H. Trevor Colbourn was born in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia on 24 February 1927. Known by his second name, Trevor Colbourn earned his BA at the University of London then moved to the United States of America in 1948 to further his education at the College of William and Mary; finally earning his Ph.D. in American History at Johns Hopkins in 1953.
Dr. Colbourn taught at Penn State and Indiana University in Bloomington before moving into administration. In 1967, he became Graduate Dean at the University of New Hampshire. In 1973 he was appointed Academic Vice President of San Diego State University and eventually served as Acting President from 1977-1978 before becoming President of Florida Technological University, now UCF, in 1978.
After retiring as president, Dr. Colbourn returned to teaching history full-time at the University. In 1990, he earned the title President Emeritus and assumed the role of University Historian in 1991. As part of the latter appointment, he compiled an oral history of the University. Dr. Colbourn interviewed many people that were vital to the foundation of the University, such as founders, other presidents, donors, faculty, and staff.
From the guide to the H. Trevor Colbourn Oral History Collection, 1987-2006, 1991-2002, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, )
