{"id":243195,"date":"2026-04-23T12:55:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T12:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/243195\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T12:55:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T12:55:20","slug":"famu-investiture-installs-johnson-as-famus-13th-president-charting-a-course-for-partnership-research-and-student-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/243195\/","title":{"rendered":"FAMU Investiture Installs Johnson as FAMU\u2019s 13th President, Charting a Course for Partnership, Research and Student Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emotion swelled in the room. It was thick and palpable, as Florida A&M University
\n formally installed Marva B. Johnson, J.D., as its 13th president. Held at 11 a.m. inside Lee Hall, the ceremony began with
\n a nod to the University\u2019s legacy, as Presidential Ambassadors carried portraits of
\n former presidents into the auditorium.<\/p>\n

Provost Allyson Watson, Ph.D., who served as emcee, welcomed an audience of faculty, staff, students, dignitaries,
\n elected officials, and members of President Johnson\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

The occasion opened with the invocation, delivered by Florida State Senator Rosalind Osgood.<\/p>\n

\"ChancellorChancellor Ray Rodrigues, SUS of Florida, (left) gave congratulatory remarks and Rosalind
\n Osgood, senator of district 32, (far right) gave the invocation at Tuesday’s investiture
\n ceremony. (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

\u201cOh God, our eternal creator, we thank you for this sacred moment. We come with gratitude
\n and reverence today acknowledging, Father God, that every good and perfect gift comes
\n from you,\u201d Osgood prayed. \u201cToday, we thank you for the life, the journey and the calling
\n of Marva Johnson. We recognize that this moment was not by accident, God, but by your
\n divine appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, the ceremony unfolded as both tribute and testimony.<\/p>\n

Board of Trustees Chairman Deveron Gibbons shared remarks via video, affirming confidence in Johnson\u2019s leadership and her readiness
\n to guide the institution forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe understands that FAMU\u2019s mission has never been small. It is to educate. To elevate.
\n To transform,\u201d Gibbons shared. \u201cAs Chair of the Board of Trustees, she has our full
\n confidence and our full support. We will continue to work together to ensure that
\n Florida A&M University continues to rise, compete and operate at the pinnacle of excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program continued as a reflection of the relationships and communities that have
\n shaped President Johnson\u2019s journey. Among those offering greetings was Albert D. Mosley, president of Bethune Cookman University, an institution long tied to FAMU through spirited competition, often fueled by alumni
\n who love to debate about whose better on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cI bring you warm greetings from our Board of Trustees, our faculty, our staff, and
\n the entire Wildcat family, every one of whom asked me to convey one message,\u201d said
\n Mosley, pausing as the audience anticipated a rivalry-laced remark.<\/p>\n

Instead, he spoke to the true foundation of their relationship:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one message is this, FAMU and BCU are family. We always have been. And we always
\n will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued, invoking the legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune and the significance of women\u2019s
\n leadership in this moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Bethune worked tirelessly to ensure that women, and in particular, women of color,
\n would ascend to roles like this,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

\"AnThe investiture was not short of members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., who
\n came out in support of their soror President Marva B. Johnson, J.D. (Photo by Jeff
\n Adams)<\/p>\n

Well wishes followed from across the political landscape, including Senator Ashley Moody, who emphasized both pride and partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s my great pleasure to officially welcome President Marva Johnson as the 13th
\n president of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. From the Oscars to
\n the courtroom, from Wall Street to the boardroom, Rattlers are certainly everywhere,
\n and they are succeeding,\u201d Moody said. \u201cYes, I’m proud to report there are many right
\n here on Capitol Hill. FAMU and its students are so fortunate to have President Johnson,
\n a tireless advocate, a great leader, someone I am proud to call a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

That national perspective was echoed by Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, who framed the moment within the broader landscape of higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is not only a significant moment for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University,
\n but for the entire State University System of Florida. An investiture represents both
\n continuity and progress. It is a time to honor the university\u2019s legacy, celebrate
\n the present, and look ahead to the future. It offers a glimpse into what is possible
\n in the years to come. I am honored to join you in congratulating Marva Johnson as
\n the 13th president of Florida A&M University,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But perhaps the most heartfelt moment came from the student perspective.<\/p>\n

Student Government Association President Zayla Bryant delivered an emotional salute, marking one of her final formal appearances before
\n graduation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a saying that some experiences do not just change you, but they reveal you.
\n My time on the highest of seven those has been exactly that,\u201d she said. \u201cThrough my
\n journey, I have learned lessons that not only shaped my leadership, but sharpened
\n my voice, strengthened my resolve, and defined the standard that I carry with myself
\n today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning directly to President Johnson, Bryant expressed gratitude for mentorship and
\n partnership.<\/p>\n

\"SGAZayla Bryant, SGA president, gave a heartfelt address summarizing her experience on
\n FAMU. (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for opening doors I didn’t even know existed. Thank you for advocating
\n for me in rooms where my name needed to be spoken. And thank you for being a true
\n partner on this hill. Someone who understood that the weight of leadership is not
\n carried with just a position, but it is carried in purpose,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Bryant, whose voice began to tremble as she wiped tears from her eyes, charged everyone
\n listening with the protection of FAMU\u2019s legacy \u201cas fiercely as you build its future.\u201d<\/p>\n

She closed with a personal note to the president.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for being my first president, and I, yours. FAMU today, FAMU tomorrow,
\n and FAMU forever,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

From there, the ceremony transitioned into its focal point: the formal investiture.<\/p>\n

Surrounded by her family: her husband Stephen Johnson; her mother Annette Brown; her
\n father George Marvin Brown; her daughter Alexandria Bell; and her grandson Jackson
\n Bell. For many in the audience, it was a first glimpse of the full circle behind her
\n leadership \u2013 her tribe, her anchor, her living and breathing support system. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Former FAMU presidents presented the ceremonial regalia, each piece carrying its own
\n weight of history and responsibility, before Vice Chair and Trustee Michael White administered the oath of office.<\/p>\n

\"PresidentSurrounded by her family, President Marva B. Johnson reflected on her humble beginnings,
\n noting that she descends from a long line of farmers. (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

\u201cI, Marva B. Johnson, do solemnly affirm. That I will faithfully execute the duties
\n of the office of the President of Florida A&M University. I take this obligation freely
\n and without reservation. With a deep sense of honor and responsibility. And with a
\n steadfast commitment. To the enduring excellence of Florida A&M University.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the oath complete, the ceremony shifted from installation to President Johnson\u2019s
\n intention.<\/p>\n

In a speech that moved fluidly between history, responsibility and vision, she delivered
\n an investiture address that framed her leadership as both a continuation of legacy,
\n a call to action and request for partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have had a time\u2026 My body and my soul have been nourished with great food, great
\n fellowship, and prayer,\u201d Johnson said, thanking those who participated in the week\u2019s
\n events.<\/p>\n

She then moved from celebration to reflection, quoting the words of Frederick Douglass.<\/p>\n

\u201cEducation means emancipation. It means light and liberty. It means the uplifting
\n of the soul of man into the sunlight of freedom and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson then revisited 1887, when 15 students and two professors began building what
\n would become the institution, despite uncertainty and systemic barriers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were newly emancipated men and women\u2026 living in a state they did not fully own,
\n on land they did not control, and a freedom that existed on paper, but had to be fought
\n for every single day,\u201d she stressed. \u201cAnd yet they came\u2026 not because the world was
\n ready for them, but because they were ready for the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PresidentPresident Marva B. Johnson shared her gratitude for the responsibility of leading
\n FAMU, as she detailed her vision for FAMU. (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

From that beginning, Johnson connected the dots to FAMU\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis university is built for a world without borders.\u201d<\/p>\n

She emphasized the institution\u2019s expanding reach and the faith that continues to fuel
\n its progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cFaith\u2026 builds for a future it cannot see. Faith of this scale, institutional, communal,
\n governmental, is not given freely. It is earned by character, confirmed by competence,
\n and sustained by results,\u201d she said, further noting that she does not take the confidence
\n of her supporters for granted.<\/p>\n

She then turned to identity and what it means to be FAMU. Highlighting FAMU\u2019s top
\n ranking and its long tradition of producing changemakers, Johnson underscored a tradition
\n where students don\u2019t just rise, they redefine what\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are the Marching 100 thunder on a Saturday afternoon\u2026 We are orange and green,
\n bleeding through generations of families who came to the highest of seven hills and
\n left changed forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, she added: \u201cWe bragg different, and there is no institution like us on
\n Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Johnson made clear that legacy alone is not the destination.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 15 did not sit still. They built, and so must we.\u201d<\/p>\n

She defined her presidency in a single word: ascent, pointing to a deliberate path
\n toward Carnegie R1 status and expanded research impact.<\/p>\n

At the center of that vision, she routinely returned to the students.<\/p>\n

\"MisterMister and Miss FAMU Miles Howard and Edwina Fleuridor (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

\"CuteThe audience was filled with future FAMU graduates in the making. (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery strategic initiative, every research investment, every federal relationship
\n we pursue has one North Star, and that is, does it make life better for Florida Agricultural
\n and Mechanical University students? That will be our guiding principle.\u201d<\/p>\n

She affirmed that everything that the administration does will be judged by one question,
\n and that is, \u201cdoes it help our students succeed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson wanted people to know that they were not in the business of just enrolling
\n students, but ensuring that they persist, graduate and achieve at a very high level.<\/p>\n

She extended that vision outward, positioning FAMU as a partner in shaping the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe come\u2026 not as recipients of opportunity, but as architects of it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

When others invest in FAMU, Johnson pointed out that they are investing in the transformation
\n of American communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo come build with us,\u201d she urged.<\/p>\n

\"PresidentPresident Marva B. Johnson, J.D. receives her chain symbolizing the formal transfer
\n of leadership, trust, and authority. (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

To alumni, her message was both invitation and expectation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you find success, I invite you to reinvest\u2026 and to make sure that you\u2019re providing
\n access to the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on her early days as president, Johnson shared a personal moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was overwhelmed, not by the weight of the office\u2026 I was overwhelmed by your gratitude.
\n I was overwhelmed with joy and inspired by each of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in her final charge, she distilled her leadership philosophy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill this decision advance student success? That is the standard\u2026 And that is the
\n standard of this presidency.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that, she closed the moment with a blessing and familiar phrase.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay God bless the United States of America. May God bless the state of Florida. And
\n may God bless the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, October 3rd, 1887.
\n Whattttttttt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PMJLee Hall was packed wall-to-wall as guests, administrators, faculty, staff and students
\n showed up in support of FAMU’s 13th President. (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

\"PresidentPresident Marva B. Johnson’s mother, Annette Brown, gives a hello to the camera. (Photo
\n by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

\"Dr.After the investiture, a reception was held on the Quad where the waiting Marching
\n “100” greeted President Marva B. Johnson, J.D., with their traditional sound. (Photo
\n by Jeff Adams)
\"PresidentPresident Marva B. Johnson, J.D. poses for a moment with members of her administrative
\n cabinet during the reception on the quad. (Photo by Jeff Adams)<\/p>\n

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