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| Frederick Humphries, 8th president of FAMU |
In August of 1997, Time Magazine and the Princeton Review College Guide named FAMU its first ever College of the Year.
"In choosing FAMU we wanted to choose a college that was addressing one specific issue --access-- that our panel of 10 experts thought was the most critical issue this year," said Jillian Kasky, senior editor of the guide.
"When other schools and other state systems are turning away minority students, FAMU is looking to create a better environment for those same students," she said.
FAMU improves academics, students
Although the traditionally African-American FAMU might not be the best school for every student, the magazine noted, the school has been recognized for making important gains since Frederick Humphries was seated in 1985 as its president.
The school has tripled its graduating class since then. At the same time it has gained recognition for its improved programs and higher-quality student body. Humphries says the school's purpose is to nurture African-American excellence one student at a time.
"Our motto is excellence with caring," Humphries said.
"We demand a high standard, but we also are very sensitive to a student's needs and we try to fold them in, help them with values, teach them the promise of hard work and good academic performance in the classroom and then create a vision for themselves so they can go out and be first," he said.
He has been known to personally recruit top black high school achievers. And students at the university say entering freshmen get a message that the school offers more than an education.
"No matter where you come from, no matter what you were part of before, right now, from here on out, you're part of the family," one student said. "Here, it's love."