Claflin 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 ...
historically black university
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...
in
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, also known as ''The Garden City'', is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population of the city was 13,964 according to the 2010 United States Census and declined to 12 ...
. Founded in 1869 after the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
by northern missionaries for the education of freedmen and their children, it offers
bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...
and
master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. degrees.
History
Claflin University was founded in 1869 by
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
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
William Claflin (March 6, 1818 – January 5, 1905) was an American politician, industrialist and philanthropist from Massachusetts. He served as the 27th Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1869 to 1872 and as a member of the ...
and his father, Boston philanthropist
Lee Claflin, who provided a large part of the funds to purchase the 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
South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only public, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina, is a mem ...
.
In 2020,
MacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott (''née'' Tuttle, formerly Bezos; April 7, 1970) is an American novelist and philanthropist. As of September 2022, she has a net worth of US$33.4 billion, owing to a 4% stake in Amazon, the company founded by her ex-husband Je ...
donated $20 million to Claflin. Her donation is the largest single gift in Claflin's history.
Academics
![Claflin University Tingley Hall from NNW 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Claflin_University_Tingley_Hall_from_NNW_1.JPG)
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
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
(NCAA), primarily competing in the
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. CIAA institutions mostly consist of historically black coll ...
(CIAA) since the 2018–19 academic year. The Panthers previously competed in the
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Formed in 1913, it consists mostly of historically black co ...
(SIAC) from 2008–09 to 2017–18; as well as in the defunct
Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was a conference of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) that participated in the NAIA's Division I, with member institutions in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It was fo ...
(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
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative umbrella council composed of historically African American fraternities and sororities also referred to as Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). The NPHC was formed as a permanent ...
organizations.
Notable alumni
References
External links
*
Official athletics website
{{authority control
University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina
Private universities and colleges in South Carolina
Historically black universities and colleges in the United States
Educational institutions established in 1869
Methodism in South Carolina
Colonial Revival architecture in South Carolina
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
African-American history of South Carolina
Education in Orangeburg County, South Carolina
Buildings and structures in Orangeburg County, South Carolina
National Register of Historic Places in Orangeburg County, South Carolina
1869 establishments in South Carolina