Columbia College (South Carolina) facts for kids

Columbia College is a private college in Columbia, South Carolina. It offers a special type of education called a liberal arts education. This means students learn about many different subjects, like history, science, and art.

The college was started in 1854 by the United Methodist Church. For a long time, it was a college only for women. But in 2020, Columbia College started letting both women and men live on campus and study there. They also have programs for adults, online classes, and graduate degrees for everyone.

The History of Columbia College

Columbia College has a long and interesting history, going back to the mid-1800s.

Early Years and Challenges

The college first opened its doors in 1859. It was called Columbia Female College back then. There were 121 students and 16 teachers.

During the American Civil War, in 1865, General Sherman and his soldiers marched through Columbia. The college had to close. It was saved from being burned down because a music teacher, W. H. Orchard, stood in the doorway. He wanted to show the soldiers that the building was occupied. The college reopened in 1873.

The college faced its first fire in 1895, but the damage was not too bad. In 1904, the college moved to its current location in North Columbia. Its name changed to Columbia College in 1905. Another fire hit in 1909. The college had to use its old buildings for a year until the new campus was ready again in 1910.

Growth and Changes

From 1940 to 1951, the same leaders managed both Columbia College and Wofford College.

In 1964, a third big fire destroyed a main building called Old Main. Students were scared, but the college president told them, "Nothing has been destroyed that cannot be rebuilt." The columns of Old Main were the only things left after the fire. They became a symbol of the college's strength and ability to last.

A famous artist named Georgia O'Keeffe taught art at Columbia College in 1914 and 1915.

In the 1980s, the college started evening classes. Both women and men could attend these classes. Columbia College has been recognized as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report.

In 2011, a professor named Dr. John Zubizarreta was named "U. S. Professor of the Year." He teaches English and helps students in the honors program. Students from the Columbia College honors program have also won national awards.

Becoming Coeducational

On January 31, 2020, the college decided to let men join the main day program and live on campus. This was a big change for Columbia College, which started as a women's college. Men had studied there before in evening, graduate, and online programs. But this was the first time men could live on campus and study full-time. The college made this change because student numbers and society have changed over time.

Sports at Columbia College

The sports teams at Columbia College are called the Koalas.

Athletic Programs

The college is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). They mostly compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).

Columbia College has 15 different sports teams.

• Men's sports include cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track & field.
• Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

Men's sports started in 2020 when the college became co-educational. They began playing in the fall of 2021.

Esports Program

Columbia College also has an Esports program. Esports are competitive video games. The college's teams play games like Overwatch 2, Valorant, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

Notable People

Many interesting people have been part of Columbia College.

Alumnae

• Bettye Ackerman: An actress.
• Jenn Colella: A comedian, actress, and singer.
• Lucile Godbold: A track and field athlete. She won gold and bronze medals at the First International Games for Women. She was the first woman to be put into the SC Sports Hall of Fame. A football game is named after her.
• Wil Lou Gray: She was a leader in new ways of teaching.
• Betty W. Holz: A mathematician who worked for the United States Army.
• Alicia Leeke: An artist.
• Janice McNair: The owner of the Houston Texans football team.
• Carol Devine Miller: A politician who served in the West Virginia House of Delegates and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Faculty

• Trudie Kibbe Reed: She was a president of two other colleges, Philander Smith College and Bethune–Cookman University.