The African American Golfers Hall of Fame inducted UMES. "The university has been accorded this honor because it is the only historically black college [or] university — among a total of only 20 other institutions worldwide — certified by the Professional Golfers Association of America to offer the PGA Golf Management Degree Program," said Malachi Knowles, founder of the African American Golfers Hall of Fame. The university launched its PGA program in 2008. UMES president Thelma B. Thompson accepted the honors during a ceremony in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. "We are honored to be associated with the PGA and to be forever linked with legendary golfers from this country and abroad," she said. "We warmly thank the African American Golfers Hall of Fame for the distinction they have bestowed upon us. It's not every day that a land-grant college on the Eastern Shore of Maryland is inducted into a Hall of Fame."