which is the focus of their studies.

The program first had independent status at UCF, but with the constant promotion and development of its first group of professors, led by Dr. Pizam, the school finally became a college shortly after Rosen School of Hospitality Management opened its gates May 2004. The campus was made possible through a generous donation of funds from Harris Rosen.