UCF alumnus and foundation board member David Boone '75 passed away on March 13. Boone took great pride in his connection to his alma mater, championing it at every opportunity and serving as a loyal volunteer. He lived by the philosophy: "Do good things, and be kind to others."

Boone supported many programs, including the UCF RESTORES PTSD clinic. Clinic staff remember his phone call the day after the Pulse nightclub shooting: "David called us and said, 'I'm sending you a check. Use it for whatever you need to help the survivors.' " Those who needed assistance at the clinic were able to receive treatment immediately because of Boone's generosity.

David Boone '75 and wife Simone
with Provost Whittaker

An Atlanta-based lawyer, Boone established Civil Lawyers Against World Sex Slavery (CLAWS), an organization that seeks to eradicate sex slavery using the civil justice system; and two years ago, he partnered with The Burnett Honors College and the Global Perspectives Office to launch a community-focused working group on human trafficking, expanding communication with organizations and individuals in the region who deal with human trafficking. 

This led to the creation of the Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery, which was recently approved by the Board of Governors.

Boone felt so strongly about this program that he provided for its continued support through an endowment in his estate. This bequest will ensure a legacy of social justice at UCF, throughout Central Florida, and beyond.

"Strengthening education and training related to the scourge of human trafficking and contemporary slavery is one of the best ways to combat it," Boone said recently. His hope for the center was that it would build awareness, inform and conduct solutions-oriented research, alert potential victims to the dangers posed by traffickers, and assist survivors.

Boone served four years on the UCF Foundation Board of Directors and was a member of the Investment Committee. His father, Sam Boone, was the first assistant registrar at UCF. 

To make a donation to the UCF Human Trafficking Awareness Program in memory of David Boone, please visit: ucffoundation.org/boone-legacy.