University of South Carolina
September 20, 2012
uscTIMES
A publication for faculty, staff and friends of the university
USC Times
Stories, snippets & scenes from the
University of South Carolina. Aiken
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remembering ’63 Robert Anderson and James Solomon Jr.—arrived outside
tered the university—without in-
the Osborne administration building. A police escort led
cidence of violence, as had been
them through town and they were shadowed by a plain-
experienced at other universities
clothes security detail once they emerged. They also had
in the South.
9/9/2 0 1 3
Tensions sometimes flared as
wanting to witness the enrollment of the first three black students ad-
the formerly all-white university
mitted to the University of South Carolina since Reconstruction.
became increasingly diverse, with Anderson, in particular,
just walking forward and doing what I had to do,” says Monteith (now
regularly being harassed by white
Treadwell), whose lawsuit that year had finally budged the gates of
classmates unwilling to embrace
the university, making it accessible to qualified applicants of all races,
change. But for each setback there
including Anderson and Solomon.
were multiple steps forward as the
On Sept. 11, 1963 (dubbed ‘I-Day’ at the time) all three students
Upstate
BRANDHORST
signed up for courses and en-
“Obviously there was a crowd everywhere we went, but I recall
at e i o n / U p st
the inside
BY CRAIG
ifty years ago, three incoming students—Henrie Monteith,
an audience: reporters, soon-to-be classmates and others
on
university at last transformed itself into a truly modern institution.
Henrie Monteith Treadwell "Other universities in other Southern states had already integrated. I think we thought that maybe the university would take the low road and say, ‘Okay, let’s just let her in because it’s going that way anyway.’ And my sense is that if they had just said, ‘Okay, you can come,’ I probably would not have. But once they said ‘no’— for no good reason—it became a different issue. There was
“There was no
no explanation, just a letter: not accepted. The next step became obvious.
explanation, just a letter: not accepted. ”
Overall, I had a great experience at Carolina. I got the education that I needed as a citizen and as an individual. Certainly mine was a more closed, more isolated
Robert Anderson (Deceased) Harassed by classmates, Robert Anderson
and insular experience than many had, but it gave me an
joined USC’s debate team to prove himself in
opportunity to explore the depth of my own character."
a forum where the focus would be on his abil-
Jim Solomon "There were a lot of reporters. That picture of Robert, Henrie and I coming out of Osborne? That’s us on our way to a press conference. I think all of us were nervous, but Henrie and Robert were much younger. I was 33 years old at the time. I’d been in the Air Force when it was desegregated. My thought was, ‘You’re going to say something stupid and look stupid to everybody, even to you." Photos courtesy of University of South Carolina Archives and the Daily Gamecock.
ity rather than the color of his skin. However, he remained embittered about his time at USC until he returned to campus for the 25th anniversary of the school’s desegregation in 1988 and saw how much had changed. “I had to talk him into going,” says Susan Raskin, Anderson’s companion of 22 years. “I explained that that was the way to help himself, to go back and tell his story. It’s important to share it with others, which is what he did."
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University of south carolina
The color of friendship BY FRENCHE BREWER
It was the ‘60s — there was no pizza delivery and no microwaves in the dorm rooms — so late night cravings had to be satisfied with a run to the hall vending machine. On one of those nights in 1963, Isabelle Mims needed some change and approached another Sims hall-mate Henrie Monteith, whose family kept her supplied with coins to buy college student staples. A friendship was born. It was an inauspicious beginning to a lifelong friendship between two women — Mims is white and Monteith (now Treadwell) is black — who were seemingly oblivious to the racial strife outside the walls of Sims residence hall, even though Monteith had sued the university to be admitted.
“I won't say that I don't see color, but I will say I see friendship first”
“I won’t say that I don’t see color, but I will say I see friendship first,” Monteith said. Both were biology majors but didn’t share any classes. What they did share was a mutual admiration of one another. “I just respected her, and she was the example that the dean expected of every girl then —always poised, studious and focused — just like she is today,” Mims said. Treadwell graduated from USC in 1965, and when she married years later, she asked Mims to be in her wedding. “It was no big deal, really," Monteith said. "It would have been unusual for me to not have her in my wedding.” Family, careers and life left little time to connect until six years ago. Mims found Monteith the way many contemporary reunions begin — on the Internet. “Our friendship has endured,” Monteith said. “It was like no time had passed.” Mims lives on Edisto Island, Monteith lives in Atlanta, but the two meet regularly at Kiawah Island and bring their families together. “It’s been very special,” Mims said. “She and I have a regular, ordinary friendship.”
Q USC historian Bobby Donaldson has documented USC’s first desegregation, which occurred during Reconstruction, nearly a century before the historic events of 1963. As he explains, the tumultuous period from 1873-1877 left a lasting but often overlooked legacy.
&
A
Q: What was the greatest challenge for our first black students? The hiring of an African-American professor and the admission of black students — less than a decade after the end of slavery — were part of an extraordinary and daring experiment. Against the backdrop of Reconstruction, African-American students sought to advance their education even as they fought to overcome widespread doubts about their mental and intellectual ability to succeed. Imagine the striking irony in 1873 of looking upon the Horseshoe or touring Rutledge College and witnessing men and women of color as students at the most influential institution of higher learning in South Carolina (pictured below).
Q: How did that brief desegregation shape the later one? Even as the period of Reconstruction came to an abrupt halt and even as the forces of white supremacy sought to uproot important political and social advances, professor Richard T. Greener and many of the students he mentored believed that emancipation was an ongoing and never ending struggle. Their efforts and their vision laid the groundwork for the change that gripped our nation generations later. Our archival records show very clearly that the architects of the modern civil rights movement were astute students of history and frequently referenced the goals and “deferred dreams” of the Reconstruction era.
Q: What is the legacy of Richard T. Greener, USC’s first black professor? As law librarian Michael Mounter’s research indicates, professor Greener was a remarkable intellectual and scholar. One contemporary described him as a “gentleman of high culture and fine literary talent.” While some white students departed campus in protest of Greener’s hire, a courageous few broke convention and sought enrollment in his classes. Among Greener’s many accomplishments, for which he should be commended, is recruiting a stellar group of students to USC from across the state and the country and for saving and reorganizing the university’s library collection. Beyond the walls of the University, Greener maintained a steadfast commitment to equal rights and social justice.
USC Times 9/9/2013
RECOLLECTIONS
3
Sig Huitt
‘Embracing Change, Fulfilling the Dream’ Events
Freshman in the fall of ’63; reporter for the Gamecock
Although the commemoration of USC’s desegre-
Before I got to USC I was aware of what was about to happen there and, of course, I was aware that Harvey Gantt had desegregated Clemson earlier that year. I remember in our orientation that the point was made that USC could do it just as well if not better than Clemson. Thorne Compton Freshman in the fall of ’63; on debate team with Robert Anderson In those days, to register you went to Osborne and picked up a stack of cards, then you went around campus to the buildings where those classes were taught. You stood in line and waited to get to the teacher that you wanted to study with and they signed you into the course. For most people it was kind of a daylong thing that took place all over campus. So while their registration was simple—and that was a plus, certainly for them—it was also very different from the experience that everybody else had. It was good and bad. Standing in line for history 101 you may have wished somebody could have stood there for you. On the other hand, it was also part of sort of figuring out the university.
gation begins with a free public presentation by Civil Rights champion Diane Nash on Sept. 11 at 7:30 at the Koger Center for the Arts, additional events are scheduled throughout the year.
Sept. 20 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., McKissick Museum. “If you Miss Me at the Back of the Bus.” exhibit 7-10 p.m., McKissick Museum. “Come Together” gala and art sale, featuring works from the Civil Rights-themed exhibit “If you Miss Me at the Back of the Bus.”
Sept. 26 7 p.m., School of Law auditorium. 2013 Adrenee Glover Freeman Lecture in African American Women’s Studies featuring poet Nikky Finney, USC’s John H. Bennett Jr. Chair of Southern Literature and Creative Writing.
Oct. 5 7:30 p.m. Booker T. Washington Auditorium
John Wertz Sr.
“Festival of Spirituals,” USC Gospel Choir.
Sophomore in the fall of ’63;
Oct. 15
Robert Anderson’s debate partner When you face something like this, both sides come out. One of the reasons Robert liked the debate team, I think, was that he got accepted for who he was. When he was around campus there were so many people who wanted to be his friend because he was the first black student. They wanted to promote that cause. And there were others who were the exact opposite, who opposed him, not because of anything he said or did but because he was black. He really had a hard time with that.
South Caroliniana Library Opening of an exhibit exploring USC’s original desegregation in 1873 as well as its subsequent desegregation in 1963.
Nov. 6 7 p.m. Koger Center Alvin Alley II Dance Concert. (Tickets required.)
April 11 Garden dedication (adjacent to Osborne Administration building).
fall 2013
Univer sity
Caroli na of soUth
ne alUmni magazi
Portions of this article previously appeared as part of the feature “Circa ’63” in the Fall 2013 edition of Carolinian magazine. To receive the next three issues of Carolinian donate $50
2017 Class ofGiles
or more to the Family Fund at giving.sc.edu.
April 12 Koger Center for the Arts Closing ceremony produced by the Department of Theatre and Dance and the School of Music.
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plus CirCa ‘63 PerfeCT
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Making a Commitment Opening Doors
“There is something for
Freshman year can be a daunting experience for any student, and USC takes this critical time seriously with programs like University 101. The Minority Assistance Peer Program (MAPP), a part of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, pairs an experienced student mentor with new Gamecocks. The program works diligently to establish positive networks for the student’s matriculation—academically, socially and culturally.
everyone at Carolina”
“There is something for everyone at Carolina. At first it feels large, but once you get here, it becomes cozy,” says De’Shara Gadson, a senior mentor and math major. “For me, I’ve enjoyed being in MAPP. We have an opportunity to make connections, and it has opened a lot of doors for me.”
“When I became the university's first chief diversity officer, Dr. Pastides said, ‘The university’s commitment to diversity is not about what we say. Rather our commitment is found in what we do.’ To that end, the university is doing well, but we can do better. We can be more strategic about how we create an environment where our political, cultural, religious and social differences are no longer a source of debate, but embraced and celebrated as what makes us a better university.” —John Dozier, the university’s chief diversity officer and special adviser for online student services, who was named to the post last spring
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University of south carolina
FOCUS CAROLINA This year USC President Harris Pastides completes his fifth year at the helm of South Carolina’s flagship university. One of his major initiatives, Focus Carolina, has served as the university’s strategic plan for success. Here’s a breakdown of that plan featuring a few recent highlights.
Focus on Quality
Focus on Leadership
While USC’s focus on quality continues to
A forerunner in first-year experience programs,
be recognized by the media, the university
USC is expanding leadership opportunities
pushes to be better than ever. Recent ac-
through new initiatives, including:
complishments and new initiatives include:
• the Carolina Leadership Initiative;
• The Honors College ranked No. 1 in “A
• a new Graduation with Leadership
Review of Public Honors Programs”;
Distinction to recognize students
• The Provost’s Faculty Replenishment
for their efforts to become the
Initiative to recruit 250 new professors
next generation of leaders.
by 2015.
Focus on Innovation
Focus on Diversity
Focus on Access and Affordability
A 21st-century institute of higher education
Fifty years ago USC opened its
USC already awards nearly half of all
needs to be as creative as it is resourceful.
doors to all qualified students regardless of race.
baccalaureate degrees earned at public
USC has been both, with highlights including:
More recently, Carolina has been recognized for
institutions in South Carolina. New access
• the launch of the McNair Center for Aero-
its ongoing diversity efforts as exemplified by:
and affordability programs include:
• a Safe Zone Ally program that trains staff,
• Palmetto College, which enables students
space Innovation and Research; • growth of South Carolina’s SmartState program, which supports 20 endowed chairs in areas such as nanotechnology, advanced
faculty and students to create a supportive
to complete 60 hours of certain degree
environment for all;
programs online;
9.18 2013
10 a.m. Horseshoe Rain location: Russell House sc.edu/sotu #UofSCsotu
ing unprecedented scheduling flexibility.
a top university for diversity.
Focus on Global Competitiveness
Focus on Community Engagement
USC's global reach is reflected in bold new pro-
USC cultivates community engagement through
grams and a history of results, including:
outreach programs and other efforts, including:
• the Confucius Institute, which improves under-
• Cocky’s Reading Express, USC’s innovative
standing of China through education, research
literacy program, which delivers free books to
and exchange programs;
children in every county in the state;
• a U.S. News and World Report No. 1 ranking for
Celebrate Our University
• On Your Time Graduation, a program offer-
• INSIGHT into Diversity magazine naming USC
materials and alternative energies.
• Booker T. Washington High School renovations
the Moore School’s undergraduate international
completed, providing alumni of the historic
business program for 16 consecutive years.
African-American school a gathering place.
uscTIMES
S ystemwide Big changes for Carolina’s comprehensive universities and regional campuses.
facilities; and opened its George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics.
Aiken
Palmetto College
was named a 2012 and 2013 Great College to Work for by the Chronicle of Higher Education, opened the Veteran Student Success Center, was designated a MilitaryFriendly campus and welcomed chancellor Sandra Jordan.
was launched in spring 2013, bringing together resources from the entire USC System to offer baccalaureate courses online under Chancellor Susan Elkins.
Beaufort added baccalaureate degree programs in art, sociology, communications, education, nursing and a concentration in coastal ecology and conservation; and tripled research and grant support over five years to more than $1.5 million annually.
Upstate completed a $184 million master plan that increased classroom space, academic support facilities, parking and streetscapes, housing and athletic and recreational
USC Lancaster opened the Native American Studies Center.
USC Salkehatchie has raised more than $8 million in grants and private support.
USC Sumter has had three Governor’s Professor of the Year recipients in the past 19 years, including 2012 professor of the year Hendrikus E. van Bulck.
USC Union has had three Magellan Scholars in the past five years.
Vol. 24, No.14 Sept. 9, 2013 USC Times is published 20 times a year for the faculty and staff of the University of South Carolina by the Division of Communications. Managing editor: Liz McCarthy Designer: Linda Dodge Contributors: Peggy Binette, Craig Brandhorst, Frenché Brewer, Glenn Hare, Thom Harman, Chris Horn, Page Ivey, Steven Powell, Megan Sexton and Jeff Stensland Photographers: Kim Truett To reach us: 803-777-2848 or lizmccarthy@sc.edu Campus correspondents: Patti McGrath, Aiken Candace Brasseur, Beaufort Shana Dry, Lancaster Jane Brewer, Salkehatchie Misty Hatfield, Sumter Tammy Whaley, Upstate Annie Smith, Union The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation or veteran status.
Submissions: Did you know you can submit photos, stories or ideas for future issues of USC Times? Share your story by emailing or calling Liz McCarthy at lizmccarthy@sc.edu, 803-777-2848