Anderson University (South Carolina)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Anderson University is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
university in
Anderson, South Carolina Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 75,702. It is one of the prin ...
. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in over 100 areas of study. Anderson is affiliated with the
South Carolina Baptist Convention The South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) is a group of churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, the convention is made up of 44 Baptist as ...
and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Anderson participates in
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
athletics and is a member of the
South Atlantic Conference The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the southeastern United States. The SAC was founded in 1975 as a ...
. Reestablished in 1911 as Anderson College, it is the successor to Johnson University, which was founded in 1848 by W. B. Johnson. Anderson was initially a female college until 1931 when it became coed; in 2006 it was renamed Anderson University. It consists of ten distinct colleges and schools: South Carolina School of the Arts, Clamp Divinity School, College of Arts and Sciences, Business, Christian Studies, Education, Health Professions, Interior Design, and Public Service & Public Administration, and Center for Leadership and Organizations.


History


Origin

Anderson University traces its heritage and initial founding to 1848 in the form of Johnson Female Seminary (later renamed Johnson University) which was located in
Anderson, South Carolina Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 75,702. It is one of the prin ...
. The seminary was founded by Anderson citizens Daniel Brown, J.P. Reed, and Stephen McCulley. Johnson Female Seminary was named for the Rev. William Bullein Johnson, an early Baptist statesman, a founder and first Vice President of the
South Carolina Baptist Convention The South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) is a group of churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, the convention is made up of 44 Baptist as ...
, and the first president of the
Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...
. Johnson served as the first chancellor of Johnson University. By 1857 Johnson University had around 600 students taking courses in calculus, Latin, and Greek. In 1858 Johnson's health declined and in 1862 he died. Johnson's home still stands in Anderson and his portrait hangs in perpetuity in the Truett Cathy Old Common Room in Merritt Hall on the Anderson University campus. Johnson was buried in the cemetery of the First Baptist Church of Anderson. The university closed its doors due to the combined impact of Johnson's death and the onset of the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. The main building of Johnson University became a
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...
treasury and printing press during the civil war until 1865 when Union forces occupied the building. After the war the Carolina Collegiate Institute and
Patrick Military Institute The Patrick Military Institute was an American military school founded in South Carolina by Colonel John Bellinger Patrick. The school operated from 1878 to 1900. History The institute was initially founded in 1878 as the Greenville Military Insti ...
used the buildings of the seminary for educational purposes until 1920. The buildings of Johnson University were then demolished around 1920.


Anderson College

Shortly after the turn of the century, those who fondly remembered the impact that Johnson University had on the region developed a compelling vision of resurrecting the institution in the form of Anderson College in 1911. The name Anderson comes from Robert Anderson an
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
veteran and the namesake of
Anderson, South Carolina Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 75,702. It is one of the prin ...
. The Anderson Chamber of Commerce raised $100,000 and secured for the new campus. The land and funds were given to the South Carolina Baptist State Convention to establish the college. The Merritt Administration Building was the first building constructed on the land. For a time this was the only building dedicated to academics. It would eventually house only the president's office and the Merritt Theatre. At the outset there were financial problems until Annie Denmark became president in 1929. Denmark became the first female college president in
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
. Denmark's inauguration as president on February 14, 1929, established the tradition for Anderson College as Founder's Day celebrating the day of chartering the institution. In 1931 Anderson College became a coeducational junior college. In the 1990s Anderson returned to its status and offerings as a four-year institution.


Anderson University

Anderson College was renamed Anderson University in 2006. On the occasion of the first commencement as Anderson University,
S. Truett Cathy Samuel Truett Cathy (March 14, 1921 September 8, 2014) was an American businessman, investor, author, and philanthropist. He founded the fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A in 1946. Early life Cathy was born on March 14, 1921, in Eatonto ...
, founder of
Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A ( , a Word play, play on the American English pronunciation of "wikt:filet#Pronunciation, filet") is an American fast food restaurant chain which is the country's largest which specializes in chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Coll ...
, and his son Dan Cathy received honorary degrees from Anderson University for "exemplifying the character and vision
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
businessmen should possess". In June 2011 Anderson University became the host of the
Palmetto Boys State The American Legion Boys State and American Legion Auxiliary Girls State are summer leadership and citizenship programs for high school juniors, which focus on exploring the mechanics of American government and politics. The programs are sponsor ...
. The following year, the university joined the University Center of Greenville (UCG). The university opened a new 60,000 square foot library in 2006. Five new residence halls were constructed and two 600-bed student townhome complexes have been established. A new 90,000 square foot student center was opened in fall 2016. A new outdoor stadium and related facilities are under construction, with four of six major projects completed - a new track center, a turfed practice field, a soccer and lacrosse fieldhouse, and a turfed multi-sport field has been installed. Presently under construction is a 50,000 square foot football operations center and an additional practice field.


Campus

Most of the buildings on the main campus are red brick, built throughout the 20th century in the Georgian architectural style. The Merritt Administration Building, Denmark Hall, and Pratt Hall were the original buildings on the Anderson University campus, being built at the time of the university's founding in 1911. One of the main educational facilities at the heart of campus, Watkins Hall, was dedicated in 1967. Other marked points of interest include the Sullivan Music Building, and the Abney Athletic Center. The front lawn is called "Alumni Lawn" (sometimes referred to as the "Sacred Six" acres) of Anderson University and is heavily wooded with large oak trees, as is the interior of the main campus which is landscaped in a series of rising terraces. Alumni Lawn and many early buildings are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
as the
Anderson College Historic District The Anderson College Historic District is a historic district on the campus of Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina. It consists of six contributing properties (five buildings and one site) spread out over . The district was listed ...
. In 2008, the university purchased the nearby Anderson County Fairgrounds comprising 77 acres, and simultaneously accepted a gift of 125 adjacent acres on the Rocky River from benefactors John and Marie Pracht. These acquisitions quadrupled the campus acreage from 68 to 270. The Fairgrounds property is being transformed into the university's Athletic Campus. Facilities include a swimming pool, tennis center, softball stadium, soccer stadium, intramural gymnasium, and practice fields with plans for the addition of a baseball stadium, track, fitness center and field house, and athletic administration facility. The Pracht property includes 40 acres of healthy wetlands. Subsequently, the university joined with other wetlands property owners to form the Rocky River Conservancy. The combined properties are being developed into a protected ecological park with trails, boardwalks, and discovery center. The university has reserved a portion of the Pracht property uplands for future development. Anderson University created a special partnership in 2012 which operates within the former Duke Energy Service Center which is approximately one mile from the main campus and which was a partial gift to the university from the former Duke Energy Carolinas (now Duke Energy Progress). The facility is the home of the university's graduate program in criminal justice otherwise known as the Command College of South Carolina. The facility also houses undergraduate criminal justice programs. In 2013, the university acquired the first floor of the historic Chiquola building in downtown Anderson, less than a mile from the main campus. The 11,000 square foot facility is a multi-purpose space for the university's graphic design degree program, student activities, and a center for the study and practice of entrepreneurship. The facility features three storefront retail spaces in which student-initiated and run businesses will operate. The Anderson University year-round student population stands at approximately 4,121 students, with a student to faculty ratio of 17:1. Of those, about 3,200 students are traditional undergrads, while the remainder are graduate students.


Academics


College of Arts and Sciences

Undergraduate programs under the College of Arts and Science consist of biochemistry, biology, communication, creative writing, English literature, history, liberal studies, mathematics, political science, psychology, and Spanish. The program challenges students to critical thinking, communication, and rhetoric. The Center for Undergraduate Cancer Research is also part of the college and was established in 2009 to facilitate undergraduate research in search of a cure for cancers. Working under the direction of full-time faculty, students conduct studies and publish results. The center is located on the nearby campus of
AnMed Health Medical Center AnMed Health Medical Center is a 461-bed acute care hospital at 800 N. Fant St. in Anderson, South Carolina. The Medical Center is the anchor facility for AnMed Health, South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in min ...
.


College of Business

The College of Business conducts undergraduate and graduate programs. Undergraduate programs consist of business administration, accounting, human resource administration, and marketing.


College of Christian Studies

The Clamp Graduate School of Christian Ministry was launched in 2009, and became the Clamp Divinity School in 2014; the Divinity School offers several graduate degree programs: Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Ministry (M.Min.), Master of Ministry Management (M.M.M.), Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies (M.A.B.T.S.), Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Biblical Preaching, Doctor of Ministry in 21st Century Ministry, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership (ministry track). The purpose of the Clamp school is to offer training in ministry in preparation for leading churches. The school is named after David T. Clamp who contributed an $8 million naming gift in 2008.


College of Education

The College of Education prepares students to become public educators with Judeo-Christian values. Undergraduate programs consists of early childhood education, elementary education and secondary education. Upon completion of the undergraduate program the teacher licensure can be initiated through South Carolina Department of Education. The graduate program in education prepares teachers to become principals or certified teachers. The Teaching Fellows program of the College of Education annually sends students to teach in China and host a storytelling event on campus. Up to $6,000 in annual scholarships are provided under the Teaching Fellows program for students planning to teach in South Carolina.


College of Engineering

In 2020, the university's board of trustees established a college of engineering which will offer majors beginning fall 2021 in electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering.


College of Health Professions

The School of Nursing, School of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health, and the School of Human Performance comprise the College of Health Professions. The schools offer undergraduate programs in nursing, kinesiology, and human services. Graduate programs are offered in nursing (MSN and DNP) and physical therapy (DPT). The Center for Medical Simulations offers realistic experience for students in nursing or physical therapy. The Center provides human-scale replicas of patients that simulate a variety of conditions.


Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music

The Johnny Mann Center is the home of The South Carolina School of the Arts' degree program in commercial music. Commercial music at Anderson University includes pop, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and country music genres. The center also serves as a library for a number of Mann's musical arrangements, compositions, and memorabilia. The Mann Center is named for the two-time Grammy Award-winning American arranger, composer, conductor, entertainer, and Grammy Award winning recording artist,
Johnny Mann John Russell Mann (August 30, 1928June 18, 2014) was an American arranger, composer, conductor, entertainer, singer, and recording artist. Career Johnny Mann's began his music career in the late 1940s in his hometown of Baltimore before serving ...
(John Russell Mann). As
bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...
with the Johnny Mann Singers, the group recorded approximately three dozen
album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
s, hosted the
TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
titled '' Stand Up and Cheer'' (1971–1974), and was the
musical director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the ...
for ''The Joey Bishop Show''.


School of Interior Design

The School of Interior Design is one of only nine such programs offered at Christian colleges and universities in the United States that offers a Bachelor of Interior Design. The undergraduate program prepares students to become a designer in many settings such as in an architectural firm or interior design firm.


School of Public Service and Administration

The School of Public Service and Administration educates law enforcement officers, private investigators, federal agents and prospective law students. The school also offers programs in emergency management. Undergraduate programs prepares students for the local, state and federal law enforcement, corrections and emergency response. The graduate program in criminal justice prepares those experienced in law enforcement to advance their careers into management or senior-executive positions with a commitment to Christian values.


The South Carolina School of the Arts

In 2013, the College of Visual and Performing Arts was re-organized as The South Carolina School of the Arts, in recognition of its history of national awards and its vision to place focused attention on the professional preparation of graduates for competitive artistic performance and production roles. The School emphasizes a hybrid liberal arts-conservatory instructional approach. Degree programs and emphases within the School include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, and Master of Music Education. The School is housed primarily within the Rainey Fine Arts Center which features a 1,000-seat performance hall, a 225-seat recital hall, a 125-seat black box theatre, numerous music and art studios, and an art gallery. The School also has an additional art gallery within Thrift Library, and additional graphic design facilities off-campus on the court square in downtown Anderson.


Athletics

Nicknamed the Trojans, Anderson competes in
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
athletics as a member of the
South Atlantic Conference The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the southeastern United States. The SAC was founded in 1975 as a ...
. Anderson announced the addition of
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
starting in the 2024 season. Men's Sports * Baseball * Basketball * Cross Country * Golf * Soccer * Tennis * Track & Field * Lacrosse * Football (beginning fall 2024) Women's Sports * Basketball * Cross Country * Golf * Soccer * Softball * Tennis * Track & Field * Volleyball * Lacrosse


Notable alumni

*
Thomas C. Alexander Thomas C. Alexander (born July 25, 1956) is an American businessman who is currently serving as the President of the South Carolina Senate. He serves in the senate as a Republican from the 1st District. Alexander served as an honorary chair of t ...
, member of the
South Carolina Senate The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the sa ...
, Chairman of the Senate General Committee *
James Lee Barrett James Lee Barrett (November 19, 1929 – October 15, 1989) was an American author, producer and screenwriter. Biography Barrett was born in 1929 in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated in 1950 from Anderson University (South Carolina). ...
,
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
-winning writer *
Trey Britton Trey Britton (born June 1, 1989) is an American professional basketball player. Professional career He started his career with Aanekosken Huima, in the Finnish second division in 2011–12. In the 2013–14 season, he played in the Japanese bj ...
, professional basketball player *
Timothy M. Cain Timothy Martin Cain (born January 19, 1961) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. He was formerly a South Carolina state judge and a law associate of Senator Lindsey Graham. Ea ...
, District Judge on the
United States District Court for the District of South Carolina The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina (in case citations, D.S.C.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of South Carolina. Court is held in the cities of Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Charlest ...
* Leigh Cappillino, singer, in the multiple Dove Award-winning
contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...
group
Point of Grace Point of Grace is an all-female contemporary Christian music vocal group. The current trio consists of Shelley Breen, Denise Jones, and Leigh Cappillino. The group started out as a quartet in 1991, with original members Breen and Jones, as wel ...
*
Sue Monk Kidd Sue Monk Kidd (born August 12, 1948) is an American writer from Sylvester, Georgia best known for her novels '' The Secret Life of Bees'' and ''The Invention of Wings''. Early life and education Kidd was born in Sylvester, Georgia, and attended ...
, New York Times Bestselling author of '' The Secret Life of Bees'', ''
The Mermaid Chair ''The Mermaid Chair'' is a 2005 novel written by American novelist Sue Monk Kidd, which has also been adapted as a Lifetime movie. Synopsis ''The Mermaid Chair'' is the tale of Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams and desi ...
'', and ''The Invention of Wings'' *
Adam Minarovich Adam Minarovich is an American actor, screenwriter and film director. He is known for his recurring role Ed in the American television series '' The Walking Dead''. Minarovich, a native of Anderson, South Carolina. He has operated a gold resal ...
, film director and actor * Rob Stanifer, former Major League Baseball player for the Florida Marlins,
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
, and the
Hiroshima Toyo Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...
*
A.J. Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
, TNA and
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
professional wrestler * Erskine Thomason, former Major League Baseball player for the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
*
James Michael Tyler James Michael Tyler (May 28, 1962 – October 24, 2021) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of Gunther on the NBC sitcom '' Friends''. Prior to acting, he was an assistant film editor and production assistant. His early works in ...
, actor


References


External links


Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control 1911 establishments in South Carolina Anderson, South Carolina Baptist Christianity in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Anderson County, South Carolina Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Education in Anderson County, South Carolina Educational institutions established in 1911 National Register of Historic Places in Anderson County, South Carolina Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention Private universities and colleges in South Carolina University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina