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Claflin University
Claflin University Seal.png
Motto The World Needs Visionaries
Type Private, HBCU
Established 1869
Religious affiliation
United Methodist Church
UNCF
Endowment $55.2 million
President Dwaun J. Warmack
Students 1,978
Location , ,
United States
Campus Urban, 40 acres (16 ha)
Colors          Orange & Maroon
Nickname Panthers and Lady Panthers

Claflin University is a private historically black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Founded in 1869 after the American Civil War by northern missionaries for the education of freedmen and their children, it offers bachelor's and master's degrees.

History

Main building of Claflin University, Orangeburg, S.C. LCCN93506645
Main building of Claflin University, 1899

Claflin University was founded in 1869 by Methodist missionaries who freed slaves to take their rightful places as full American citizens.

Claflin is the oldest historically black college or university in South Carolina and touts itself as the first college in the state to welcome all students regardless of race or gender.

The university was named after two Methodist churchmen: Massachusetts Governor William Claflin and his father, Boston philanthropist Lee Claflin, who provided a large part of the funds to purchase the 43-acre (17 ha) campus. Claflin's first president was Dr. Alonzo Webster, a minister and educator from Vermont who had previously spent time as a member of Claflin's board of trustees.

Webster came to South Carolina to teach at the Baker Biblical Institute in Charleston, an institution established by the S.C. Mission Conference of 1866 of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the education of African American ministers. In 1870, the Baker Biblical Institute merged with Claflin University.

Since the administration of Dr. Webster, Claflin has been served by seven presidents: Dr. Edward Cooke (1872-1884); Dr. Lewis M. Dunton (1884-1922); Dr. Joseph B. Randolph (1922 1944); Dr. John J. Seabrook (1945-1955); Dr. Hubert V. Manning (1956-1984); Dr. Oscar A. Rogers, Jr. (1984-1994), Dr. Henry N. Tisdale (1994-2019) and Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack (2019–Present).

An act by the South Carolina General Assembly on March 12, 1872, designated the South Carolina State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute as a part of Claflin University. In 1896 the S.C. General Assembly passed an act of separation which severed the State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute from Claflin University and established a separate institution which eventually became South Carolina State University.

In 2020, MacKenzie Scott donated $20 million to Claflin. Her donation is the largest single gift in Claflin's history.

Academics

Claflin University Tingley Hall from NNW 1
Claflin University Tingley Hall

Claflin offers degrees through four schools:

  • School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  • School of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • School of Business
  • School of Education

Student life

Athletics

Claflin athletic teams are the Panthers. The university is a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) since the 2018–19 academic year. The Panthers previously competed in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) from 2008–09 to 2017–18; as well as in the defunct Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) from 1983–84 to 2004–05.

Claflin competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, baseball, cross country and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, softball, track & field and volleyball.

Claflin has an All-Girl cheerleading team that serves as athletics support and ambassadors of the university.

Student organizations

There are over 50 student organizations on campus.

Reserve Officers Training Corps

Claflin graduates who complete the R.O.T.C. program (a cross-enrollment agreement with South Carolina State University) may be commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

National Pan-Hellenic Council

The university currently has chapters for eight of the nine National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations.

Organization Symbol Chapter Chapter Symbol
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority ΑΚΑ Gamma Nu ΓΝ
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity ΑΦΑ Delta Alpha ΔΑ
Delta Sigma Theta sorority ΔΣΘ Gamma Chi ΓΧ
Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity ΚΑΨ Gamma Nu ΓΝ
Omega Psi Phi fraternity ΩΨΦ Lambda Sigma ΛΣ
Phi Beta Sigma fraternity ΦΒΣ Omicron Ο
Sigma Gamma Rho sorority ΣΓΡ Theta Θ
Zeta Phi Beta sorority ΖΦΒ Mu Μ

Notable alumni

Name Class year Notability
William Bulkley 1882 One of the first African-Americans in America to receive the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD. from Syracuse University in 1893). He was one of two members of the first graduating college class
Alice Jackson Moorer/ Annie Thortne 1884 Two of the first black women in the world to receive college degrees
Cassandra Maxwell Birney 1928 First black female attorney admitted to the South Carolina Bar
James S. Thomas 1939 First African American Bishop of the Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church
Florella Fordham 1900 First “trained” African American Nurse in Orangeburg County
James Martin, PhD First African-American to receive a Ph.D in Biology from the University of South Carolina
James Hodges 1966 First African American to earn a pharmaceutical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina
Ernest Newman 1948 First African-American bishop of the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church

and administered federal buildings.|ref=}}

Kebra Moore 1997 Gospel recording artist with MOKEB Entertainment
Uhriel E. Bedoya 1999 Country Manager - Caribbean, Mastercard.
Col. Gloria A. Lee 1982 Chief Transportation Branch, United States Army.
Henry N. Tisdale 1965 Eighth president of Claflin University. First African-American to earn a PhD. In mathematics at Dartmouth College.
James K. Davis 1962 Senior Vice President for

Corporate Affairs, Georgia Power Company.

Roger Kenton Williams. 1936 Educator who taught at psychology departments at North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Morgan State University, and University of Maryland-Eastern Shore
Arthur Rose Sr. 1950 Chair of Art Department (1952 - 1973) at Claflin University; the Arthur Rose Museum at the university was named for him
Dr. Gloria Rackley Blackwell 1953 civil rights activist, professor at Clark Atlanta University
Leo Twiggs 1956 Artist and educator at South Carolina State University; the first African American to receive a Doctorate of Arts from the University of Georgia
Cecil J. Williams 1960 American photographer, founder of Cecil Williams Civil Rights Museum, publisher, author and inventor best known for his photography documenting the civil rights movement in South Carolina
Joseph H. Jefferson 1970 member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 102nd District
Cynthia V. Anderson 1980 Chief Operations Officer at the U.S. Department of Energy
Dr. Lola Kelly-Smalls 2000 Research Scientist
Dr. Leonard Pressley 2002 professor of biology at Claflin University
Dr. Nathaniel Frederick 2002 professor of communication at Claflin University
Bryan Andrew Wilson 2004 Gospel Artist
E. Roger Mitchell 1993 Actor - The Walking Dead, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
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