Frederick S. Humphries

Frederick Stephen Humphries (born December 26, 1935 in Apalachicola, Florida) is an American academic administrator and chemistry professor. He has been a Regent Professor at the Florida A&M University College of Law since 2003. Dr. Humphries is President Emeritus of Tennessee State University (1974 to 1985), and is President Emeritus of Florida A&M University (1985 to 2001). He served as President and CEO of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education from 2001 to 2003. Florida A&M University conferred the President Emeritus title upon Dr. Humphries on Friday, December 11, 2009.

Under his leadership Florida A&M University would grow from an enrollment of 5,100 in 1985 to 9,876 in 1993. By the 1998-1999 school year, enrollment had reached 11,828 students and by 2001 Florida A&M had an enrollment of 12,316.

He has a bachelor's degree in physical chemistry from Florida A&M University where he graduated magna cum laude in 1957. He received a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 1964 where he was the first African American to receive a Ph.D in this discipline from the University.

He was born in Apalachicola, Florida on December 26, 1935, to Thornton Humphries and Minnie Henry, and received his early education there. He attended the Holy Family Catholic School and the small, all-black Wallace M. Quinn High School in Apalachicola. He was one of only nine graduates in the class of 1953. Yet, he now contends that because of the quality and dedication of teachers, the small size of his school and the lack of sophisticated equipment did not handicap him. In an interview with Mike Radigan, Humphries said in Capital Outlook (May 9, 1985): "The greatest science teacher I had in high school was Mr. Charlie Watson. He taught me all my math and science courses. He was a very smart man and he cared about his students." Continuing his praise of Watson, Humphries said: "When he realized your abilities, he pushed you to the limit. When I left Wallace Quinn High School, I didn't know how well-prepared I was." Perhaps this early experience with his mathematics and science teacher instilled in him the concept of "excellence with caring" which became his motto upon becoming FAMU's eighth president. At FAMU when he earned the bachelor of science degree magna cum laude in chemistry in 1957. He was also a distinguished military science graduate in 1957 and was reported to be the first black officer to be commissioned into the Army Security Agency (Army Intelligence Branch). After serving in the Army for two years, he entered the University of Pittsburgh in 1959 as a teaching assistant in chemistry, became a graduate research fellow the next year, and earned his Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry in 1964.

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