'He was a force': Statue unveiled to honor FAMU giant Frederick S. Humphries
When community members and visitors walk across the quad at Florida A&M University , the Eternal Flame will no longer be the only icon in the heart of campus.
Between the burning monument and Lee Hall is a bronze 6-foot-7-inch statue of former President Frederick S. Humphries , which was unveiled on campus Oct. 17 as part of the university's homecoming celebration. The sculpture pays tribute to the pioneering leader with a towering presence and his success in reshaping the university and championing his coined motto, "Excellence with Caring."
"He was more than a president," Frederick S. Humphries Jr., Humphries's oldest son, said during the unveiling event. "He was a force. He had a voice. He was a person who was passionate about education. He was a warrior for education, and he was about excellence with caring."
"I was really blessed to have a father who instilled values, who talked about purpose and who talked about what's your north star. His commitment to FAMU was constant," he added. The eldest son also delivered a spirited and impassioned recitation of the "Rattler Charge" chant that his father was known for as individuals in the crowd did a Rattler hissing sound in unison while striking their fingers.
As the sun rose on the "Highest of Seven Hills" during the Friday morning event, Rattlers and friends of Humphries from both near and far were greeted by the Marching 100 band as its student members played on the steps of Lee Hall, right across from the statue that would later be unveiled.
While a large black drape was being removed from the concealed statue, the band played a cheerful tune as attendees matched its energy with a resounding round of applause. The statue portrays Humphries in regalia and represents his appearance in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Related news: How the statue of President Frederick Humphries came to be
Humphries – FAMU's eighth leader who served as president during a transformative 16-year tenure from 1985 to 2001 – died in 2021 in Orlando at the age of 85 and left a lasting impact after leading the institution to national prominence.
Under his leadership, FAMU tripled its research funding, grew its enrollment significantly and was named "College of the Year" by TIME/Princeton Review in 1997. Humphries's youngest son Laurence Humphries said the statue's placement near the Eternal Flame on campus is a fitting location since his father commissioned the monument in honor of FAMU's selection as the inaugural institution to be designated the esteemed title by the magazine and education services company.
"As the statue stands, students will pass it by," Humphries's daughter Robin Tanya Watson said as she read a letter she wrote to her beloved father as part of her speech. "Some will pause and wonder who you were, others will know, and all will be invited by your permanent presence to remember that excellence is not just possible – it is our inheritance and our responsibility."
The statue was sculpted by a Kimball, Minnesota-based company called Brodin Bronze and cost nearly $85,000. The sculpting project was long in the making as discussions about it began in 2009, followed by years of fundraising efforts. More than $200,000 was raised through a fundraising campaign to cover the cost as well as future maintenance expenses.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate a man whose life work continues to shape every inch of this campus," FAMU President Marva Johnson said. "Not only does it shape every inch of the campus, but it shapes every dream that takes root here."
Johnson also announced that FAMU would be relaunching the Life Gets Better scholarship, which is a full scholarship program that was created by Humphries in 1986 to recruit top-performing African American students. The announcement was met by a hearty applause.
Speakers at the event included all three of Humphries's children – Frederick Jr., Robin Tanya Watson and Laurence Humphries – alumni and mentees of the late academic giant, including former Tennessee State President Glenda Glover.
"Dr. Humphries served FAMU, and we are now reaping what he sowed into presidents like me who followed behind him," said Glover, a former protégé́ of Humphries. "We're reaping as he sowed into students, faculty, staff and alumni of the FAMU community."
Although a brief disruption occurred during the special occasion when a man walked to the front of the event near the podium after one of the speeches to shout out an unclear phrase, members of FAMU's Police Department ushered the individual away from the area. There were no further interruptions as the unveiling event proceeded.
Besides the Humphries family, other attendees were former FAMU President Larry Robinson, former interim President Timothy Beard, former interim President Henry Lewis, former Fort Valley State University President Larry Rivers and current and former FAMU trustees as well as current and former university administration members.
Attendees also included well-known civil rights attorney Ben Crump, attorney, former state lawmaker and now mayoral candidate Loranne Ausley, Tallahassee mayoral candidate Tallahassee attorney and mayoral candidate Daryl Parks and city officials, such as commissioners Curtis Richardson and Dianne Williams-Cox and county commissioners Carolyn Cummings and Bill Proctor.
In addition to the unveiling, commemorative statues will be shipped to each of the Humphries siblings for them to display in their homes, according to FAMU's Acting Vice President of University Advancement Brandi Tatum-Fedrick.
"Thank you for showing us the way, thank you for being uncompromising in your vision and thank you for teaching us that our light was never meant to be hidden," Watson said in her written homage to her father.
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com . Follow her on X: @tarahjean_ .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU unveils statue of former president Frederick Humphries
