MS_0027
Location: AC.1.B.1.5.2
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MS_0039
Location: AC.2.A.1.5.6
MS_0091
Location: AC.3.A.3.3.4
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection AR_0007
For more than 130 years, Florida A&M University has served the citizens of the State of Florida and the nation by providing preeminent educational programs...programs that were the building blocks of a legacy of academic excellence with caring. FAMU, “Florida’s Opportunity University,” is committed to meeting the challenges and needs of future generations.
In 1884, Thomas Van Renssaler Gibbs, a Duval County educator, was elected to the Florida legislature. Although his political career ended abruptly because of the resurgence of segregation, Representative Gibbs successfully orchestrated the passage of House Bill 133 in 1884. This bill established a white normal school in Gainesville and a school for African Americans in Jacksonville. The bill passed, creating both institutions; however, the state decided to relocate the school for African Americans to Tallahassee.
After the bill’s passage, FAMU was founded on October 3, 1887. It began classes with 15 students and two (2) instructors. Thomas DeSaille Tucker (1887-1901), an attorney from Pensacola, was chosen as the first president. Former State Representative Gibbs joined Mr. Tucker as the second faculty member.
In 1891, the College received $7,500 under the Second Morrill Act for agricultural and mechanical arts education. The State Normal College for Colored Students became Florida’s land grant institution for African Americans, and its name was changed to the State Normal and Industrial College for Colored Students.
In 1905, the management of the College was transferred from the Board of Education to the Board of Control. This significant event officially designated the College as an institution of higher education.
In 1909 the name was changed from The State Normal College for Colored Students to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes (FAMC). The following year, with an enrollment of 317 students, the college awarded its first degrees.
President Nathan B. Young (1901-1923) directed the growth of the College to a four-year degree-granting institution, despite limited resources, offering the Bachelor of Science degree in education, science, home economics, agriculture, and mechanical arts.
Under the administration of John Robert Edward Lee Sr. (1924-1944), the College acquired much of the physical and academic image it has today. More faculty were hired, courses were upgraded, and accreditation was received from several state agencies. By the end of Lee’s term, FAMC had 812 students and 122 staff members.
In 1949, under William H. Gray Jr. (1944-1949), expansion and reorganization continued. The College obtained an Army ROTC unit, and student enrollment grew to more than 2,000.
MS_0060
Location: AC.2.B.1.6.6
MS_0054
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.
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0113
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Collection
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1876 - 1965
Location: AC.6.B.1.2.1
The Harper’s Magazine Collection consists of one box of materials spanning the years 1876 to 1965, documenting a significant portion of one of America’s oldest and most influential general-interest monthly publications. Founded in 1850 by the New York publishing firm Harper & Brothers, Harper’s Magazine quickly gained national prominence, with its early issues achieving widespread circulation and establishing the publication as a leading forum for intellectual and cultural discourse.
This collection reflects the magazine’s longstanding commitment to exploring the issues that shape American society through long-form journalism, essays, fiction, and critical commentary. Emphasizing fine writing and original thought, Harper’s Magazine has historically provided readers with insightful perspectives on politics, social conditions, the environment, and cultural life. The materials within this collection illustrate the breadth of topics addressed in the magazine and its role in fostering national conversation across generations.
The collection includes a selection of issues and related materials that highlight contributions from both emerging writers and prominent literary figures. Known for publishing influential voices in American letters, the magazine has featured authors such as Annie Dillard, Barbara Ehrenreich, Jonathan Franzen, Mary Gaitskill, David Foster Wallace, and Tom Wolfe.
Collectively, this collection offers valuable insight into the evolution of American journalism, literary expression, and public discourse from the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century.
MS_0065
Location: AC.2.B.2.3.6
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0021
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Collection
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1947 - 1977
Location: AC.3.A.2.6.1 - AC.3.A.3.1.3
Dr. Gilbert Lawrence Porter was an educational pioneer in the state of Florida who devoted more than five decades of his life to advancing educational equality during the era of segregation and desegregation. Born on January 6, 1909, in Kansas, Porter pursued higher education at Talladega College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. He later obtained a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in philosophy from The Ohio State University, becoming the first African American to receive this distinguished degree from the institution. Throughout his career, Porter remained committed to improving the quality of education for all students while advocating for equal salaries, professional recognition, and civil rights for African American teachers within a segregated and unequal educational system.
The Gilbert Porter Desegregation Files document Porter’s extensive work in educational reform, particularly in relation to school integration and policy development in Florida. The collection consists of Dade County school reports, national reports on desegregation plans and procedures, and materials related to organizations such as the Florida Conference of Social Welfare and the Florida Conference of Social Work. A significant portion of the collection includes newspaper clippings that highlight race relations and integration efforts in Dade County and throughout the state of Florida.
The records reflect the administrative, social, and political challenges surrounding desegregation and provide insight into the strategies and policies implemented during this transformative period.
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0105
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File
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1949 - 1960
Location: AC.3.B.1.3.5 - AC.3.B.1.4.3
Genevieve Josephine Wheeler Thomas (1914–December 24, 2006) was an educator whose career spanned 36 years in the field of home economics. She served as a classroom instructor before becoming Dean of the School of Home Economics, where she played a significant role in advancing academic programming and facilities. During her administration, notable developments included the construction and furnishing of a new Home Economics annex within the Perry-Paige Agriculture and Home Economics Building. She concluded her tenure in 1977 after returning to classroom instruction, leaving a lasting impact on both students and institutional growth.
The Genevieve J. Wheeler Thomas Collection consists of three boxes of materials dating from 1949 to 1960, documenting her professional contributions to education and academic administration. The collection includes instructional materials, meeting minutes, correspondence, and related documents that reflect her work as both an educator and administrator.
These materials provide insight into curriculum development, departmental operations, and the evolution of home economics education during the mid-twentieth century. The collection also highlights Wheeler Thomas’s leadership and involvement in institutional planning, particularly during a period of expansion and modernization. Collectively, the records offer valuable documentation of her career and the broader educational landscape in which she served.