The first buildings to be constructed on the UWF campus were the Administrative/classroom building complex, buildings 10, 11, and 12. They divided the administrative function into three separate buildings, replacing the more traditional large, single structure. It also moved the UWF staff out of the temporary quarters at the Town & Country Plaza office building on Pace Blvd.

The schematic designs were by the Office of the Architect and upon completion, the drawings were turned over to Hugh Leitch and Associates for further development.

Two of the buildings were two story and set into the hillside overlooking Thompson's Bayou, and all three were built around a courtyard with entrances on four sides. Replaced after one of many hurricanes, the original roofs boasted "old world" earth colored clay tile.

The buildings reflect early gulf coast architecture, with verandas, wide overhangs, and (in the case of buildings 10 and 11) a raised main floor recalling the old "Florida house" but on a grander scale. Classrooms located on the ground floor demonstrate the close relationship between students and administrators at UWF.

Named after UWF's first president, Harold Bryan Crosby, today Crosby Hall (Building 10), is home to President Judith A. Bense and her cabinet. Building 11 houses the College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School, Research and Sponsored Programs. The UWF Foundation, Marketing and Communications, and Alumni Relations reside in Bldg. 12.

The Next Larger Picture by John E. Jarvis, Jr. Published by the University of West Florida Foundation, Inc., 2008.