Fred Humphries Former Florida A&M University president Frederick S. Humphries died June 24th in Orlando. Humphries served as president of the historically black university from 1985-2001. A native of Apalachicola, he graduated from Tallahassee’s FAMU in 1957. During his tenure at FAMU, he increased the number of National Achievement Scholars, ranking first in the nation three times. In 1997, FAMU was chosen as the TIME Magazine/ Princeton Review “College of the Year.” He was 85.
Ralph Turlington Former Florida House of Representatives Speaker and education commissioner Ralph Turlington died May 12th at the age of 100. Turlington, a Democrat, represented Alachua County in the House from 1950 to 1974. He served as speaker from 1966 to 1968. As a legislator, he is credited with bills establishing the Government in the Sunshine law. Turlington was elected to three four-year terms as the State’s education commissioner and in that position, he was successful in gaining support for the Florida Lottery. The Department of Education building in downtown Tallahassee is named after him as is Turlington Hall on the University of Florida campus.