History

National History

The University of Florida Alumni Association was organized and chartered in 1906 by the first group of graduates from the Gainesville campus. Today, alumni on record total nearly 350,000. We have alumni in every state and in more than 100 foreign countries.

The Alumni Association is responsible for a network of nearly 100 Gator Clubs® in Florida, across the U.S. and internationally. These clubs are composed of alumni and friends who represent UF in their communities. They hold a wide variety of programs and events in support of the university. The Alumni Association is also actively involved with the recruitment of superior students to attend the University and with financial assistance programs in the form of scholarships sponsored by the Gator Clubs®. In addition, we host outreach programs that bring faculty and administrators on the road to carry the University's message to alumni and friends.

Reunion programs are organized and conducted by the Alumni Association and have been successful in bringing alumni back to Gainesville, with activities that are designed to involve returning graduates with campus life. We host the Grand Guard reunion, which honors 50 year graduates of UF, and the Silver Society, which recognizes 25 year grads. In addition to these reunions, several annual events are held each year including Back to College, Spring Weekend and our Gator Nation Tailgate party before each football game.

Specific groups have been organized to represent the needs of special interests on the campus, including the Association of Black Alumni and the Association of Hispanic Alumni. In addition, Student Membership in the Alumni Association was developed to create networking opportunities between current students and alumni. With more than 11,500 members, this group offers career networking, social events and special programming. The Florida Cicerones, who are UF’s campus ambassadors, are also members of this group. These students, specially selected to represent the University, lead tours and host events across UF’s campus.

Gator Club of Naples

The Gator Club of Naples, an affiliate of the University of Florida Alumni Association (“UFAA”), was established in 2013 to foster and enhance the connection between the University of Florida and its Collier County area alumni, students, family, and friends. The Gator Club of Naples allows local members of the Gator Nation to advance the academic, athletic, and philanthropic pursuits of the University of Florida by organizing scholarship fundraisers, game watches, academic lectures, and other events and by further establishing opportunities for the provision of in-kind support to local non-profit organizations. Although the Gator Club of Naples is actively involved in countless pursuits, its main focus is to cultivate its Scholarship Fund with the hope of one day providing financial support to all Collier County students attending the University of Florida.

Since its inception, the Gator Club of Naples has been consistently recognized for its efforts and has been awarded the following prestigious honors: the 2017-2018 Region II RVP Award, the 2016-2017 Most Improved In-State Gator Club, the 2013-2014 Region II RVP Award, and the 2013-2014 Highest Membership Growth In-State Gator Club. The Gator Club of Naples would not have received these awards had it not been guided by the outstanding leadership of its board and the unyielding support of Collier County area alumni, friends, and family. The only means by which the Gator Club of Naples will continue to remain on this path of excellence is with your membership and involvement.