This file contains papers dating from 1950 to 1977 generated during the presidency of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) President George W. Gore Jr. The materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title and reflect the informational and documentary activities maintained by the Office of the President during this period.

The papers consist primarily of newspaper clippings on miscellaneous subjects, including civil rights issues, as well as magazine articles authored by James Baldwin and Governor Leroy Collins. Topics represented include race relations, social justice, political leadership, and public discourse during the mid- to late-twentieth century.

Collectively, these materials provide insight into the issues, events, and intellectual conversations that informed the administrative and civic perspectives of Florida A&M University leadership. The file illustrates how the Office of the President collected and preserved contemporary commentary and media coverage related to civil rights and political thought during a transformative period in American history.

This file contains general correspondence dating from 1950 - 1963, generated during the presidency of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) President George W. Gore Jr. The materials reflect the routine administrative, legislative, and external communications of the Office of the President during this period.

The correspondence documents interactions between President Gore Jr. and Florida legislative and state officials, including Samuel W. Getzen, R. A. Gray, Spessard L. Holland, Joe Lang Kershaw, Edwin J. Larson, Nathan Mayo, John M. McCarty, G. T. Melton, Claude Pepper, George Smathers, Henry O. Stratton, and D. E. Williams. The file also includes correspondence between President Gore Jr. and high school principals throughout the southern United States. Topics represented include higher education policy, legislative and governmental affairs, funding and appropriations, educational planning, and outreach related to student recruitment and institutional development.

Collectively, these papers provide insight into Florida A&M University’s relationships with state government officials and secondary education leaders during the mid-twentieth century. The correspondence illustrates the role of the university presidency in navigating state oversight, advocating for institutional needs, and strengthening educational pathways for students within the context of segregation-era public education and higher education policy.

This file contains administrative papers and related records dating from 1950 to 1982 generated during the presidency and post-presidency of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) President George W. Gore Jr. The materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title and reflect the institutional, administrative, and commemorative activities associated with Gore’s leadership and legacy.

The papers include programs from President Gore’s funeral and memorial services, along with news clippings and newspaper articles documenting his death. The file also contains materials related to President Gore’s inauguration, including press releases, invitations, mailing lists, and housing arrangements. Additional materials include an interview with and about Dr. Gore conducted by Johnnie Que Blake, records related to FAMU ROTC, and news clippings concerning President Gore’s resignation. The file further includes the President’s Biennial Reports, FAMU publications addressing Gore’s administration, publications authored by Gore, and selected publications from The FAMCEAN (FAMU newspaper). Other materials document the FAMU School of Technology and student activities, including Charm Week. Of particular note are extensive files related to student activities and institutional response during the Martin Luther King Jr. riots, including news clippings, committee meeting records, and proposals for reopening the university and implementing campus improvements.

Collectively, these papers provide insight into George W. Gore Jr.’s administration, public service, and enduring impact on Florida A&M University. The materials document moments of institutional celebration, crisis management, student activism, and commemoration, illustrating the complexities of university leadership and campus life during the mid- to late-twentieth century.

This file contains administrative papers and related records dating from 1950 to 1967 generated during the presidency of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) President George W. Gore Jr. The materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title and reflect the routine administrative, disciplinary, and student-affairs activities of the Office of the President during this period.

The papers include documentation related to student demonstrations, including discipline notices, arrest and conviction records, and student arrest lists. The file also contains records concerning FAMU student activities, such as materials related to entertainment funds, senior receptions, and correspondence and documentation to and from the Acting Director and PAM Week. Additional materials include general student correspondence, correspondence addressing racial segregation incidents, and records from the FAMU Student Council. Topics represented include student governance, campus discipline, student life programming, racial climate and unrest, and institutional responses to student activism.

Collectively, these papers provide insight into student life and administrative responses at Florida A&M University during a period marked by heightened student activism and civil rights–era tensions. The materials illustrate the role of the university presidency in overseeing student affairs, maintaining campus order, and navigating issues of race, discipline, and student expression during the mid-twentieth century.

This file contains administrative records and correspondence dating from 1944 to 1949 generated during the presidency of Florida A&M College President Dr. William H. Gray, Jr. The materials include institutional records, internal memoranda, program documentation, and presidential correspondence relating to academic departments, faculty, campus programs, and external partners.

The correspondence to other universities, colleges, and schools is arranged alphabetically by institutional name and individual correspondent, reflecting standard filing practices of the Office of the President during this period.

Topics represented within this grouping include the FAMC Artist Series, budget reports and recommendations, faculty meetings and rankings, departmental planning documents, legislative investigations into higher education, faculty housing, football and VIP ticket correspondence, graduate programs, journalism seminars, hospital planning, and medical education statistics.

Collectively, these records provide insight into Dr. Gray’s leadership during a critical period of institutional development at Florida A&M College in the post–World War II era. They illustrate administrative expansion, financial planning, faculty governance, academic programming, and the College’s growing cultural and public presence within Florida and the broader higher education landscape.

This file contains special correspondence dating from 1942 to 1956 generated during the presidency of Dr. William H. Gray, Jr., President of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College. The materials are arranged alphabetically by correspondent, institution, or subject, and document communications between President Gray and other colleges and universities, medical professionals, funeral and mortuary service providers, civil rights advocates, business leaders, and educational administrators.

The correspondence reflects President Gray’s engagement with a wide range of professional, institutional, and civic matters, including Black medical professionals and hospitals, Black-owned insurance companies, mortuary and ambulance services, career transitions, civil rights advocacy, transportation access, and inter-institutional collaboration with colleges and universities across the United States. Topics represented include professional advancement, institutional support, racial discrimination in transportation and public services, healthcare access, administrative leadership, and advocacy on behalf of African American communities during the postwar and early civil rights era.

Collectively, these records provide significant insight into Florida A&M University’s presidential leadership and broader social influence during the mid-twentieth century. They illustrate Dr. Gray’s role as both an educational administrator and a civic advocate, highlighting the interconnected networks of Black professionals, institutions, and organizations navigating segregation, expanding professional opportunities, and advancing civil rights in the Jim Crow South and beyond.

This file contains special name correspondence dating from 1941 to 1949 generated during the presidency of Florida A&M College (FAMC) President Dr. William H. Gray, Jr. The materials are arranged alphabetically by individual name and organization and reflect administrative, educational, governmental, and professional communications maintained by the Office of the President during this period.

The correspondence documents interactions between President Gray and representatives from colleges and universities, government agencies, military officials, religious leaders, journalists, financial institutions, philanthropic foundations, civil rights advocates, and educational administrators. Topics represented within this alphabetical name series include institutional development, academic program expansion, educational policy, inter-institutional collaboration, public relations, agricultural and extension programs, civil rights advocacy, and state and federal educational initiatives affecting historically Black colleges and universities.

Collectively, these records provide insight into Florida A&M College’s regional and national educational networks, administrative leadership, and external partnerships during the mid-twentieth century, illustrating the operational priorities and challenges faced by an HBCU navigating segregation-era educational systems, wartime training programs, and post-war institutional growth.

Location: AC.2.B.1.6.3
The Hayling family was deeply rooted in education, service, and civil rights leadership, with multiple members connected to Florida A&M University. Dr. Robert B. Hayling was born into a family that valued education—his father was a longtime professor at FAMU, and all of his siblings pursued higher education as well.

As a family, the Hayloads were shaped by a strong commitment to advancement and community uplift, which influenced Dr. Hayling’s role as a key leader in the Civil Rights Movement in St. Augustine. His activism not only impacted his own life but also affected his family, who faced social and economic pressures during the struggle for desegregation.

Overall, the Hayling family represents a legacy of education, resilience, and leadership, contributing to both academic and civil rights progress in Florida.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2017/01/08/film-documents-st-augustines-civil-rights-struggle/22763146007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z112219u112719e007000v112219&gca-ft=62&gca-ds=sophi

The materials in Box 2 of the Arthur L. Kidd Collection consist of news clippings and articles dated from 1955 to 1967 that document significant events and public discourse during the segregation era. The majority of these materials pertain to civil rights–related topics, including boycotts, sit-ins, and contemporary opinions on racial segregation and social justice.

These clippings and articles reflect the evolving national and regional conversations surrounding the Civil Rights Movement, capturing both the actions of activists and the responses of the broader public. The materials provide insight into how key events were reported and interpreted, as well as the ways in which issues of race and equality were debated during this period.

The folders within this box are arranged in alphabetical order, allowing for organized access by subject and topic. Collectively, Box 2 offers valuable documentation of mid-twentieth-century civil rights struggles and the media coverage that shaped public understanding of segregation and social change.