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History of FAMU
History of FAMU
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection AR_0007 · Colección

Every university has a history, but few have a history as unique and impressive as ours. 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.
Attorney Joseph Gibbs Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0020 · Colección · 1967 - 1978

Location: AC.2.A.3.6.1

Attorney Joseph Gibbs was a law professor and professor of political science at Florida A&M College. In the early 1950s, when the Florida A&M College of Law was first established, he served as the Librarian for the Law School. He would later serve as an associate professor of law. When the FAMU College of Law closed in 1986, Gibbs served as an associate professor of political science and public management. During the period of racial desegregation and school integration, Gibbs served on numerous legal committees and research teams such as the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), in efforts of devising and monitoring desegregation programs that were fair and equitable to all citizens, especially African Americans.

Gibbs was born in Caroline County, Maryland, and attended school in Chester, Pennsylvania. He attended Morgan State College in Baltimore, Maryland, where he studied education and economics. He served in the United States military during World War II and afterward enrolled at St. Johns University Law School, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1949. Gibbs also earned a master's degree from Temple University, where he majored in public administration and economics. He and his wife Cordelia lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina, before he began his teaching career at FAMCEE. Gibbs retired from FAMU in 1982 and lived in Clearwater, Florida, until his death in the mid-1990s.

The records in this collection consist of the professional papers of Attorney Joseph Gibbs. The records include correspondence, court cases, publications, reports and research logs. The documents reflect Gibbs' legal activities and work regarding school integration at the college level during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The main threat and growing trend at this time was to close historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and merge them with large white institutions. Numerous public and private HBCUs joined alliances in efforts to retain their sovereignty.
Central Life Insurance Company of Florida Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0015 · Colección · 1922 - 1987

Location: AC.7A.3.1.2- AC.7A.3.2.2

The Central Life Insurance Company of Florida Collection documents the operations, administrative activities, and historical record of the Central Life Insurance Company of Florida through corporate records, certificates, photographs, and ephemera spanning from 1922 to 1987. The collection includes blank certificates, certificates issued to policyholders, stock certificates, occupational licenses, newspaper clippings, and photographic materials documenting company personnel, activities, and community engagement. Together, these materials provide insight into the business practices, visual history, and public presence of the company during the twentieth century.
This collection consists of administrative records, financial documentation, and visual materials related to the Central Life Insurance Company of Florida. The records include blank certificates used by the company, certificates issued to policyholders, occupational licenses, stock certificates, and a stockholders list. The collection also contains newspaper clippings documenting company activities and public recognition. Photographic materials form a significant portion of the collection and include black-and-white prints in various sizes, snapshot photographs, oblong photographs, oversized prints, and photographic negatives depicting company employees, events, and community involvement.

These records provide documentation of the company’s corporate operations as well as its role within the broader community. The materials date from 1922 through 1987 and reflect both the administrative and public-facing aspects of the organization.

The materials are arranged by record type and subject. Administrative documents and certificates appear first, followed by miscellaneous materials and printed ephemera, with photographic materials organized by size and format. Stock certificates and a stockholders list conclude the collection.

The records were processed following a preliminary survey of the materials. Documents were sorted by record type and subject. Rusting hardware was removed, and the materials were rehoused in acid-free folders and archival boxes. The files were arranged alphabetically and by format where appropriate.

The Central Life Insurance Company of Florida records were transferred to the Black Archives from the Florida Department of Insurance.
Harper's Magazine Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0113 · Colección · 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.
Dr. Garrett T. Wiggins Collection
Dr. Garrett T. Wiggins Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0012 · Colección

Location: AC.3.B.1.5.2

"The nation’s first Black junior college, Booker T. Washington Junior College, opened in Pensacola, Florida, in 1949 on the campus of all-black Booker T. Washington High School. The two institutions shared a name, a building, and an administrator: Dr. Garrett T. Wiggins.

Dr. Garrett T. Wiggins was, at the time, the only educator in all of northwest Florida with an earned doctorate, and he served as founding (and only) president and dean of the college and principal of the high school and was known as “the smartest man in the county.”

Before landing at Booker T. Washington, Wiggins served on the faculty at Florida A&M University. He’s remembered as “an educational catalyst, dedicated to the concept that black children must realize the importance of receiving an education.”

Booker T. Washington Junior College provided many Black students with a foundation to transfer into Bethune-Cookman College, Edward Waters College, and Florida A&M University with a solid foundation in teaching, medicine, law, and theology.

In 1965, Booker T. Washington “merged” with then Pensacola Junior College, and Wiggins went on to serve as Pensacola Junior College’s Director of Research until his retirement. However, many argue the school was effectively closed, as Pensacola Junior College did not make a great effort to include the Booker T. Washington’s students or faculty into the fabric of the institution.”

https://a2arnett.medium.com/february-10-remembering-dr-garrett-t-wiggins-and-booker-t-washington-junior-college-b1b3d85bf650
Kimberly Brown Collection
Kimberly Brown Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0026 · Colección

Location: AC.1.B.1.4.8

Dr. Kimberly Brown Pellum is a historian, author, and two-time Florida A&M University alumna, as well as a former “Miss FAMU” pageant queen. She serves as an assistant professor of history at Florida A&M University and is the founding director of MuseumofBlackBeauty.com, a digital public history initiative. Her scholarship focuses on twentieth-century African American women, beauty culture, southern history, and freedom movements. Dr. Pellum has contributed to major public history institutions, including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the National Park Service, and the Rosa Parks Museum. She is the author of Black Beauties: African American Pageant Queens in the Segregated South and Queen Like Me: The True Story of Girls Who Changed the World.

The Kimberly Brown Collection consists of one box of materials centered on Queen Like Me: The True Story of Girls Who Changed the World. The collection includes multiple copies of the publication as well as related materials such as children’s worksheets and miscellaneous documents associated with the book.

These materials reflect Dr. Pellum’s work in public history and youth education, emphasizing themes of empowerment, representation, and African American girlhood. The collection provides insight into the development and educational use of the publication, highlighting its role in promoting positive identity and historical awareness among young readers.
Southern Workman Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0118 · 1910 - 1939

Location: AC.6.B.4.3.4 - AC.6.B.4.3.8

The Southern Workman Collection consists of five boxes of materials dating from 1910 to 1939, documenting a significant period in the publication history of The Southern Workman. Published monthly by the Hampton Institute Press at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), the magazine originated in 1872 as Southern Workman and Hampton School Record and served as an important platform for education, culture, and social commentary.

The collection includes issues of the magazine featuring articles, lectures, essays, and book reviews that reflect the intellectual and cultural life of the institution. Content highlights the activities of Hampton Institute, including information about its faculty, students, and graduates, while also addressing broader social issues of the time.

With a primary focus on African American and Native American history, the materials provide valuable insight into educational practices, cultural expression, and social conditions in the early twentieth century. Collectively, the collection illustrates the role of The Southern Workman as a key publication in advancing knowledge and documenting the experiences and contributions of marginalized communities.
Coach Alonzo "Jake" Gaither Collection
Coach Alonzo "Jake" Gaither Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0002 · Unidad documental compuesta · 1938 - 1984

Location: AC.2.A.3.3.1 - AC.2.A.3.5.2

Born April 11, 1903 in Dayton, Tennessee, Alonzo S. "Jake" Gaither was head football coach of the FAMC Rattlers from 1945 to 1969. During his 25-year tenure, Gaither compiled a record of 203 wins, 36 losses, and 4 ties - for a winning percentage of .844, the highest for any college coach of his time, Black or white, with 200 victories.

Forty-two student athletes under Gaither's coaching went on to play in the National Football League including: "Bullet" Bob Hayes, a star wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys who also earned two gold medals for track during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo; Willie Galimore, an acclaimed running back with the Chicago Bears; Ken Riley, a defensive back with the Cincinnati Bengals; and Robert Paremore, a halfback with the St. Louis Cardinals. Under his leadership, the Rattlers won 6 Negro Collegiate Football championships. Recognizing the dynamic impact of his coaching career, Gaither was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1975.

Gaither retired on August 31, 1973. He died February 18, 1994, at the age of 90. In Tallahassee, a FAMU gymnasium, community playground, public golf course, recreation center, street, and neighborhood are named in his honor. His private home, located at 212 Young Street, which he shared for more than 40 years with his late wife, Sadie (an English professor at Florida A&M University), has been preserved as a cultural center and museum to honor the Gaithers, the people of Tallahassee, the State of Florida, the nation, and the world. A historic marker was also installed in the home’s hilltop yard and the home listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 Sin título
Eunice and George Conoly Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0037 · Colección

George Whitefield Conoly, (born 1902, died 1980) was instrumental in developing the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association and served Florida A&M University for almost 36 years as executive secretary and director of FAMU Alumni Affairs. He founded the FAMU Alumni Association in 1925 as an unfunded personal project. He spent his free time traveling across the U.S. to meet with alums and build deeper comradery; deeper social, professional, and financial commitment to FAMU; and continued participation in University affairs.

This collection contains alumni chapter meeting records, financial records, photographs, and correspondences from the years George Conoly was most active in build the Florida A&M University alumni network, along with some of the personal effects of George and Eunice Conoly.
Dean Maxwell & Jacqueline Holloway-Thomas
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0010 · Colección · 1941 - 1987

Location: AC.8.B.1.2.1 - AC.8.B.1.2.2

This file documents the life, professional career, and institutional impact of Dean Maxwell S. Thomas, a highly respected educator, administrator, and advocate for students at Florida A&M University. Spanning the years 1941 to 1987, with concentrated materials dating from 1973 to 1983, the collection provides a comprehensive view of Thomas’s contributions to higher education, his involvement in key university initiatives, and his broader engagement with community and professional organizations.

Born on June 24, 1907, in Ocala, Florida, Dean Maxwell S. Thomas served as Dean of Mechanical Arts at Florida A&M University and was widely recognized for his leadership, commitment to student development, and dedication to institutional advancement. The materials within this collection reflect his extensive professional network and influence, including correspondence with university presidents, faculty, and external organizations. His work with entities such as the Orange Blossom Classic Committee and the FAMU Foundation is well represented, illustrating his role in shaping both academic and extracurricular aspects of the university. In addition to documenting his professional achievements, the collection also captures personal dimensions of his life, including biographical materials, handwritten notes, and correspondence addressed to his wife, Jacqueline Holloway-Thomas, particularly letters of condolence following his passing in 1983.

The collection consists of manuscripts, photographs, publications, reports, correspondence, organizational records, programs, and printed materials that collectively highlight Thomas’s contributions to Florida A&M University and the broader educational landscape. These materials include annual and financial reports, institutional evaluations, program development documents, and publications that reflect the evolving priorities of the university during the mid- to late-twentieth century. News articles and obituaries further contextualize his legacy, emphasizing his impact as an educator and leader within the Tallahassee community and beyond.

At the time of processing, the collection had no discernible original order. The materials were therefore reorganized by subject and record type, with correspondences grouped by date and organizational records categorized by affiliated institutions or committees. Items were arranged in both alphabetical and chronological order to enhance accessibility and preserve contextual relationships. The collection was rehoused in acid-free folders and archival boxes, expanding to two boxes totaling approximately one linear foot. Processing also included preparation for digitization and the replacement of deteriorating fasteners with archival-safe materials. This collection serves as a significant resource for researchers examining the history of Florida A&M University, African American leadership in higher education, and the institutional development of historically Black colleges and universities during the twentieth century.