FAMU Ties Harvard in Recruitment of National Achievement Scholars\
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.
Florida A&M University has tied with Harvard University as the No. 1 recruiter of National Achievement Scholars, the nation’s top African American high school students, for 2000.
“This ranking marks another milestone in the University’s effort to maintain FAMU’s status as one of the nation’s premier institutions,” says FAMU President Frederick S. Humphries. “The best and brightest minority students in the country come to FAMU because of our scholarship offerings, academic programs and for the pathways to success that we have in place.”
Information released by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in its annual report shows FAMU and Harvard with 62 scholars in the 2000 freshman class. Howard University follows with 46 scholars and Stanford University with 20.
Over the past nine years FAMU has been one of the national leaders in the recruitment of Achievement Scholars. FAMU earned the top spot in academia for three years — 1992, 1995 and 1997.
When he was appointed president in 1985, FAMU had one scholar enrolled and since 1988 FAMU has been among the nation’s top five recruiters of National Achievement Scholars.
Several outstanding scholarships and programs have been key components in attracting scholars to the university, most notable is the Life-Gets-Better-Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded for four years to undergraduate students and covers tuition, fees, room and board, books, and a laptop computer (see Black Issues, Oct. 26).
Currently, there are 120 students receiving this scholarship.
In addition, 13 people have applied to be the first dean at the new Florida A&M University law school, but school officials were hoping to get more applications and are considering extending the deadline for applying.
FAMU, the state’s public historically Black university, selected Orlando in November as the site for its law school, intended to cater mainly to minorities. The school is expected to open in the fall of 2002.
FAMU hopes to have its law school dean hired and in Orlando by the end of this summer.
So far, applicants for the FAMU post include:
Michael Jay Bloom, writer, lawyer and former administrator with the U.S. Treasury and city of New York; Robert Bremer, writer, lecturer on public administration; Earl Croman, attorney in San Diego, Texas; Mitchell F. Crusto, law professor at Loyola University in New Orleans; James DeMatteo, prosecutor in Erie County, N.Y.; James M. Douglas, former law dean at Texas Southern University hired by FAMU as a consultant to help the find the best site for the law school; Ralph DeZago, attorney and consultant, Herington, Kan.; Kevin Duffy, consultant, Melbourne, Fla.; John Duncan, law professor at Texas Wesleyan University; Gary Lane, dean of California Pacific Law School; James T. O’Reilly, visiting law professor at the University of Cincinnati; Wayne B. Watson, CEO 21st Century Nutriceuticals Inc., Springville, Utah; and Darryl C. Wilson, law professor at Stetson University in St. Petersburg.
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