A series of letters between then Director of Research and Grants, B. L. Perry, Jr., and several colleagues, including President Gore, and proposal materials. FAMU collaborated with deans of universities based in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Southeastern region to create a research laboratory funded by the U.S. Office of Education.
This news article features a rare photograph of the peaceful presidential transition of power at the formal inauguration of Florida A&M President Benjamin L. Perry. In the picture, a smiling B. L. Perry gets assistance with his hood from a beaming former president, George W. Gore.
President B. L. Perry gathered records of celebrated alumni and contributors, including Joseph Kershaw, LaSalle D. LeFall Jr., Robert Hayes, Althea Gibson, and Julian and Nat Adderley, reflecting their legacies, notable achievements, and the enduring imprint they left on FAMU’s history.
This photograph was taken at Florida A&M University’s annual Homecoming Parade on October 18, 1975. As the procession strolled through Frenchtown, a historic Black, middle-class Tallahassee neighborhood, someone shot University President B. L. Perry shaking hands with Mr. Roberts of Economy Drugstore, a Black-owned pharmacy vital to the community.
In a letter from B. L. Perry, Jr. to Attorney Cheryl Calloway of the Office of the General Counsel under the Division of Civil Rights, Perry threatens legal action against the federal government for threats to Florida A&M’s land-grant status and access given to non-land-grant institutions, like Florida State University.
This abstract presents a detailed analysis of the logistics needed to successfully achieve the collaboration between Michigan State University, the University of Nigeria, and other higher education institutions. It details the securement of proper documentation, professional contacts, and the extent of the curricula of this unique venture.
This dual-edition book, available in a pupil’s and parent’s version, includes a charming collection of short stories and poems inspired by B. L. Perry Jr.'s life. Accompanied by vivid illustrations, it bridges generations with creativity and heartfelt reflections.
The St. Petersburg Times released this article on Florida A&M President Benjamin L. Perry as a profile feature piece. He vocalizes a resolute position on remaining autonomous and separate from neighboring, predominantly white institution, Florida State University, to fill “an educational gap” caused by “toleration rather than acceptance of blacks.”
A Tallahassee Democrat newspaper clipping talks about a tumultuous period of the university’s history. Faculty member numbers were down, state funding was reduced, and talks of a merger between FAMU and Florida State were redundant. Despite this, efforts for funding were achieved, as with the Kellogg Grant to FAMU’s School of Pharmacy.
This letter between former Florida A&M president William H. Gray, Jr. and former Florida A&M president Benjamin L. Perry – when Perry was still a first lieutenant – discusses curriculum changes to a Vocational Guidance Program for future returning veterans. Perry was the Assistant Advisor and was to be discharged soon with no set plans afterward.
Florida A&M University President Dr. Benjamin L. Perry made bold statements during the Governor’s conference on education opportunities for the disadvantaged. He claimed that the only way to bring more fruitful educational opportunities is to address the problem at its root: white attitudes toward minority education.
Joyce Warner, a 20-year-old junior at Florida A&M University, was crowned Miss Black Florida and represented the state at the Miss Black America Pageant at Madison Square Garden in New York. She won the title and is pictured here with Tallahsssee Governor Reubin Askew and FAMU President Dr. Benjamin L. Perry on her return home.
This collection includes a pamphlet explaining the Bicentennial Restoration Project, an initiative undertaken by FAMU’s Black Church Restoration Committee to mend the Bethlehem Church, and a check. The last page of the pamphlet was photocopied and attached to a $10 donation check to the FAMU Foundation made by B. L. Perry, Jr. on November 2, 1976.
This newspaper article from the Florida Alligator, a University of Florida publication, highlights the growth of Black scholars in academia and an emerging problem: “faculty raiding.” White institutions looking to be more inclusive were regularly poaching Black professors, leaving Black institutions like Florida A&M with fewer faculty.
This series of correspondences spanning a couple of months in 1967 showcases the great working relationship between B. L. Perry, Jr. and House of Representatives Congressman Don Fuqua. The two discussed various education bills and used each other’s knowledge to develop Florida A&M University.
A 1969 newspaper clipping from the St. Petersburg Times describes an interaction between Florida A&M President Dr. Benjamin L. Perry and the State Board of Regents. Perry complained that “FAMU is ‘bursting at the seams’ because of a student housing storage,” a problem the institution has recurringly faced in recent years.
The FAMU Alumni News reported on the Summer 1971 Commencement, which some high-profile figures attended. Names include Senior Ebony Editor Lerone Bennett (commencement speaker, not pictured), Florida House Rep. Gwendolyn Cherry, Secretary of the Florida State Department of Community Affairs M. Athalie Range, and Ray Charles (absent from the event).
A timeless piece from the Tallahassee Democrat on a woman who essentially grew up with Florida A&M University. Born a year after the institution’s founding, 1888, Charlotte V. A. Gavin offers historical insight into both the early days of FAMU and the growth of Tallahassee’s community through integration.
When 20-year-old Genita Ekpenyong’s father was murdered in Nigeria’s Biafran conflict, B. L. Perry (who met her father when he was a guest professor in Nigeria) temporarily became her guardian so she could complete her education. Despite this, Ekpenyong was itching to return to Nigeria because the violence in the U.S. was too much for her to bear.
In the early 1970s, President Dr. Benjamin Perry announced a private funding campaign for the university after asserting that the State Board of Education was withholding FAMU’s fair share of funds, granting them only 3.1% of the budget from the Board of Regents and the State Legislature. Then-Attorney General Bob Shervin supported his statements.
Journalist Brad Silliman, writing for the Tallahassee Democrat, discusses a plan created by students at Florida A&M University to tour the state of Florida on a telegram and letter campaign to the Florida Congress. This protest was in response to a suggestion by two state senators to merge the two institutions to save costs.
In the late 1960s to mid-1970s, threats of Florida A&M being phased out like other small, predominantly Black institutions or merged with Florida State University (a predominantly white institution) were recurrent. However, university President Benjamin L. Perry held his ground, threatening legal action against the Florida State University System.
This article provides a more nuanced position Benjamin L. Perry held on merging with Florida State University. While he was adamant about maintaining Florida A&M’s autonomy, Perry made sure to say that the institution “offers opportunities for blacks and whites” as justification for that stance.
This collection contains a 1972 report from Florida A&M’s Office of Contracts and Grants discussing the increasing cost of higher education due to politicians appropriating funds for university operations. The document presents figures on collateral programs for funding support, aid as a portion of income, and more.
William Cotterell wrote this news article for an unidentifiable news publication. It discusses a new joint opportunity between Florida A&M University and Florida State University but quoted executive officials from FSU warning FAMU students from joining because they risk falling behind in class due to differing institution registration periods.
With photographs captured by Mike Moody for the Capitol Canon, this newspaper highlights the student activism prevalent not just in the 1970s but on Florida’s campuses. At Lee Hall, the Malcolm X United Liberation Front, a non-campus affiliated student organization, called for Black unity between students and the greater Tallahassee community.
In this news article, Florida A&M President Benjamin L. Perry Jr. questioned the federal government, stating, “Is a 3% enrollment of blacks at a predominantly white institution ‘making strides’ toward progress while a similar number of whites at a predominantly black institution is a perpetuation of segregation?”
In January 1976, the Leon County Bicentennial Committee nominated and approved Dr. Benjamin L. Perry for “outstanding contributions in the fields of Human Relations and Education.” The document showcases the deep respect Dr. Perry fostered in his community through hard work performed locally, nationally, and internationally.
After student demonstrations afflicted Florida A&M University earlier in the year, the Tallahassee chapter of the National Urban League hired FAMU President Benjamin L. Perry as its full-time executive director. Members of the student organization that led the protest, the Malcolm X United Liberation Front, also joined the board of directors.
A letter between then Director of Research and Grants, B. L. Perry, Jr., and President Gore and an attached report. Both materials discuss the slow rate of collaboration and progress between Florida State and Florida A&M compared to other colleges’ cooperative programs. Perry calls for improvement of the relationship between the two institutions.
