Florida A&M University

Florida A&M University

Name	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Address
Town	Tallahassee, FL 32307
Established	1887
Community
Type	Public coeducational
Classification	Historically black Agricultural and mechanical
Religion	Secular
Enrollment
Faculty
President	Dr. Fred Gainous
Accreditation
Nickname	Rattlers
Mascot	Rattler
Colors	Orange and light green
Motto	"Head, heart, hand, field"
Newspaper	The Famuan
Yearbook	The Rattler
Website	Link
Email

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida and is one of nine institutions in Florida's State University System.

Florida A&M was founded on October 3, 1887, as the State Normal College for Colored Students. It began classes with fifteen students and two instructors.

Leading the State Normal College through its infancy were two distinguished citizens and educators. They were Thomas DeSaille Tucker, an outstanding attorney from Pensacola who was selected as the college's first president, and Thomas Van Rennasaler Gibbs, a state representative from Duval County who was Tucker's top assistant. In 1891, the college received $7,500 under the Second Morrill Act for agricultural and mechanical arts education; thus, it became Florida's land grant institution for African-Americans. The college was moved from Copeland Street (now the site of Florida State University) to its present location, and its name was changed to the State Normal and Industrial College for Colored Students. It was at this new site that President Tucker initiated his plans for institutional growth and development.

The name was changed in 1909 to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes. The following year, with an enrollment of 317 students, the college awarded its first degrees. In spite of a setback caused by a tragic fire which destroyed Duval Hall (the main building which housed the library, administrative offices, cafeteria and other college agencies), progress was made when a gift of $10,000 was presented to the college by Andrew Carnegie for the erection of a new library facility-which held the distinction of being the only Carnegie Library located on a African-American land-grant college. President Young directed the growth of the college with limited resources and expectations, to a four-year degree-granting institution, offering the B.S. degree in education, science, home economics, agriculture, and mechanical arts.

Florida A&M's colors are orange and light green and their nickname is the Rattlers. FAMU sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (I-AA for football) in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

External links

• Official Website