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FAMU Trustee Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. has died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 72.
Dortch was the former chairman of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. He was also a successfu,l businessman including at his consulting firm TWD, Inc.
Dortch founded the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame and led the foundation to award over $1 million in grants and scholarships to students, which helped expose more than half a million students to college opportunities.
A member of the BOT since 2016, Dortch was re-appointed to serve a five-year-term by the Florida Board of Governors in November 2020
President Larry Robinson, praised Dortch for being a great friend of FAMU and the Black community.
“What a tremendous loss. He was a world class individual from every perspective. I can’t tell you how much he meant to us as a member of our Board of Trustees for a number of years, but also as a parent of students who have matriculated from this institution,” Robinson said on hearing the news.
“Thomas Dortch made significant contributions to this University, both in his leadership and monetarily. He even brought friends to the table to contribute philanthropically to the University,” said Board Chair Kelvin Lawson. “He will surely be missed.”