“Floyd Fete” to Honor Jim and Fannie Floyd; Raise Scholarship Dollars

Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC) Foundation, along with community volunteers, will host the third  annual “Floyd Fete,” an afternoon jazz event to honor long-time community volunteers James (Jim) and Fannie Floyd, and to support the Jim and Fannie Floyd Scholarship Fund. 

The event takes place on Sunday, Oct.21, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Carl A. Fields Center, Princeton University, and is co-chaired by MCCC Foundation Board member Bob Humes and a long-time friend of the Floyd family, Shirley Satterfield.

Music will be provided by MCCC jazz students, and brief remarks will be made by community members who will share personal reflections.

Jim Floyd, a lifelong community leader and 30-year member of the college’s Foundation Board, was the first African-American elected to the Princeton Township Committee, and the first to serve as mayor of Princeton.  Floyd and his wife, Fannie, who passed away in 2008, were active volunteers for decades, working to foster educational opportunities and to combat discrimination in housing.

According to event co-chair, Shirley Satterfield, “Floyd Fete for Education is a special opportunity to focus on the powerful example of community engagement and support for education demonstrated by Jim and Fannie Floyd. This enjoyable event also provides the Princeton community a way to assist others in their quest for higher education.  There are thousands of students who want to access the excellent educational opportunities at Mercer, but who need financial assistance.”

After graduating from Trenton Central High School, Mr. Floyd studied commercial art at the Trenton School of Industrial Design, which later became Trenton Junior College, then Mercer County Community College. He graduated cum laude from West Virginia State College, and had a wide-ranging career, culminating at Educational Testing Service in a management position.

Jim and Fannie’s concerns about education and housing led them to give their services to many organizations.  Jim served on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Housing and the Board of Adjustment, while Fannie’s primary interest was in the Princeton Committee of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.  Later, Jim became a charter member of the Princeton Community Housing group.  Now 89, Jim continues to serve on many boards in the nonprofit sector including the MCCC Foundation Board.  

The MCCC Foundation is the fundraising arm of the college, comprised of community volunteers.  MCCC offers credit and noncredit educational programs at its West Windsor and downtown Trenton campuses, and online through MercerOnline. 

Honorary event chairs include MCCC President Patricia C. Donohue, Congressman Rush Holt, County Executive Brian Hughes, Emily Mann, Mark Matzen, and William and Judith Scheide.

Tickets for Floyd Fete, as well as sponsorships and donations to the scholarship fund, may be submitted online at www.mccc.edu/give.  Tickets are $50 per person.  For further information e-mail foundation@mccc.edu or call Amy Frangione at 609-570-3607.