Published: January 11, 1996
From The Associated Press TALLAHASSEE - For the second time in four years, Northern Florida's historically black Florida A&M University has outrun the nation's most prestigious centers of higher learning in the fierce race for the smartest black scholars.
The 10,324-student Tallahassee college lured 59 of the National Merit Scholarship Corp.'s National Achievement Scholars into the freshman class that started last fall, two more than runner-up Harvard, President Frederick Humphries told a news conference.``It isn't often that an institution gets to say that they have exceeded Harvard in some capacity,'' boasted Humphries, who has made the brain chase a priority since becoming Florida A&M's president in 1985.
How did tiny Florida A&M out-recruit higher education powerhouses such as Harvard, Howard University, which had 43 National Achievement Scholars, the University of Oklahoma with 29 and Stanford with 23?
The personal touch, said the scholars.
Anton Thomas, 18, one of the St. Petersburg Center for Advanced Technology's top graduates, turned down scholarships at Miami and Auburn when promised a home away from home by Florida A&M's recruiter.
``She told my mom she was going to be like my second mother on campus,'' said Thomas, an engineering student.
Another scramble was won when Florida A&M out-recruited Yale and Dartmouth to land National Achievement Scholar Mandisa McCalla.
``It's like family. No matter where I go I'm not going to get the same support and nurturing,'' said the 17-year-old journalism student from Miami's Carol Clay High.
Florida A&M previously topped the list in 1992 by recruiting 73 National Achievement Scholars to Harvard's 49. Harvard moved into the lead in 1993 and 1994.
National Achievement Scholars can count on generous scholarship offers, so Florida A&M goes further, offering corporate job internships and other enticements.
``We have told these students if they stay here and get good grades we will send them to graduate school - all expenses paid,'' Humphries said.
That kind of follow-through sold Monty Garside. The 19-year-old from Tampa's Berkely Prep was heavily recruited by the University of Virginia, Wake Forest and Furman, but only Florida A&M offered help getting into law school.
``FAMU definitely seemed to be more interested in my future. The other schools seemed interested in just getting me there,'' he said.
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