# Spartanburg Methodist College

Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) is a private college in Saxon, South Carolina, United States, with a Spartanburg postal address. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and enrolled 1,128 students for the 2024 fall semester.

## History

Spartanburg Methodist College has a rich and inspiring history dating back to 1911. It was founded as the Textile Industrial Institute (TII) by David English Camak, a visionary who was deeply moved by the challenges faced by southern cotton textile workers. Camak's vision led to the establishment of an elementary and secondary school in a vacant house near Duncan Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church. With the support of Walter S. Montgomery, president of Spartan Mill, the school steadily grew, eventually becoming a mission of the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

### Founding and early years (1911–1919)

In 1913, the college acquired its present campus. It began constructing Charles P. Hammond Hall, which still serves as a residence hall.
Even though the work and study schedules helped students to attend Textile Industrial Institute, the school needed additional income to operate. The TII Board of Trustees recruited members from the South Carolina Methodist conferences, allowed the land for sale, and paid off the debts to create new funds for the project. The Model Mill opened in 1919, allowing TII to combine education and work as Camak had envisioned. The Model Mill made weaves, dyed and bleached materials, improved the threads to make them more robust, and perfected the art of depth in precise dying. The success of the Model Mill was short-lived. In 1921, the mill employed only TII students, but issues with financing led the Model Mill to close in 1922. Students once again returned to off-campus jobs to support them while enrolled at TII.

### Expansion and challenges (1920–1940)

By 1927, TII expanded its offerings to include the first two years of college-level education, providing students with various pathways for their future. After initially providing high school-level courses for young adults working in the area's textile mills, TII expanded its curriculum in 1927 to offer two years of college-level work, granting associate degrees in liberal arts. That allowed graduates to transfer to senior-level colleges or enter the workforce with valuable skills.
The college continued. The industrial mill jobs on campus created declines in health from working in rash conditions. Many students worked on the campus in the kitchen, laundry, or farm; others worked in town. The trustees soon realized that the students needed extra housing with the increased enrollment. Eliza Attleton Judd, wife of a local bank president, was interested in helping women access education and offered a solution to the school's housing problem by donating money to create a building for girls on campus. The trustees believed that completing Hammond Hall was a more urgent priority than building a dormitory for girls. Mrs. Judd continued to support TII with a gift of timberland. In 1928, a decade after her death, the Textile Industrial Institute built Judd Hall, a women's dormitory, in her honor.
In 1940, TII discontinued its high school classes, and in 1942, the institution changed its name to Spartanburg Junior College. In 1974, it changed its name to Spartanburg Methodist College.

### Transitioning to a four-year institution

For decades, Spartanburg Methodist College served as a two-year junior college. In 2019, Spartanburg Methodist College further expanded its academic offerings by introducing bachelor's degree programs. Today, the college is a four-year institution.

### Presidents

The university's current president, Scott Cochran, assumed office on November 16, 2015. The president is appointed by the university's board of trustees, which has 24 members, five clergy and 19 laity, whose terms are staggered on a three-year basis.

## Accreditation and affiliations

Spartanburg Methodist College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. This accreditation signifies that the college meets or exceeds specific academic standards and ensures the quality of its education. It also means that the college's programs, faculty, and facilities have been rigorously evaluated and meet the high standards set by these accrediting bodies. The college is also affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the South Carolina Annual Conference.

## Academics

Spartanburg Methodist College offers various degree programs to cater to its students' varied interests and career goals. These include six associate degrees and nine bachelor's degree programs, covering fields such as business, business administration, criminal justice, psychology, professional writing and digital communications, humanities, sports management, and general studies.
Fall 2022 Term Demographics :
| | Percentage |
| White | 45.0 |
| African American | 36.0 |
| Hispanic | 12.0 |
| Asian | 1.0 |
| Non-resident | 1.0 |
| Multiracial or other | 6.0 |

## Campus

SMC occupies 110 acres near the western edge of the city limits of Spartanburg. The campus has seven residential halls (Willard, Hammond, Kingman, Parsons, Judd, Bridges, and Sparrow) that are co-ed or all-female. Over the past decade, SMC has expanded its campus facilities. In 2012, a new academic building, Ellis Hall, was opened on campus. It houses nine classrooms, a bookstore, and educational offices, including the Vice President for Academic Affairs office, the Write Place, student publications, the President's Hall, and Gibbs Auditorium (which seats 275). In 2019, the 4,000-square-foot Moore Family Fitness Center was opened on campus and provides students with access to aerobics machines, free weights, weight machines, and an aerobics classroom.

## Athletics

The Spartanburg Methodist (SMC) athletic teams are called the Pioneers. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing as an Independent within the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) for most of its sports since the 2024–25 academic year. The Pioneers previously competed in the Carolinas Junior College Conference within Region X as a Division I ranked member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) until the conclusion of the 2023–24 academic year.
SMC competes in 14 intercollegiate varsity teams. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and track & field, while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field, and volleyball. All 14 teams transitioned to NAIA competition beginning in the 2024–25 academic year.

### Accomplishments

SMC's athletic teams have won numerous regional, divisional, and national titles during its tenure in the NJCAA, cementing the college's legacy as a competitive athletic program. The men's soccer team won the NJCAA national championship in 1994, marking a significant achievement in the program's history. Other teams have also excelled on the national stage, including women's golf (three individual Top 50 finishes, 2011), men's tennis (26th-place finish, 2010), wrestling (29th-place finish, 2010), men's cross-country (2nd place, 2012), women's cross-country (16th place, 2009), men's and women's half-marathon (3rd place, 2012), and volleyball (16th-place finish, 2009).

### Move to the NAIA

On October 2, 2023, it was officially announced that the Spartanburg Methodist Pioneers would join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a member of the Continental Athletic Conference starting in the 2024–25 academic year. On July 17, 2024, the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) in the NAIA announced that Spartanburg Methodist College will join the conference as a full member for the 2025–26 school year.

## Notable alumni

* Notable Spartanburg Methodist College alumni include:
* Olin D. Johnston⁣ – South Carolina Governor and Senator, a member of the college's first graduating class.
* Orlando Hudson⁣ – Professional baseball player, known for his career in Major League Baseball.
* Lee Haney⁣ – Eight-time Mr. Olympia.
* Heath Hembree⁣ – Professional baseball pitcher, with a successful MLB career.
* Mookie Wilson⁣ – New York Mets Hall of Famer and MLB World Series champion.
* Reggie Sanders⁣ – Renowned MLB player and All-Star outfielder.
* Jerry Martin⁣ – MLB player with notable contributions to several teams.
* C. D. Pelham⁣ – Former MLB pitcher who debuted with the Texas Rangers.
* Vernon Taylor⁣ – Professional basketball player in Europe.
* Harris Stanton⁣ – Comedian, known for his stand-up performances and television appearances.
* Sebastián Velásquez⁣ – Professional soccer player and standout midfielder.
* Mel Roberts – Professional baseball coach and former player.
* Zack Godley⁣ – MLB pitcher with impressive performances in the majors.

### Other notable alumni

* Dwight Smith – Former MLB outfielder and World Series champion.
* Bill Landrum – Former MLB pitcher known for his consistent relief pitching.
* Morris Madden – Former MLB pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
* Glenn Sutko – Former MLB catcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds.
* Jonathan Hurst – Former MLB pitcher who played for the Montreal Expos and New York Mets.
* Jeff McNeely – Former MLB outfielder who played for the Boston Red Sox.
* Deryk Shockley – Former soccer player.
* Lee Gronkiewicz - Former MLB pitcher who played for the Toronto Blue Jays.