Erskine College 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 ...

college in

Due West, South Carolina Due West is a town in Abbeville County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,247 at the 2010 census. It is the home of Erskine College and Dixie High School. History Some say the name is a mispronunciation of "DeWitt's Corner", ...

. It is an undergraduate

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...

and a graduate

theological seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

. The college was founded in 1839 by the

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC), as it exists today, is the historical descendant of the Synod of the South, a Synod of the Associate Reformed Church. The original Associate Reformed Church resulted from a merger of the Associate ...

. Its sports teams compete 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 ...

as a member of

Conference Carolinas Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Divisio ...

History

Erskine College was founded by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1839. Prior to this time the church had established an academy for men in Due West, S.C., in 1835, and a seminary in 1837. The academy became Erskine College, the first four-year church-related college in South Carolina. It was named for

Ebenezer Erskine Ebenezer Erskine (22 June 1680 – 2 June 1754) was a Scotland, Scottish minister whose actions led to the establishment of the First Secession, Secession Church (formed by dissenters from the Church of Scotland). Early life Ebenezer's father, ...

, a pastor and one of the founders of one of the antecedent bodies of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Erskine had led a group of separatists from the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

to found an Associate Presbytery. Erskine began to admit women in 1894 and officially became

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

in 1899. In 1927, it merged with Due West Female College, founded in 1859. In 1929, Bryson College closed and merged with Erskine College. A planned merger of the college, the seminary, and the Due West Woman’s College paved the way for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges in 1925. By 1927 the three schools had merged into one institution called Erskine College, with the seminary serving as its graduate theological school. During World War II Erskine served as a cadet training school for the United States Army Air Corps. A substantial enrollment effort in the late 1950s brought Erskine’s undergraduate enrollment to over 700 students throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s. In 2014, Erskine celebrated 175 years as a Christian academic community, and in the 2022-23 school year, enrollment hit an all-time high of 830 undergraduate and 137 graduate seminary students. On March 11, 2014, a website article on

Outsports ''Outsports'' is a sports news website concerned with LGBT issues and personalities in amateur and professional sports. The company was founded in 1999 by Cyd Zeigler, Jr. and Jim Buzinski. ''The Outsports Revolution'' (Alyson Publications), by ...

detailed the coming out of two male players on the college's volleyball team. On February 27, 2015, Erskine College released a statement that students are expected to "follow the teachings of scripture concerning matters of human sexuality."

Academics

Erskine College offers

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

and

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degrees. Minors are offered in several other fields of study. A Christian Education concentration is offered within the Bible and Religion major and special minors are offered in Family Studies,

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

, Non-Western Studies,

Theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

, and

Information Technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...

. The college also offers pre-professional programs in medicine, law, pharmacy, and dentistry. The student to faculty ratio is 15:1. Erskine is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

. It was placed on "Warning" status following its decennial accreditation review in December 2013. The college's status was reviewed in December 2014, and the sanction was then escalated to "Probation" status, due to continued failure to comply with accreditation standards related to fiscal stability and institutional effectiveness in student learning outcomes. SACSCOC removed all accreditation sanctions and reaffirmed Erskine's regional accreditation in December 2015.

Athletics

Erskine College teams participate as a member 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 ...

's Division II,

. Erskine is also a member of the National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, track and field, and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Co-ed sports include bass fishing, e-sports, and rodeo. On September 25, 2019, Erskine Athletic Director Mark Peeler announced the addition of a Cheerleading and Dance program beginning in the 2020–2021 school year.

The Flying Fleet

Back in 1896, Erskine College began its first American football team. They had very successful seasons between 1917 and 1921. During those seasons they had wins against Wofford, Presbyterian, South Carolina, Clemson, and the Citadel. One of the memorable games of Erskine's football team was against Furman University. It was during that game in 1929 that Erskine took on the name "The Flying Fleet", given to them by a Greenville reporter who was impressed by their passing performance. On October 18, 1948, they defeated Florida State 14–6. The Flying Fleet ended their football program in 1951. In 2018, Erskine College announced the return of the football program for the 2020 season competing as an Independent in NCAA Division II. In 2021, The Flying Fleet played its first football game in 70 years.

Major buildings

* Administrative offices: Belk Hall, Watkins Student Center * Art buildings: Bowie Arts Center, Memorial Hall * Classrooms: Belk Hall, Reid Hall, Daniel Moultrie Science Center (DMSC) * Recreation: Galloway Center, the Hangar (under Lesesne Auditorium), pavilion, swimming pool, sand volleyball court * Men's housing: Bonner Hall, Grier Hall, Kennedy Hall, McQuiston Hall (Honors Housing), Pressly Hall * Women's housing: Carnegie Hall, Edwards House (Honors Housing), Robinson Hall * Co-ed housing: Erskine Apartments, Fleet Village * Dining services: Java City, Moffatt Dining Hall, Snappers * Erskine Towers: Flagship Building, old astronomical observatory and clock tower * Library: McCain Library, Reid Hall (archives) * Literary Society Halls: Euphemian Hall, Philomathean Hall

Notable alumni

* Susan Audé –

WIS-TV WIS (channel 10) is a television station in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW. The station is owned by Gray Television, and maintains studios on Bull and Gervais Streets ( US 1/US 378) in downtown Columbia ...

news anchor *

Erskine Caldwell Erskine Preston Caldwell (December 17, 1903 – April 11, 1987) was an American novelist and short story writer. His writings about poverty, racism and social problems in his native Southern United States, in novels such as '' Tobacco Road'' (1 ...

– author (attended, but did not graduate) * Rex L. Carter - American lawyer and politician *

Beth Couture Beth Couture (born July 27, 1962) was the head women's basketball coach at Butler University. From her first season at Butler in 2002–2003 through the 2011–2012 season, she compiled a 161–144 record including three consecutive WNIT appearan ...

– head coach of the

Butler Bulldogs women's basketball The Butler Bulldogs women's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big East after moving from the Atlantic 10 following the 2012–2013 season. The Bulld ...

team *

Lawrence Cowan Lawrence Oscar Cowan (September 18, 1858July 20, 1933) was an American judge, state legislator, city official, businessman, and miner in the Arizona Territory and state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Background Cowan was born in Due W ...

– Arizona territorial, legislator, judge, lawyer, and business. *

Tom Ervin Thomas Jonathan Ervin (born May 14, 1952) is an American attorney, former judge, one-time politician and former radio station owner. A past member of the Republican Party, he also served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1979 t ...

– member of the South Carolina House of Representatives *

Alphonza Gadsden Alphonza Gadsden Sr. (born 1945) is an American Anglican bishop. From 2007 to 2020, he was bishop ordinary of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Southeast. Biography Gadsden was born to Silas and Leola Gadsden in Russellville, Sout ...

– bishop of the

Reformed Episcopal Church The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) is an Anglican church of evangelical Episcopalian heritage. It was founded in 1873 in New York City by George David Cummins, a former bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The REC is a founding member ...

* Thomas S. Gettys – U.S. Congressman from South Carolina * Charles Haldeman - American novelist * Joseph T. Johnson - U.S. Representative from South Carolina and U.S. district judge *

Ira B. Jones Ira B. Jones (December 29, 1851 - December 12, 1927) was a chief justice on the South Carolina Supreme Court and a candidate for governor in 1912. Life and career Jones was born in Newberry, South Carolina on December 29, 1851. Jones began co ...

– former South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice and gubernatorial candidate *

Thomas G. Long Thomas Grier Long (born in 1946) is the Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his BA degree from Erskine College in 1968, the Master of Divinity from Erskine Theological Semi ...

– Bandy Professor of Preaching at

Candler School of Theology Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates ministers, scholars of religion and other leaders. It is also one ...

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

* Benjamin Meek Miller – Governor of Alabama, 1931–1935 *

William Bell Montgomery William Bell Montgomery (August 21, 1829 – September 25, 1904) was an American farmer, businessman, and editor of farming periodicals. Early life and education He was born in Fairfield District, South Carolina, on August 21, 1829, the son ...

– founder of ''Southern Farm Gazette'' (now known as the ''

Progressive Farmer ''Progressive Farmer'' is an agricultural magazine, published 14 times a year by DTN. The magazine is based in Birmingham, Alabama. History Founded in Winston, North Carolina, in 1886 by North Carolina native Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837–18 ...

)'' and

Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...

Eric Moody {{Eric Lane Moody (born January 6, 1971) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during one season at the major league level for the Texas Rangers. He was drafted by the Rangers in the 24th round of the 1993 amateur draft. Moody ...

- professional baseball player * Joseph Rodney Moss – former Associate Justice and Chief Justice on the

South Carolina Supreme Court The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.

Champ Osteen James Champlin "Champ" Osteen (February 24, 1877 – December 14, 1962) was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators, New York Highlanders and the St. Louis Cardina ...

- professional baseball player *

Lemuel P. Padgett Lemuel Phillips Padgett (November 28, 1855 – August 2, 1922) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 7th congressional district of Tennessee. Biography Born in Columbia, Tennessee, in ...

– U.S. Congressman from Tennessee *

Garth Pollonais Garth Pollonais is a retired Trinidad and Tobago football (soccer) forward who played professionally in both Trinidad and the United States. Early career Pollonais grew up in Trinidad. He attended St. Augustine Senior Secondary High School whe ...

- professional soccer player *

Maynard Pittendreigh W. Maynard Pittendreigh is an astronomer, writer and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). As a minister, he has been a pioneer and leader in a movement toward multi-cultural/racial congregations, and in developing early Internet ...

- astronomer, writer and an ordained minister in the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

* Buck Pressly - professional baseball player * Eleanor C. Pressly – aeronautical engineer at

Goddard Space Flight Center The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC empl ...

* Charles Bryson Simonton – U.S. Congressman from Tennessee * W. Jasper Talbert - U.S. Congressman *

Eugene Van Taylor Eugene Van Taylor is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the American Soccer League and five in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He retired in 2015 after thirty years as the he ...

- professional soccer player *

Tom Verlaine Tom Verlaine (born Thomas Miller, December 13, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the New York City rock band Television. Biography Verlaine was born Thomas Miller in Denville, New Jersey and ...

– lead singer/guitarist of

proto-punk Proto-punk (or protopunk) is rock music played mostly by garage bands from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock movement. The phrase is a retrospective label; the musicians involved were generally not originally associated wit ...

rock band

Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

(attended, but did not graduate) *

Jay West John Taliaferro "Jay" West IV (born November 29, 1964) is an American politician. He has been a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 7th District since 2016. He is a member of the Republican Party. Electoral history ...

- American politician * H. Llyod Wilkerson –

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

* Li Zhengming - Chinese engineer and professor

Notes

References

External links

*
Erskine College athletics website
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