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

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.
Bishop David Henry Sims Collection
Bishop David Henry Sims Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0023 · Collection · 1931 - 1938

Location: AC.8.A.2.4.3
Bishop David Henry Sims was a prominent African American religious leader, educator, and administrator in the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church during the early twentieth century. Born in 1889 in Talladega, Alabama, he was the son of Reverend Felix Rice Sims, a well-educated minister who greatly influenced his early life and commitment to education and faith. Sims pursued higher education at several institutions, including Livingstone College, Oberlin College, and Yale University, where he completed advanced theological training.

Throughout his career, Sims held numerous leadership roles in both religious and academic settings. He served as a professor of education and later as vice president at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia. His work within the A.M.E. Church included pastoral leadership, administrative service, and participation in major church conferences. In 1932, he was elected Bishop in the A.M.E. Church, marking a significant achievement in his career.

Sims was also involved in broader social and political efforts, including service on commissions related to education and public affairs. His work extended internationally, particularly in South Africa, where he contributed to missionary and educational initiatives. His life and career reflect a deep commitment to religious leadership, education, and the advancement of African American communities during a period of significant social change.

The majority of the records in this collection are handwritten letters from Bishop Sims to his sister, Mrs. Miriam Sims-Tooke. These letters provide a detailed and intimate account of his daily life, thoughts, and activities, particularly during the period in which he was working in South Africa. Through this correspondence, the collection highlights Sims’ involvement in missionary work, his observations of social and cultural conditions abroad, and his ongoing connection to family in the United States.

In addition to correspondence, the collection includes greeting cards and photographs that further document Sims’ personal and professional networks. These materials complement the letters by providing visual and contextual evidence of his life and relationships during this period.

The collection was processed in 1985 and is arranged at the file level, reflecting a coherent grouping of personal papers centered on correspondence and related materials. Collectively, the Bishop David Henry Sims Collection offers a unique perspective on the experiences of an African American religious leader working in an international context, while also shedding light on familial bonds, missionary efforts, and transnational connections within the African diaspora during the early twentieth century.
Reverend Thomas B. Carr
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0124 · 1912 - 1954

The Reverend Thomas B. Carr Collection documents the life and work of Reverend Thomas B. Carr, an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) minister and landowner in Leon County, Florida, with materials dating from 1912 to 1954, and concentrated between 1924 and 1946. This collection highlights Carr’s religious leadership, agricultural involvement, and community engagement within both ecclesiastical and civic spheres.

The materials consist primarily of textual records, including correspondence, deeds, programs, reports, sermons, financial and legal documents, advertisements, and other printed matter. These records provide insight into Carr’s role within the AME Church, as well as his participation in agricultural and landownership activities. The collection reflects his involvement with organizations such as the Florida State Dairymen’s Association, the Cooperative Extension Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Credit Administration.

Significant topics represented in the collection include African American land ownership, agricultural education, and federal, state, and municipal agricultural programs during the early to mid-twentieth century, including the World War II era. The records also document the organization and activities of the Black church in supporting farmers and rural communities. Additionally, the collection contains several of Reverend Carr’s sermons, which address religious observances such as Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Psalm 91, offering further perspective on his spiritual leadership.

Overall, the Reverend Thomas B. Carr Collection provides valuable documentation of the intersection of religion, agriculture, and community development among African Americans in Florida during the first half of the twentieth century.
A. P. Turner Collection
MS_0102 · 1930 - 1972

Location: AC.3.B.1.1.5 - AC.3.B.1.2.1
The A. P. Turner collection is a two-box collection that documents the life of Allen P. Turner, a reverend of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and a Morehouse College graduate who wrote and directed dramatic plays at Albany State College and Florida A&M University.
The items within this collection date from 1930 to 1972, and are concentrated between 1940 and 1968. This collection includes academic and business papers, playscripts, letters, and other printed materials that provide valuable insight into Turner’s professional and personal life. His involvement in the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance of Tallahassee and Vicinity, the Young Men’s Christian Association, and the Florida Inter-Scholastic Speech and Drama Association gives this collection a strong representation of his religious, scholarly, and artistic leadership. Although the collection offers a strong foundation for understanding Turner’s leadership within religious and scholarly organizations, many items are untitled and undated, limiting the ability to fully contextualize specific individuals, events, and materials. Overall, the A. P. Turner collection provides valuable documentation of Turner’s life and how his social status as a reverend, playwright, and director contributed to his community.
Afro American Life Insurance Company Collection
MS_0006

Location: AC.7.B.1.2.2 - AC.7.B.1.2.3

The Afro-American Life Insurance Company was a pioneering African American–owned business founded in 1901 in Jacksonville, Florida, by Abraham Lincoln Lewis and a group of associates. Established during a time of widespread racial discrimination and segregation in the United States, the company emerged in response to the limited access Black Americans had to essential financial services. Many mainstream insurance companies either denied coverage to Black individuals or offered policies at unaffordable rates, leaving Black communities without the financial protection that life insurance could provide.

In addition to offering life insurance policies, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company played a vital role as a financial institution within the African American community. It provided opportunities for economic stability through services such as mortgages and financial planning, helping to build wealth and security for families who were otherwise excluded from traditional banking systems. The company’s influence extended beyond finance; it was instrumental in the development of American Beach, a recreational resort established in 1935 as a safe and welcoming destination for Black Americans during the era of segregation.

Throughout the early and mid-20th century, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company stood as a symbol of Black entrepreneurship, resilience, and self-sufficiency. However, increasing competition from larger insurance companies in the latter half of the 20th century contributed to its eventual closure in 1990. Despite this, the company’s legacy endures as a significant example of African American economic empowerment and community development. The historic building that once housed the company at 101 East Union Street in Jacksonville has since been renovated and repurposed, continuing to serve the community in new ways. https://unfdhi.org/earthawhite/items/show/49
Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr. Collection
MS_0007

Location: AC.2.B.3.5.1. - AC.2.B.3.5.2

Dr. LaSalle Doheny Leffall, Jr. (1930–2019) was a distinguished surgeon, oncologist, and medical educator born in Tallahassee and raised in Quincy. A prodigious student, he graduated from Florida A&M University at age 18 and earned his M.D. from Howard University College of Medicine by age 22. Leffall became a leading figure in surgical oncology, dedicating his career to cancer research and education, particularly focusing on disparities affecting African American communities. He served for 25 years as chairman of the Department of Surgery at Howard University, trained thousands of medical students, and held prominent leadership roles, including president of the American Cancer Society and the American College of Surgeons. https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/dr-lasalle-d-leffall-jr-38
Dr. Joseph Avent Collection
MS_0008

Location: AC.1.B.1.4.3

Dr. Joseph Avent was a prominent FAMC professor who was known for his contributions to the institution's development and his engagement with students.
Charles Hamilton Collection
Meek-Eaton Archival Collection MS_0011 · Collection

Location: AC.8.B.2.4.3

Mr. Charles Hamilton was an African-American landowner, farmer, and businessman who lived
in Marion County, Florida, during the late 1800s and turn of the twentieth century. Marion
The county is located in Central Florida. According to information from the 1900 US Census, the
Hamilton Family patriarch, listed as Charly Hamilton, was born during slavery in 1853 and
possibly migrated to Florida from South Carolina after the Civil War. Charly and his wife
Georgia had three sons, Richard, Charlie, and Jonas, and two daughters, Estelle and Texella.
Hamilton and his descendants also owned property and conducted business in neighboring Levy
County.
Dr. Leonard H.B. Foote Collection
MS_0003

Location: AC.3.B.3.1.2- AC.3.B.3.2.2

Dr. Leonard Hobson Buchanan Foote was born April 11, 1898 in Cockeysville, Maryland, son of John L. and Emma A. Foote. In 1926, Dr. Foote accepted a number of positions at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College including college physician, director of student health, medical director and administrator of FAMU Hospital. He died on May 31, 1993.

-https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/44584

 Leonard H. B. Foote