Wofford College facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wofford College

Motto	Intaminatis fulget honoribus
Motto in English	Untarnished, She Shines with Honor.
Type	Private liberal arts college
Established	1854; 171 years ago (1854)
Religious affiliation	United Methodist Church
Academic affiliations	Annapolis Group CIC IAMSCU
Endowment	$417.4 million (2023)
President	Nayef Samhat
Academic staff	140 (fall 2021)
Undergraduates	1,800 (dec 2020)
Location	Spartanburg, South Carolina , U.S. 34°57′32″N 81°56′06″W / 34.959°N 81.935°W / 34.959; -81.935
Campus	Suburban, 175 acres (71 ha)
Colors	Gold & black
Nickname	Terriers
Sporting affiliations	Division I – SoCon
Mascot	Terrier

Wofford College is a private college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. It focuses on a wide range of subjects, known as liberal arts. The college was started in 1854. It is one of the few four-year schools in the southeastern U.S. that began before the American Civil War and still uses its original campus. The campus is about 175 acres (71 hectares) and is also a national arboretum, which is like a special garden for trees.

Wofford College was founded thanks to a gift of $100,000 from Benjamin Wofford. He was a Methodist minister from Spartanburg. He wanted to create a college for "literary, classical, and scientific education" in his hometown. The college's Main Building is the oldest structure on campus. It was designed by a famous architect named Edward C. Jones from Charleston. In 1941, the college received a chapter of the honor society Phi Beta Kappa. This was the first time a private college in South Carolina got this honor.

Wofford College's Historic Buildings

The Wofford College Historic District includes the Main Building. This building was designed by Edward C. Jones in the Italianate style. It also includes six two-story brick houses. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Building the Main Building started in 1852. The first classes were held there in the fall of 1854. The Wofford campus is known as a national arboretum.

College Funding and Support

The Main Building, built in 1854, is a historic landmark.

During the Civil War, the college's money was invested in Confederate bonds. These became worthless when the war ended.

In February 2021, Jerry Richardson gave $150 million to the college. He was a former student and the first owner of the Carolina Panthers football team. Wofford stated that its total funding now goes over $400 million.

What Students Learn at Wofford

The school year at Wofford has three parts. There's a four-month fall semester. Then, a one-month January term called the Interim. Finally, another four-month spring semester.

Teachers and Classes

Wofford has 136 full-time teachers. About 92 percent of them have a doctorate or a similar high degree. There is one teacher for every 11 students.

Study Programs

Wofford offers 27 different main study programs, called majors.

The college also has special programs for students who want to become teachers. They also have programs for those who want to study dentistry, medicine, law, or veterinary science. The college's Army ROTC program, which trains future military officers, started in 1919.

The Interim Program

The Interim program helps students try new things outside their regular classes. It lets them explore different subjects. Interims usually fit into one of four types:

• Students can join projects on campus led by teachers. These projects can be about theater, pottery, knitting, or writing stories.
• Students can do internships off-campus. These are supervised by teachers and involve working in places like law offices, hospitals, or non-profit groups.
• Students can suggest their own research projects. They work on these with a teacher's help.
• Teachers lead travel projects. Groups of students and professors travel to other parts of the U.S. or to countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, or South America. Recent trips included studies in England, Ireland, South Africa, Peru, Brazil, and Japan.

Studying Abroad

Wofford's Office of International Programs helps students choose from over 200 study abroad programs. These programs are in 59 different countries. Wofford is often ranked among the top schools in the nation for students studying abroad. This ranking compares how many students earn credits abroad to how many students graduate. In 2009, 93% of Wofford graduates had studied abroad. This was much higher than the national average of 9%.

Sports at Wofford

The logo for Wofford Athletics.

The Wofford Terriers teams play in NCAA Division I. They are part of the Southern Conference. Wofford's colors are gold and black. The school's mascot is a Terrier. In 2010, nine of Wofford's 13 teams had a perfect graduation success rate. This is the highest possible score. For the past 16 years, the Carolina Panthers football team has held its summer training camp at Wofford. The Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, a high school all-star football game, is played at Wofford's Gibbs Stadium. The mascot for Wofford's teams is a Boston Terrier named Boss.

Life as a Wofford Student

Most Wofford students, about 93%, live on campus. The Village, which offers apartment-style housing for senior students, was named a "Dorm of Distinction" in 2008.

Student Groups

Students can join many different groups. These include service groups, religious groups, and social clubs. Student newspapers and magazines have been published at the college since 1889. The student newspaper, Old Gold and Black, comes out every other week. The yearbook is called The Bohemian. The Delta Phi Alpha, a national German honor society, was started at Wofford. The National Beta Club, a well-known honor society for high school students, also began here.

In 1941, Wofford was given a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society. This was the first time a private college in South Carolina received this honor.

Helping the Community

Wofford has several student groups focused on community service. These include the Bonner Scholars and ONE.

Fraternities and Sororities

About half of the students at Wofford are part of Greek life. These are social organizations called fraternities for boys and sororities for girls.

Student Diversity

From 1901 to 1904, two women graduated from Wofford each year. In 1964, Wofford became the first private college in South Carolina to allow students of all races to attend. This happened when Albert Gray was admitted.

Famous People Who Went to Wofford

Many notable people have graduated from Wofford College.

Sports Stars

• Brenton Bersin, football player
• Fisher DeBerry, football coach
• Robert Galloway, tennis player
• Eric Garcia, basketball player
• Forrest Lasso, soccer player
• Fletcher Magee, basketball player
• William McGirt, golfer
• Andrew Novak, golfer
• Danny Morrison, former president of the Carolina Panthers NFL team
• Jerry Richardson, football player and business owner

Business Leaders

• George Dean Johnson, Jr., banker
• Jude Reyes, a very successful business person

Education Leaders

• William Preston Few, the first president of Duke University
• James Kirkland, a long-serving leader of Vanderbilt University

Journalists and Entertainers

• Craig Melvin, journalist
• Wendi Nix, journalist
• Ellison Barber, journalist

Government and Law Leaders

• Paul S. Atkins, a commissioner for the U.S. stock market
• Ibra C. Blackwood, a former governor of South Carolina
• Michael J. Copps, a former commissioner for U.S. communications
• Samuel Dibble, a U.S. House of Representatives member and Wofford's first graduate
• Henry F. Floyd, a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals
• Donald Fowler, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee
• Olin D. Johnston, a former U.S. senator and governor of South Carolina
• Thomas Gordon McLeod, a former governor of South Carolina
• Ellison D. Smith, a former U.S. senator, one of the longest-serving in history

Religious Leaders

• William H. Willimon, an author and bishop in the United Methodist Church

Images for kids

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  Wofford College in 1905

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  Science Hall, 1905 (this building was later taken down)