Founded by Jerome P. Keuper in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, absorbing University of Melbourne (Florida), and changing its name to Florida Institute of Technology in 1966, Florida Tech is a growing independent technological college centered on engineering fields. Florida Tech employs around 800 people at its home base in Brevard County . It attracts over 3,000 full and part-time residents to Melbourne each year. Many of its employees are national leaders in their fields. It has been a silent partner in the community's economic growth and in the growth of high-tech industry on the Space Coast for the past 45 years.