Florida Senate - 2025 (NP) SR 1876
By Senator Jones
34-03316-25 20251876__
1 Senate Resolution
2 A resolution recognizing Florida Agricultural and
3 Mechanical University’s contributions as an
4 outstanding institution of higher education and
5 designating April 9, 2025, as “FAMU Day” in Florida.
6
7 WHEREAS, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
8 (FAMU), Florida’s only public historically black college and
9 university (HBCU), was founded on October 3, 1887, named a land
10 grant institution in 1891, designated a college in 1909, and
11 designated a university in 1953, and
12 WHEREAS, the university is composed of 100 undergraduate,
13 graduate, postgraduate, and professional degree programs, 7
14 colleges, and 7 schools, including the Colleges of Agriculture
15 and Food Sciences; Education; Engineering; Law; Pharmacy and
16 Pharmaceutical Sciences; Science and Technology; and Social
17 Sciences, Arts, and Humanities; and the Schools of Allied Health
18 Sciences; Architecture and Engineering Technology; Business and
19 Industry; the Environment; Graduate Studies and Research;
20 Journalism and Graphic Communication; and Nursing, and
21 WHEREAS, under the dedicated leadership of FAMU Interim
22 President Timothy Beard, Ph.D., along with the FAMU Board of
23 Trustees, faculty, staff, and students, FAMU rose in the U.S.
24 News & World Report 2024-2025 “Top 100” National Public
25 Universities rankings from No. 91 just a year ago to No. 81, is
26 ranked 20th on the Social Mobility Index, remains the No. 1
27 ranked public HBCU for the sixth consecutive year, and is ranked
28 3rd among all public and private HBCUs in the country, and
29 WHEREAS, with more than 9,300 students enrolled for the
30 2024-2025 academic year, FAMU experienced a record number of
31 applications, exceeding 24,300 in a single year with nearly
32 21,000 first-time-in-college applicants, and
33 WHEREAS, FAMU supports student success through increased
34 funding and initiatives, garnering proven results in graduation
35 rates and degree productivity, awarding more than 2,100 degrees
36 during the 2023-2024 academic year, and
37 WHEREAS, the dynamic FAMU Marching “100” was named “Band of
38 the Year” by ESPN in the 2024 HBCU National Championship, a
39 symbol of artistic achievement and community pride, inspiring
40 the next generation, and was honored by the Leon County
41 Commission for the award, and
42 WHEREAS, this year, retired and acclaimed FAMU Marching
43 “100” director Dr. Julian E. White was the second African
44 American director to be inducted into the National Band
45 Association’s Hall of Fame, with the first being FAMU Marching
46 “100” founder Dr. William P. Foster, and
47 WHEREAS, with 14 National Collegiate Athletic Association
48 programs, FAMU Athletics had a stellar year of wins in sports,
49 including the FAMU Women’s Volleyball Team winning the
50 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship; Sara Rakim
51 winning the SWAC Women’s Tennis Fall Tournament and
52 participating in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National
53 Fall Tournament; the assistant coach of the FAMU Women’s
54 Volleyball Team, Gokhan Yilmaz, being named the SWAC Coach of
55 the Year; FAMU football quarterback Daniel Richardson being
56 named the SWAC “Newcomer of the Year”; and the FAMU Men’s
57 Basketball Team, under the leadership of Coach Patrick Crarey
58 II, securing its first-ever SWAC Tournament win, and
59 WHEREAS, FAMU is dedicated to maintaining its commitment in
60 honoring FAMU’s most treasured and esteemed alumni, including
61 renaming city streets after legendary football coach Rudy
62 Hubbard, esteemed educators and community pillars Dr. Carolyn
63 Ryals and E. Lillian Spencer, and an on-campus city street after
64 iconic and legendary tennis athlete, Althea Gibson, who, in
65 1980, was among the first women inducted into the International
66 Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, solidifying her legacy in sports
67 history, NOW, THEREFORE,
68
69 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
70
71 That, in recognition of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
72 University’s contributions as an outstanding institution of
73 higher education, April 9, 2025, is designated as “FAMU Day” in
74 Florida.
75 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with
76 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Dr. Timothy
77 Beard, Interim President of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
78 University, as a tangible token of the sentiments of the Florida
79 Senate.