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Say ‘Hello’
Early university rules required all freshmen to touch their caps and
greet seniors as they passed. In time the custom of greeting passersby
was extended to the entire university. The 1931
F Book
called “hello”
the “password of all Florida men.”
“You do not have to secure a formal introduction to speak to your
fellow students,” it advised. “Be friendly at all times and extend a
hearty greeting to everyone you meet.”
Compulsory Military Training
From its earliest days, UF, as a land-grant institution, was required
to train students in military tactics. Students at the then all-male
college took at least two years of military sciences, and many aspects
of the university had a military flavor: students woke to reveille each
morning, drilled three times a week, and were required to purchase
cadet uniforms.
Requirements for land-grant colleges changed in 1916 when the
National Defense Act created the Reserve Officers Training Corps
(ROTC). ROTC units were established at universities across the
country — including UF. ROTC remained compulsory at UF until
the Florida Board of Regents (now the Board of Governors)
voted in 1968 to end the mandate.