Frederick S. Humphries, the eighth president of Florida A&M University, died on June 24 at his home in Orlando, Florida. He was 85 years old.
A native of Apalachicola, Florida, Dr. Humprhires earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Florida A&M University. He held a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. He served on the faculty at Florida A&M University and the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Humphries served as president of Florida A&M University from 1985 to 2001. Earlier, he was president of Tennessee State University in Nashville from 1974 to 1985. In 2013, HBCU Digest named Dr. Humprhires as one of the five best HBCU presidents of all time.
After stepping down as president of Florida A&M University, Dr. Humphries served as president and CEO of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education and as a Regents Professor at the Florida A&M University College of Law in Orlando.
Larry Robinson, the current president of Florida A&M University, said in a statement, “Dr. Humphries is one of FAMU’s favorite sons. He committed his life to the advancement of higher education, in particular within the HBCU community, and changed the trajectory of FAMU.”
Condolences to the Humphries Family and the FAMU Family. The HBCU community and especially the Florida HBCU community appreciate Dr. Humphries definitely appreciated his lifelong contributions to “Black Higher Education”. RIP Rattler.