Giving Tuesday: FAMU seeking donations for statue honoring President Frederick S. Humphries

Dejania Oliver
·3 min read

Florida A&M University will be ending its fruitful fall semester with a special Giving Tuesday fundraiser.

As part of the national fundraising campaign, the university is asking alumni and supporters to assist their plan in building a statue to honor Frederick S. Humphries, Sr., FAMU’s eighth president, who died in June at age 85.

Humphries is credited with increasing enrollment and expanding academic programs in FAMU’s “Golden Age” from 1985 to 2001.

One of Humphries’ sons, Laurence Humphries, said a statue is a great way of honoring his father’s legacy.

Remember a giant:

“It’s important that Florida A&M remembers the rich legacy of this great university. That’s why I am proud to support this effort to raise money for a statue of my father, Dr. Frederick S. Humphries,” said Humphries in a prepared statement. “We are launching a campaign to ‘honor our heroes’; it is our intention that this effort be the first of many statues for those who have come before us.”

So far, the university has received $110,000 in donations for the statue. The ultimate goal is to raise $350,000 for the project.

Anyone looking to donate should visit www.FAMURising.com for more information on the plans.

$1 million in donations came in during homecoming

Giving Tuesday is a national event that started in 2012 for the purpose of encouraging people to do good, according to the Giving Tuesday website. The nonprofit has turned into a global movement, causing people around the world to give back each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Now, over 70 countries and hundreds of communities participate.

Former FAMU president Frederick Humphries' youngest son, Laurence Humphries shares memories of his father during a funeral service honoring him at the Lawson Center Saturday, July 10, 2021.
Former FAMU president Frederick Humphries' youngest son, Laurence Humphries shares memories of his father during a funeral service honoring him at the Lawson Center Saturday, July 10, 2021.

For FAMU, Giving Tuesday follows a successful Homecoming 2021 and Florida Classic. Shawnta Friday-Stroud, vice president of University Advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation, said the university received more than $1 million in donations during homecoming.

More from FAMU: Florida A&M attributes ‘epic’ homecoming success to months of planning, power of FAMU brand

FAMU football: Behind the scenes: A quiet bus ride, enduring taunts at SEL, Rattler pride

The live broadcast of ESPN’s First Take highlighted this from the new Will Packer Performing Arts Amphitheater, which was unveiled on Oct. 29.

While FAMU did raise a record $13.6 million in 2020-2021, the annual campaign fell short in its goal to increase the percentage of alumni who donate. The university’s goal is to increase the number of alumni who give for scholarships, athletics, laptops and other student needs.

FAMU Foundation board member Marcelia Freeman will be extending her match to all new donors through June 30, 2022, paying particular attention to those who graduated in the last 10 years. Potential donators can also text FAMURISING to 41444.

During summer commencement in August, Freeman a 2005 graduate of FAMU School & Industry’s five-year MBA program, and a keynote speaker, challenged new donors by matching donations “dollar for dollar up to $100,000,” to the FAMU Foundation.

“We appreciate the generosity of our alumni and corporate supporters in this time of great need,” Friday-Stroud said. “Giving Tuesday offers another opportunity to stand with us as we raise funds toward a statute for Dr. Humphries and other initiatives on campus.”

Contact Democrat writer Dejania Oliver at DOliver1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU seeks donations for President Frederick Humphries statue