A Century of Success: Historically Black and Universities, America's National Treasure-Annual Report, by President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black and Universities. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 1996. 120 pp. The African American Education Data Book, Volume 1: Higher and Adult Education, by Michael T. Nettles and Laura W. Perna. Fairfax, VA: Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, 1997. 504 pp. $25.00, cloth. A Century of Success marks first publication of annual report of The President's Board of Advisors (PBA) on HBCUS. Created by President Clinton's Executive Order 12876, primary duties of PBA are to advise President and to issue annual report to President on participation by historically Black colleges and universities in federally sponsored programs. The PBA is also responsible for reporting to President on ways to increase the private sector role in strengthening historically Black colleges and universities with particular emphasis on enhancing institutional infrastructure and facilitating planning, development, and use of technologies to ensure [their] longterm viability and enhancement. It is important to note that President Clinton was not first President to sign an Executive Order on HBCUs nor was he first to establish a PBA with reporting responsibilities. President Carter issued first Executive Order for HBCUs and subsequent orders were issued by Presidents Reagan and Bush. The first President's Board of Advisors was created by President Bush; its unpublished annual reports were used by current Board as a reference in preparing A Century of Success. Author William Blakey was employed by PBA as its primary consultant in preparing Report. In it, he makes a clear case for continued strengthening of Black colleges and why federal support to HBCUs should be expanded. Blakey's background as an advocate for Black colleges and his prior work in legislative and executive branches of federal government make him well-qualified to author Report. The Report is organized by thematic emphasis (i.e., Why Black Colleges and Fostering Student Success) and uses this format to guide discussion leading to Report's 18 concluding recommendations. Although this approach is helpful, reader would have found an organization by chapter more useful. The Report also includes an appendix containing a complete listing of 104 HBCU institutions. The most important part of Report is section detailing status of federal compliance with Executive Order 12876. Compliance status is based on fiscal year 1995 data, but it is given without benefit of context or analysis of prior performance over time. The Report also failed to discuss impact of specific policy mandates (e.g., response to end of Cold War) that govern agency priorities and relationship of these mandates to HBCU participation in federal granting and contracting process. In addition, it would have been helpful to include some discussion of practice of Congressional earmarking of federal funds to institutions of higher education and whether HBCUs were benefitting from this form of largesse. The Clinton PBA points out in its Report that there has been a 21% increase in federal support for HBCUS, up from $1.03 billion in 1992 to $1.25 billion in 1995. A review of data provided, however, notes most of heralded increase came in form of federal student aid to HBCU students and not in federal grant and contracting areas. For example it is widely known that Massachusetts Institute of Technology receives more federal grants and contracts on a yearly basis than all of HBCUs combined. By pointing out historic neglect of HBCU community by programs of federal government, recommendations of A Century of Success represent both a challenge and an opportunity for President. …