Florida Memorial University: A Legacy of Leadership, Character, and Service
Florida Memorial University (FMU) stands as a testament to the enduring power of education and the unwavering pursuit of opportunity. As a private historically black university (HBCU) located in Miami Gardens, Florida, FMU’s roots reach back to 1879. Its journey is one of resilience, adaptation, and a deep commitment to transforming lives through education. The university has become a major presence in the local - and global - community, having formed strong partnerships with renowned corporations and organizations.
From Live Oak to Miami Gardens: A Journey of Transformation
The Early Years: Florida Baptist Institute in Live Oak
In 1879, the Bethlehem Baptist Association established the Florida Baptist Institute in Live Oak, Florida. The goal was simple but profound: to create “a college of instruction for our ministers and children.” The Reverend J. L. A. Fish served as the institute's first president, setting the stage for a promising future. However, racial tensions soon cast a shadow over the institute.
Jacksonville and the Florida Baptist Academy
In April 1892, after unknown persons fired shots into one of the school’s buildings, then-President Matthew Gilbert and other staff members sought refuge in Jacksonville. There, in the basement of Bethel Baptist Church, they founded the Florida Baptist Academy. Classes began in May 1892, with Sarah Ann Blocker serving as the main instructor.
Consolidation and a New Name
In 1896, Nathan White Collier, then President of Florida Baptist Institute, and Sarah Ann Blocker, of Florida Baptist Academy, combined the two institutions to found Florida Normal and Technical Institute. Nathan W. Collier was appointed president of the Academy, a post he held for 45 years. Collier tried to replicate the educational aims and programs of Booker T. Washington. During that season, the college was so prosperous that by 1901, President Roosevelt selected it as the premier site of African American learning in the state of Florida.
St. Augustine and the Florida Normal and Industrial Institute
As the student body grew, the school sought a new location with more space. In September 1918, the institution moved to St. Augustine, Florida, and became the Florida Normal and Industrial Institute. The new campus was located on a 110-acre tract of land, the site of the "Old Hanson Plantation". The students were encouraged to be industrious and self-sufficient, receiving hands-on training in the practical fields that would allow them to support themselves and their families. Inspired by Booker T. Washington's belief in the value of industrial education, the school’s early mission was to help students become "industrious and self-sufficient." The students constructed many of the campus buildings themselves, as well as growing and preparing their own food. By 1923, the St. Augustine campus included an arts and crafts building, a manual training shop, barn, dairy silo, and a sawmill. Courses included broom-making, gardening, first aid, farming, and among others. The gardening and farming provided vegetables, pork, beef, milk, butter, and eggs for the kitchen and dining hall.
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Merger and a New Identity
In 1942, the Florida Institute at Live Oak, which had continued to operate, merged with the Florida Normal and Industrial Institute in St. Augustine. The institution became Florida Normal Industrial and Memorial College. In 1941, the Live Oak and St. Augustine institutions merged, changing their limited offerings from a junior college classification to a four-year liberal arts institution; it graduated its first four-year class in 1945. The school's name was changed in 1950 to "Florida Normal and Industrial Memorial College".
The Civil Rights Era and Relocation to Miami
The advent of the civil rights movement brought change to St. Augustine. Florida Memorial students protested segregation by participating in sit-ins, wade-ins, and swim-ins, orchestrated in part by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Activism by FMC students, however, threatened to upset the delicate relationship between the City of St. Augustine and Florida Memorial, as well as provoking the resentment and animosity of whites in the area. In light of the turbulent times, Dr. Royal W. Puryear oversaw the relocation of the school to a 48-acre former air strip near the South Florida City of Opa-locka in Miami-Dade County. Concerned for their students’ safety, along with a subsequent decline in enrollment, the College was spurred to purchase land in Dade County in 1965. After Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968, crosses were burned on the front lawn of Florida Memorial, and the school moved to the land they had purchased in Miami, even though only three buildings were ready for use.
A New Beginning in Miami Gardens
In November 1968, the new campus opened as Florida Memorial College. By 1972, it graduated its first class at the Miami site. On July 3, 2006, the institution officially became Florida Memorial University. For years the college was based in what was classified as the Opa-locka North census-designated place, in an unincorporated area.
Academic Excellence and Community Engagement
Florida Memorial University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It offers 41 undergraduate degree programs and four graduate degree programs through its eight academic divisions in six academic schools. The business programs are accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. The social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
FMU is a community of scholars committed to the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and the free exchange of ideas. Students flourish with support, encouragement, and mentorship. Faculty reinforce the importance of life-long learning, inspiring students to fully participate and contribute to society. A beautifully renovated, technologically advanced, welcoming campus is the hub of vibrant student life. Whether you reside on or off campus, you will have access to activities for every interest, including athletics, Greek life, academic organizations, the arts, and even a nationally recognized marching band. Community engagement is a crucial part of the FMU experience. The university has become a major presence in the local - and global - community, having formed strong partnerships with renowned corporations and organizations. FMU is a culturally diverse institution, transforming lives and helping to create a future for people from many races, ethnicities, countries, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.
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The iROAR Lab
Transformation funding has fostered growth strategies for the university’s career development center known as the iROAR Lab (intentional Readiness for Occupational Acquisition and Retention). The Lab now includes a staff of four professionals dedicated to career development, including a new director, a career readiness coordinator, an education technologist and a program assistant. Over the past few months, the Lab saw an increase in student engagement and enhanced the student experience by creating a career fair for graduate and undergraduate students in March 2022. This turnout was due to more on-campus visibility, the efforts of an increased team and extended event times.
Pre-College Programs
The institution also offers pre-college programs to reach out to the surrounding community. It addresses critical urban needs and helps more than 700 youth through the Lion's Pre-College Experience Institute.
The Nathan W. Collier Library
The Nathan W. Collier Library was named after Nathan White Collier, who served as the third president of Florida Baptist Academy for forty-five years. Collier was responsible for tireless fundraising and advocating; acquiring property and land; increasing enrollment and attracting nationally renowned faculty. 1898-99 archival records indicate that the institution’s first library was erected that year, with a foundation being laid and 400 donated books collected and organized. During its St. Augustine era, the campus library was first housed in several buildings, mainly Anderson Hall. In spring 1942, the first standalone library facility was erected and named the Jonathan Sewell Library, after a generous benefactor. The Sewell Library was later expanded to include a new wing in 1953. The Miami era brought with it the Library, one of the first buildings at the relocation site to be constructed in 1968. The three-level facility is fittingly named in honor of Nathan White Collier, a philanthropist who was the third president of Florida Baptist Academy, Jacksonville, FL from 1896 - 1918, and Florida Normal and Industrial Institute, St. Augustine, FL from 1918 - 1941 providing leadership excellence for forty-five years. The Collier library houses 120,000 volumes, two Information Commons areas as well as separate Electronic, Teaching, Periodicals, Audiovisual and Group study rooms. The library subscribes to 30 databases, 519 periodicals and contains two special collections: The Rev. I. C. Mickins Theological and Sermonic Research, and the Dr.
Athletics: The Lions
The Florida Memorial athletic teams are called the Lions. The institution played football under the name "Florida Normal and Industrial Institute" from 1946-58 (except 1949), competing in the Southeastern Athletic Conference. The Lions' record in those twelve seasons was 41 wins, 25 losses and six ties, with a 14-8 win over Albany State in their final game of 1958. The football program was re-instated in 2020, after a 62 year hiatus. The "new" Lions got their first victory on October 23, 2021, defeating Union College.
Legacy and Future
The FMU legacy is firmly rooted in steadfast dedication and commitment to pursue its mission to instill in our students the values of leadership, character, and service to enhance their lives and the lives of others. Florida Memorial University of today is ascending to excellence and stands in a position of great promise. Now a world-class institution, FMU offers undergraduate and graduate programs in high demand fields that prepare students for successful careers in the global marketplace.
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Remembering the St. Augustine Era
The legacy of the Florida Memorial campus is marked by the Abraham Lincoln (A.L.) Lewis Archway, the original entryway to the College. Named for Florida’s first Black millionaire, this restored arch sits at Collier Blocker Puryear Park, diagonally across from the College's former grounds. In 2014, St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles attended a ceremony hosted by Florida Memorial University where he apologized for the city’s failure to protect the College and students. Long overdue, the apology helps to heal a once healthy, mutually beneficial relationship between the College and the city of St. Augustine. The expanding community space named Collier-Blocker-Puryear Park after some of the College’s early administrators, Nathan W. Collier, Sarah A. Blocker, and Dr. Royal W. Puryear, indicates that St. Augustine has not forgotten the College and its history. The restored A.L. Lewis Archway entrance to the College and the Civil Rights Act 40th Anniversary marker are also visible reminders of a pivotal time in the history of St. Augustine. Several large panels at the park outline the history of Florida Memorial College.
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