▁Mike ▁Rad igan , ▁Hum ph ries ▁said ▁in ▁Capital ▁Out look ▁( May ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 5 ): ▁" The ▁greatest ▁science ▁teacher ▁I ▁had ▁in ▁high ▁school ▁was ▁Mr . ▁Charlie ▁Watson . ▁He ▁taught ▁me ▁all ▁my ▁math ▁and ▁science ▁courses . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁smart ▁man ▁and ▁he ▁c ared ▁about ▁his ▁students ." ▁Cont inu ing ▁his ▁pra ise ▁of ▁Watson , ▁Hum ph ries ▁said : ▁" When ▁he ▁realized ▁your ▁ab ilities , ▁he ▁pushed ▁you ▁to ▁the ▁limit . ▁When ▁I ▁left ▁Wal lace ▁Qu inn ▁High ▁School , ▁I ▁didn ' t ▁know ▁how ▁well - prep ared ▁I ▁was ." ▁Perhaps ▁this ▁early ▁experience ▁with ▁his ▁mathematics ▁and ▁science ▁teacher ▁inst illed ▁in ▁him ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁" ex cell ence ▁with ▁car ing " ▁which ▁became ▁his ▁mot to ▁upon ▁becoming ▁F AM U ' s ▁e ighth ▁president . ▁ ▁At ▁F AM U ▁when ▁he ▁earned ▁the ▁b ach elor ▁of ▁science ▁degree ▁mag na ▁cum ▁la ude ▁in ▁chem istry ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁distinguished ▁military ▁science ▁gradu ate ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁and ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁officer ▁to ▁be ▁commission ed ▁into ▁the ▁Army ▁Security ▁Agency ▁( Ar my ▁Int elligence ▁Branch ). ▁After ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Army ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁he ▁entered ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pitts burgh ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁as ▁a ▁teaching ▁assistant ▁in