To celebrate its 137th anniversary, the Florida A&M University community gathered for an annual wreath laying ceremony that featured some familiar faces.
While laying a wreath of orange and green flowers in front of the eternal flame during the Thursday campus event, FAMU Interim President Timothy Beard was joined by three former university presidents – Larry Robinson , who recently stepped down after a seven-year tenure, Fred Gainous, who served from 2002 to 2004, and Henry Lewis, who served as interim president in 2002.
“This is a great day,” Beard said Thursday. “From its humble beginnings, FAMU has grown into a powerhouse of academic excellence.”
Founded on Oct. 3, 1887, the HBCU (historically Black college or university) was known as The State Normal College for Colored Students, beginning classes with 15 students and two instructors.
But since then, the Florida legislature elevated the college to university status, and it is currently the No. 1 public HBCU in the nation for the sixth year in a row, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s “2024-2025 Best Colleges” rankings. FAMU also rose 10 spots to No. 81 in the ranking of the nation’s top public universities.