 | |
Former name | Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina (1896–1954) South Carolina State College (1954–1992) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Scientia, Officium, Honos |
Motto in English | Knowledge, Duty, Honor |
| Type | Public university HBCU Land-grant university |
| Established | March 4, 1896 (1896-03-04) |
| Accreditation | SACS |
| Endowment | $17.2 million (2023)[1] |
| President | Alexander Conyers |
| Students | 2,649[2] |
| Undergraduates | 2,374[3] |
| Postgraduates | 275[3] |
| Location | , United States 33°29′50″N80°51′00″W / 33.49722°N 80.85000°W /33.49722; -80.85000 |
| Campus | 447 acres (181 ha), (160 acres (65 ha) at Orangeburg campus, 287 acres (116 ha) additional acres at Camp Harry Daniels inElloree, South Carolina) |
| Colors | Garnet and blue |
| Nickname | Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I –MEAC |
| Website | scsu.edu |
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South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is apublic,historically black,land-grant university inOrangeburg, South Carolina. It is the only public, historically black land-grant research university in South Carolina, is a member of theThurgood Marshall College Fund, and isaccredited by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The university's beginnings were as theSouth Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical Institute in 1872 in compliance with the 1862Land Grant Act within the institution of Claflin College—now known asClaflin University.
In 1896 the South Carolina General Assembly passed an act of separation and established a separate institution – theColored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina, its official name until 1954.[4]
Academic programs received more attention as the student population increased, but other programs, such as the university's high school, were forced to close due to theGreat Depression. TheNew Deal Programs were used to create, among other things, Wilkinson Hall, the university's first separate library building (now home to Admissions and Financial Aid).
The college's campus grew, as it purchased over 150 acres (61 ha) for agricultural learning. After World War II, many students flocked to the college, creating a classroom shortage problem for the school. In 1947, theUnited States Army created anROTC detachment, in which all male students were required to enroll until mandatory enrollment ended in 1969.
The school's name changed, as well, as the South Carolina General Assembly renamed the schoolSouth Carolina State College in 1954. Because of the "separate but equal" laws in the state, the legislature gave the college large sums of money to build new academic facilities and dormitories, some of which still stand on the campus today, including the Student Union (1954), and Turner Hall (1956). This was done in order to give black students an environment of "equal" education. Also, the legislature created a law program for the college, mainly to prevent black students from attending thelaw school at the then-segregatedUniversity of South Carolina. The law program folded in 1966 after the University of South Carolina integrated.
During the height of theCivil Rights Movement, many students participated in marches and rallies aimed at ending segregation. The struggle came to a climax on the night on February 8, 1968, when three students were killed and 27 others were wounded by state policemen at the height of a protest that opposed the segregation of a nearby bowling alley. The tragedy, known as theOrangeburg massacre, is commemorated by a memorial plaza near the front of the campus.
From the late-1960s to the mid-1980s, under the leadership of M. Maceo Nance, the campus experienced unprecedented growth in the form of new academic buildings, such as Nance Hall (1974) and Belcher Hall (1986), new residence halls, such asSojourner Truth Hall
(1972), which, at 14 stories, is the tallest building in Orangeburg County, and a new library building (1968), not to mention enlargements and renovations of existing facilities. The school also opened the I.P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium, which is the only facility of its kind on a historically black university campus in the United States. After Nance's retirement in 1986, Albert Smith assumed the office of the school's president and, among other achievements, created an honors college in 1988.
During the tenure of Smith, the school also gained university status from the South Carolina General Assembly, becoming South Carolina State University in February 1992. In 1993,Barbara Hatton became the school's first female president and created many improvements for the campus, such as the 1994 renovation of Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium, constructing new suites and a larger press box, as well as increasing its capacity to 22,000. Hatton also spearheaded the creation of a plaza which resides in front of the Student Union and passes by several dorms and buildings in the central portion of the campus. Under SC State's next president, Leroy Davis, South Carolina State University celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996, and the school constructed a Fine Arts Center in 1999, giving the Art and Music departments a new home.
Under the leadership ofAndrew Hugine Jr., the school constructed a new 771-bed residence hall (Hugine Suites), which is the largest dormitory in South Carolina. The first four buildings in Phase One opened on August 26, 2006, and the last two in the first phase opened on September 10, 2006. With the opening of the new dorms, SC State has closed the following dorms, Bethea (freshmen male), Miller (female), Bradham (female), and Manning (female) Halls. Both Bradham and Manning Halls had been used since the World War I era, Miller Hall is being closed due to fire alarm system malfunctions, and Bethea is being closed after 50 years of service due to numerous building and health problems. Bethea Hall will be torn down to make way for a new $33 million complex for the School of Engineering.
The dining halls, both Washington Dining Hall and "The Pitt", located in the Student Union, received major facelifts, and the dining hall inside Truth Hall has been renovated into a cyber cafe, Pete's Arena. The university is also working to renovate Lowman Hall, which, when refurbished, will be the new administration building. South Carolina State recently broke ground on the newJames E. ClyburnUniversity Transportation Center (UTC), which will be home to the only UTC in South Carolina, one of only three amongHistorically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and one of only 33 total UTCs in the nation. Currently work is being done to expand Hodge Hall. This science building will be gaining some much needed research and laboratory space.
South Carolina State hosted the first debate of the 2008Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Debate series. This event, which took place on April 26, 2007, at the Martin Luther King Auditorium, was televised nationally onMSNBC. This debate made SC State the first historically black university to host a presidential candidate debate on its campus.[5]
Hugine's contract was terminated by the SC State Board of Trustees on December 11, 2007, only four days before the Fall Commencement Exercises, by a telephone conference meeting.[citation needed] According to the board, his reasons for dismissal were a performance review for the 2006–2007 school year and a second education review. The board decided to conduct a national search for a new president immediately. On December 13, 2007, the board selected Leonard McIntyre, the Dean of the College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences at SC State to serve as interim president. Hugine was the fourth president to leave SC State since Nance retired in 1986.
George Cooper, formerly with theU.S. Department of Agriculture, assumed the presidency of S.C. State on July 16, 2008, and was the tenth president. The SC State Board of Trustees voted to terminate Cooper's contract on June 15, 2010. John E. Smalls, senior vice president of finance, was appointed to lead the university in the interim.[6] President Cooper was reinstated two weeks later after a change in board membership.[7] His predecessor, Andrew Hugine, Jr., who was also dismissed and sued the university, eventually accepting $60,000 to drop his suit for defamation and breach of contract.[8] Hugine, now president ofAlabama A&M University, sought $1-million from South Carolina State and $2-million from the trustees who voted to oust him.
In 2021, PresidentJoe Biden visited Orangeburg to deliver a commencement address at South Carolina State.[9]
On October 5, 2025, two unrelated shootings happened on campus during homecoming weekend. One person was killed and two people injured. A 18-year-old suspect was arrested and charged in the shooting death.[10]
Academic programs at the university are housed in four colleges and one school:[11]
SCSU is the only university in South Carolina and only HBCU in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree innuclear engineering. The program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission ofABET. Currently, it operates through a strategic partnership withNorth Carolina State University andUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison.
South Carolina State isaccredited by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The university was placed on probation in June 2014 for failing to meet the accreditor's standards "concerning governing board conflicts of interest and board/administration structure, as well as financial stability and controls".[12] In June 2015, the SACS kept the university on probation for another year.[13] In June 2016, SACSCOC removed the college from probation.[14]
In 2023,U.S. News & World Report ranked SC State 76 out of 136 in the "Regional Universities South" category and 39 out of 79 among HBCUs.[15]
The school's campus size is 160 acres (65 ha), with an additional 267 acres (108 ha) at Camp Harry Daniels inElloree, South Carolina. Three buildings,Lowman Hall,Hodge Hall, andDukes Gymnasium are included in theSouth Carolina State College Historic District, and separately listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[16]
The library is the Miller F. Whittaker Library.[17] The library was allocated $1 million from theSouth Carolina General Assembly in 1967 for its construction, and the library was dedicated in 1969.[18] The library is named in honor of the university's third president.[18] Originally two levels, a third level (themezzanine) was added in a 1979 expansion.[18]
South Carolina State is a charter member of theMid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and participates inNCAA Division I (FCS for college football). The school sponsors basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball,cross country, track and field, and tennis for women, and basketball, tennis, track and field, cross country, and football for men. The athletic teams compete as the Bulldogs or Lady Bulldogs and the school colors are garnet and navy blue.
The school's football team has won more conference championships than any other school in the MEAC with 19 championships. Three former Bulldogs are members of theCollege Football Hall of Fame, including coachWillie Jeffries. The team also has sixBlack college football national championship titles, with the most recent title won in 2021.
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 93% | ||
| Two or more races | 3% | ||
| Unknown | 3% | ||
| White | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 68% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 32% | ||
There are over 50 registered student organizations on campus.[20]
The university's marching band is known asThe Marching 101. The band are regular performers at football games throughout the southeast, nationally televised professional football games, and has performed in The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Rose Bowl Parade. The band was organized in 1918 as a "regimental band" performing military drills as well as assisting with music in the college Sunday school and other occasions. From 1924 on, a succession of band directors influenced the growth of the band as it became part of the Department of Music program. The nickname "Marching 101" came about when the band started with 100 members and 1 majorette. Today, the band has over 150 members and is accompanied by a majorette team named "Champagne". In 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016, the Marching 101 was voted to perform at the annualHonda Battle of the Bands held in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. On May 15, 2025, the official video for theBoots on the ground (song) featuring the band debuted in May 15, 2025 on theSherri Shepherd Show.[21]
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kandice Tanner | 2002 | Senior Investigator at theNational Cancer Institute, where she is head of the Tissue morphodynamics section | [22] |
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard G. Shaw | First African-American to serve as Insurance Commissioner in West Virginia |
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essie Mae Washington-Williams | 1946 | Educator and African-American daughter of former U.S. SenatorStrom Thurmond | |
| Andrew Hugine, Jr. | 1971, 1974 | Former S.C. State President (2003–2008); former President ofAlabama A & M University | |
| M. Christopher Brown II | 1993 | former President ofKentucky State University Former President ofAlcorn State University | |
| Benjamin F. Payton | 1955 | Former President ofTuskegee University | [23] |
| George Bradley | 1983 | Former President ofPaine College | [citation needed] |
| Anthony Parker | 1975 | President ofAlbany Technical College | [citation needed] |
| John H. Dozier | 1993 | Former Institute Community and Equity Officer ofMassachusetts Institute of Technology; Current President ofColumbia College (South Carolina) | [24][25] |
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doris Funnye Innis | 1955 | writer, journalist, educator, editor ofCongress of Racial Equality publications, Rights and Reviews and CORE Magazine | |
| Horace Ott | pianist, composer, conductor and record producer | ||
| Ron Westray | jazz trombonist, composer and educator | ||
| Armstrong Williams | 1981 | syndicated radio, television and newspaper political columnist | |
| Charlton Singleton | 1994 | music educator, conductor, founding member of Grammy Award Winning ensemble Ranky Tanky | https://charltonsingleton.com/bio/ |
| Kára McCullough | 2013 | Miss District of Columbia USA 2017 andMiss USA 2017 | http://missdistrictofcolumbiausa.com/ |
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juanita Goggins | First African-American woman elected to the South Carolina legislature | ||
| James E. Clyburn | 1961 | U.S. Representative from South Carolina (1993–present) and Majority Whip (2007–2011) in theUnited States Congress | |
| Ernest A. Finney, Jr. | JD, 1954 | First African-American Supreme Court Justice appointed to the South Carolina Supreme Court since the Reconstruction Era | |
| Matthew J. Perry | 1948,1951 | United States Federal Judge | |
| Clifford L. Stanley | 1969 | U.S.Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness | |
| John W. Matthews, Jr. | South Carolina State Senate |
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amos M. Gailliard Jr. | 1951 | retired Brigadier General in theNew York Guard | |
| Abraham J. Turner | 1976 | retired Major General in the United States Army | |
| Stephen Twitty | 1985 | retired Lieutenant General in the United States Army | |
| Henry Doctor Jr. | 1954 | retired Lieutenant General in the United States Army |
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Lewis | 1968 | Point guard and originator of the Two Ball Skills Development Program. 2017Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Nominee | [26][27] |
| Javon Hargrave | 2016 | NFL nose tackle | |
| Willie Jeffries | 1959 | Legendary college football coach at South Carolina State and Howard University. He was first African-American coach of a Division I majority white school. | |
| Deacon Jones | former professional football player for theLos Angeles Rams,San Diego Chargers, andWashington Redskins; inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 | ||
| Phillip Adams | 2010 | NFL defensive back | |
| Joe Ikhinmwin | 2012 | Former professional basketball player and team captain ofLondon Lions (basketball) | |
| Willie Aikens | former Major League Baseball player | ||
| Rickey Anderson | formerNational Football Leaguerunning back | ||
| Orlando Brown | former professional football player for Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. | ||
| Rafael Bush | 2010 | former NFL defensive back | |
| Barney Bussey | 1984 | former NFL defensive back | |
| Kenny Bynum | former National Football League running back | ||
| Harry Carson | former professional football player for theNew York Giants; inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 | [28] | |
| Edwin Bailey | 1980 | former NFL guard for theSeattle Seahawks | |
| Rufus Bess | 1978 | former professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings | |
| Charlie Brown | 1981 | former professional football playerWashington Redskins | |
| Barney Chavous | 1973 | former NFL defensive end | |
| Dextor Clinkscale | 1979 | former National Football League safety for theDallas Cowboys | |
| Chartric Darby | Professional football player for Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. | ||
| Will Ford | former professional football player in theCanadian Football League | ||
| John Gilliam | 1966 | former professional football player for theSt. Louis Cardinals,New Orleans Saints andMinnesota Vikings | |
| Darius Hadley | former professional football player in theArena Football League | ||
| Dwayne Harper | 1987 | former professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks | |
| LaKendrick Jones | former football player in theArena Football League | ||
| William Judson | 1981 | former professional football playerMiami Dolphins | |
| Angelo King | 1980 | former professional football playerDallas Cowboys | |
| James Lee | former professional football playerTampa Bay Buccaneers | ||
| Shaquille Leonard | 2017 | former professional football player for theIndianapolis Colts | |
| Marshall McFadden | NFL linebacker | ||
| Robert Porcher | 1992 | former professional football player for theDetroit Lions | |
| Raleigh Roundtree | former National Football League player | ||
| Donnie Shell | 1974 | former professional football player for thePittsburgh Steelers; inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020 | |
| Mickey Sims | former professional football playerCleveland Browns | ||
| Christian Thompson | 2012 | NFL defensive back for Baltimore Ravens | |
| Wendell Tucker | 1965 | former professional football player for theLos Angeles Rams |
| Full members |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Associate members | ||
| ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
