A Legacy Worth Recognizing

By James F. Mathews

Over the last 39 years, the success stories relating to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University have occurred and are occurring under the administrations of eight different men and women.

 
Scholars have come and gone on to great stations in life, grand buildings have been constructed, athletic teams have won championships, researchers have tackled some of the world’s greatest challenges, theories have been tested in classrooms and exemplary leadership has been displayed by those serving in the office of president.

 
There has not been one graduation ceremony cancelled or one unscheduled university shutdown (outside of natural disasters), so I am proud to say that the legacy of the last eight presidents of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is worth recognizing.

 
As a graduate of the University, my President B.L. Perry, Jr., preceded the eight presidents that we are focusing on for special recognition. I was able to interact with President Perry on a regular basis while serving as Student Government President and I saw his enthusiasms; his devotion and his giving of himself for the good of the university which we all considered to be a very worthy cause.

 
There were two themes that evolved from the Perry Administration that carried over in each one of the eight successors that followed him: 1) President Perry ended his speeches in a booming voice with a twist of a popular song at the time; “If loving FAMU is wrong, I don’t want to be right.” And, he ended every letter with: “Yours for a better FAMU.” He loved FAMU and he tried with every ounce of his being to make it better. In having the opportunity to watch all eight of the presidents that have followed President Perry, irrespective of their styles or methods of administration, all have exemplified a love for FAMU and a burning desire to make it better. For this reason, the legacy of the past and current presidents is worth recognizing.

 
To play a small part in giving back to my University, I am serving on the Legacy Banquet Planning Committee, spearheaded by the Bethel Empowerment Foundation. A magnificent event will take place on Aug. 27 in the historic Grand Ballroom on the FAMU campus. All of the former living Presidents and the current President will come together in a unified effort to support the university. All proceeds will be made to and forwarded to the FAMU Foundation to support scholarships, athletics and other work of the university.

 
Please join me on Aug. 27 in the Grand Ballroom and remember; if loving FAMU is wrong, we don’t want to be right.

Yours for a better FAMU,

James F. Mathews