Students, staff members, and alumni gathered in the center of Florida A&M's campus to commemorate 136 years of higher learning.
FAMU, the state’s only public historically black university, was founded on Oct. 3rd, 1887, and in a way, Tuesday's Founder's Day event was a birthday celebration.
That's not all the school has to celebrate
In September, the University was reaffirmed for the fifth consecutive year as the top ranked public HBCU in the nation.
U.S. News and World Report also recognized the school as 3rd overall among all Black colleges. That’s something FAMU’s President Larry Robinson says the school should never take for granted.
“Can you imagine what our founders are thinking about FAMU today?" University President Larry Robinson asked during the ceremony.
"For 136 years, FAMU has delivered on the promise of opportunity for thousands of students and lives as we have created opportunity for some that were never imagined or never supposed to be.”
After his speech, FAMU theater students performed the university’s Alma Mater song and Robinson laid an orange and green memorial wreath in front of the eternal flame, a monument built after Time Magazine recognized the school as College of the year in 1997.
“We’re just here to honor the legacy of FAMU and the giants that stood before us so that is why I came today, to pay my respects for the people that paved the way for me," said FAMU student Omari Rasheed.
FAMU will continue its homecoming celebrations throughout October with special events like step shows, and parades; before wrapping things up with its homecoming football game.