Harris Rosen, a leading hotelier and philanthropist who made an extraordinary impact giving back to UCF and Central Florida, died Monday morning.
In 2004, after Rosen donated time, resources and millions of dollars, the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management opened its doors, offering students an amazing opportunity to learn and work in the heart of the hospitality industry. The Rosen College, a strong pipeline of talent to the region’s and state’s tourism industry, is annually recognized as the best hospitality school in the nation.
Honored with multiple Lifetime Achievement awards — and an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from UCF this summer — Rosen was known as one of the most generous, selfless, and kind-hearted individuals in Florida.
“Harris Rosen has been an outstanding friend to the University of Central Florida, and to Melinda and me,” says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. “Anyone who spent time with Harris like we did got to witness his passion for doing the right thing and inspiring future generations to do this same.
“His generosity of spirit and extraordinary contributions to the hospitality and tourism management industry have left an incredible mark on our university, our region, and the thousands of students and alumni who have come through the Rosen College and are making their mark in the industry.” — Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF President
“Through his vision and dedication, Harris was instrumental in establishing the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which became the nation’s leading hospitality program, while lifting countless lives through his philanthropy. As a charter member of the UCF Board of Trustees, he played a pivotal role in shaping our path as a leading metropolitan research university.
“His generosity of spirit and extraordinary contributions to the hospitality and tourism management industry have left an incredible mark on our university, our region, and the thousands of students and alumni who have come through the Rosen College and are making their mark in the industry. On behalf of all of us at UCF, we extend our deepest gratitude for his remarkable legacy.”
UCF’s honorary degree, one of the highest honors the university can award, recognized Rosen’s lifetime of selflessness, achievement and dedication to giving back to the community.
In nominating Rosen, Rosen College Dean Cynthia Mejia acknowledged his extraordinary achievements in public service over the last 50 years.
“I have learned from Mr. Rosen how modest beginnings can translate into hard work and how doing the right thing for his associates and company can transcend people’s lives,” she wrote in her nomination letter.
Rosen is known as one of Central Florida’s leading entrepreneurs. After developing the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Fort Wilderness resorts at Disney, Rosen purchased a 256-room Quality Inn on Orlando’s International Drive. From that modest start, he grew Rosen Hotels & Resorts into one of the Southeast’s largest independent hotel chains, now celebrating its 50th anniversary with seven area hotels, multiple subsidiary businesses, and more than 4,000 employees. Today, the company boasts over 6,300 guest rooms and suites, more than 740,000 square feet of event space, and more than 30 unique dining options.
Rosen’s Tangelo Park Program, created in 1994, provides free preschool to children ages 2, 3, and 4 in this underserved community, in addition to full college scholarships once they graduate high school. As a result, the crime rate dropped, high school graduations soared to nearly 100%, and the program’s success led Rosen to start a similar program in another underserved community in Orlando, Parramore. Together, more than 500 students have received college or vocational school scholarships to state schools, providing tuition, room and board and books.
After the passing of his youngest son, Adam, 26, to brain cancer in 2018, Rosen made a generous commitment to the University of Florida and the ReMission Alliance for an innovative laboratory center, now named the Adam Michael Rosen Neuro-Oncology Laboratories. This world-class collaborative facility creates an open environment in which doctors and experts can share equipment, labs and research results in hopes of ultimately providing better, faster patient care and someday finding a cure for cancer.
Mr. Rosen’s additional philanthropic efforts include founding the Jack and Lee Rosen Jewish Community Center in southwest Orlando; preventing the closure of what is now the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center; and providing drinking water, housing, and other relief supplies to people in Haiti after multiple natural disasters.
“While I could write a book about his business success and how leaders all over Florida look to him as a beacon of light, it is the foundations, his generosity, and his selflessness which I would like to highlight,” Rosen Hotels & Resorts Vice President Frank Santos wrote in a letter supporting the honorary degree. “Quite simply put, Mr. Rosen is a humble man who has positively impacted the lives of thousands of Floridians not for any other reason than, in his words, ‘because it is the right thing to do.’ ”
