October 19, 2009
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| Senator Alfred "Al" Lawson | Hansel E. Tookes | Robert "Bullet Bob" Hayes |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Members of the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Board of Trustees (BOT) unanimously voted to name two of FAMU’s campus buildings and a street after outstanding alumni.
The board approved the nomination of the Hansel E. Tookes Student Recreation Center; the Alfred "Al" Lawson Multipurpose Center Teaching Gym; and Robert "Bullet Bob" Hayes Lane and Circle, the road off of Wanish Way that leads to Bragg Memorial Stadium.
“I'd like to thank the board cooperatively and individually for this enormous honor,” said Hansel Tookes, Jr., who was on hand for the vote. “I accept this with great appreciation and humility on behalf of my father and his widow, Lavada. He really loved FAMU, and other than the brief stints he had other places he was here until his passing.”
The renaming ceremonies will take place on Friday, October 23, following the annual Homecoming Convocation. The general public is invited to attend.
“Naming a building is a very serious undertaking because the facility stands as a testament to the individual and the contributions to the university,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “After careful deliberation and thought, it was my privilege to recommend the buildings be named after these outstanding alumni.”
The late Tookes amassed an outstanding record, first as a student-athlete under Coach William Bell. As a student, Tookes was President of the Student Government Association and a Pittsburg Courier All-American honorable mention in football.
Tookes was the captain of the FAMC basketball team that won a national championship. He received a B.S. degree from FAMC.
Tookes was later hired as an assistant coach and rose to the ranks of athletic director at FAMU. During his tenure, he became the co-founder of the Florida Classic football game and founder of the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame. He also started the National Summer Youth Sports Program in Tallahassee.
Tookes also created the Griffin-Tookes Scholarship Fund at FAMU in memory of his friend, Coach Robert “Pete” Griffin.
He earned numerous awards at FAMU including the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Meritorius Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award and the FAMUAN of the Century Award. He was a member of the FAMU Boosters for 40 years and a member of the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1960, he was appointed by President John F. Kenndey to serve on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He was the first African-American member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Executive Rules Committee and the NCAA Golf Committee. As a result of years of domination in the sport under the leadership of Tookes, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Golf Trophy was retired in FAMU prowess.
Sen. Al Lawson is a 1970 graduate of FAMU with a B.S. in political science. He began his career in 1982 when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Sen. Lawson is now one of the longest serving members in the history of the Florida Legislature, having served in both the House and Senate.
Sen. Lawson was instrumental in reestablishing the FAMU College of Law. In the past five years, Sen. Lawson has been directly responsible for securing more than $170 million in construction funding for the FAMU. He was the primary motivational force in the legislature for securing funding for the Teaching Gym.
Sen. Lawson legislative legacy isn’t just rooted in his love for his alma mater. His Preservation 2000 legislation is widely herald as one of the most comprehensive pieces of environmental legislation in America and his Rosewood Compensation Bill marked the first time in United States History that a state or federal government paid reparations to a group of African Americans for racial injustices.
Sen. Lawson also helped students, at all levels, to receive a high-quality education. He was instrumental in establishing grant programs to help Florida students who are the first in their family to attend college.
Sen. Lawson is a former basketball player and played professionally for the American Basketball Association. Each year he sponsors a basketball tournament to help young men develop their athletic and life skills that derive from teamwork and raise money for scholarships.
Hayes is a 1965 graduate of FAMU, who earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and a trailblazer in track and field, and football.
While at FAMU, he enjoyed a distinguished career as a sprinter and football player. His legendary speed earned him the nickname, “Bullet Bob.”
Hayes held a world record in the 60-meter, 100-yard and 220-yard sprints. In the 1964 Olympics, he won a gold medal for the100-meter, earning him the world record. In those same Olympic games, he also won a gold medal with the 4x100-meter relay team, which broke the world record. Hayes was inducted in the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976, the same year he was inducted into the FAMU Sport Hall of Fame.
Hayes also distinguished himself as a football player. He played for the Dallas Cowboys and in 10 years with the Cowboys he caught 365 passes for 7,295 yards. His 71 touchdown receptions remain a team record 35 years after his last game. He was named to the Pro Bowl on three occasions and was named an All-Pro four times. Hayes was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. He is the only person to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.
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