Henry Lewis, III is leaving Tallahassee to lead one of FAMU’s sister historically black universities through tough times.The Florida Memorial University Board of Trustees has selected Lewis to serve as the institution’s new president. The announcement was made during an afternoon meeting attended by nearly 300 faculty, staff and students anticipating an introduction of the new president-elect by board Chairman Charles W. George.
After being introduced to the campus family, Lewis expressed his appreciation to the board for their confidence in his leadership and stewardship, and his enthusiasm to instill confidence in each prospective Florida Memorial graduate. “I see a diamond in the rough in Florida Memorial University, and I am confident that the institution can be the greatest institution it can be,” he stated.
Lewis has served as dean and professor in the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences for fifteen years. As a former interim president of FAMU, he also served as dean of the Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for four years. He is also the past president of the Minority Health Professions Foundation (MHPF) and the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools (AMHPS). Under his leadership, the two organizations secured over $100 million in support of programs improving the quality of education and availability of health care to underserved communities.
After graduating from FAMU with a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from the program where he now serves as dean, he earned a doctor of pharmacy degree from Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia and completed his post-doctoral studies at Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management.