The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1904-09-10
SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE
Centennial Celebration, Jan
uarY 10, l906.-His'oVy
Before The War.


nial Of the ohartering Of the College was
celebrated December l9. 1901. in Charles.
ton. during the Exposition. The chief oh.
ject Of this celebration. as emphasized at
the time. was 10 lead up to a worthy cello
hration Of the true centennial of the life of
the College in January. 1906. when il ia eI
pected that hundreds of alumni from all
parts Of the country will be present in Co.
lunbia to signsliEe one Of the most notable
events in the history Of the State.
The establishment of State College.
! conceived by John Rutledge. was recon-
mended to the Legislature by Gov John
Drayton, in November. 1901. and was car
ried successfully through that body ny II
w. DeSaussure. afterwards Chancellor, and
until his death. in 1879. a bulwark Of
strength to the South Carolina College. The
Governor. in his message. referred to the
advantage Of an institution supported by
| funds: 1.-THE means could not DO wanting Of
inviting and providing for learned and
| respectable professors in the various branch
| es science. and the need of common GEN.
ter Of education in the State: THE friend.
moted and strengthened throughout the
State. and our political union be much ad-
vanced thereby" The charter" of the
College. ratified Dececember 10. 1901. bears
the simple title. AN Aot to establish q
College at Columbia" signed. John Ward.
President Of the Senate" Theodore Gail
lard. Speaker OF the House of Represents Ia
tives" The object was thus set forth in
the preamble: Whereas, the proper edu-
cation OF youth contributes to the prosper
ity Of society. and ought always to be an
object Of legislative attention; and where
as, the establishment Of a college in q CEN
trail part Of the State. where all its youth
may be educated. will highly promote the
instruction. the good order and the har.
mony Of the whole community The chief
provisions Of the Act were the following:
That his Excelency the Governor his
Honor the Lieutenant Governor, the honor
able the President II the Senate, aud the
Speaker OF the House Of Representatives,
the honorable the Associate Judges Of the
Court of Equity. shall be- ex ofiicio, togeth.
er with Gen Charles G.. Pinckney. II. W.
DeSaussure. Thomas Taylor the Rev. D. E.
Dunlap. the Rev. Mr.. John Brown, of
Lancaster. Wade Hampton. John Chestnut,
James b. Richardson. Dr. Isnac Alexander,
Henry Dana Ward. the Rev. samuel W.
Tongue. William Faiconer, and Rartlea
Smyth. THE Trustees of the South Caro-.
lima College," and shall draw "ont Of the
treasury OF this State the sum of fifty
thousand dollars. to be appropriated to the
purpose of erecting building Of brick or
stone. and covered with tile or slate, suita-
BILE to the accommodation Of the students
OF the said College. aud suitable for fully
carrying on the education of tie said stu.
dents. aud for the erection of such other
buildings as may be necessary for the use
OF the said College" The Comptroller is
authorized 30 pay over to tue said trustees
the sum of sis thousand dollars. yearly and
every year. TO be appropriated to the pur-
pose Of paying the salaries Of the faculty of
the said ''ollege. and for the further SUP.
port Of the same" That the said trustees.
with the concurrence of the ommissi on ers
Of Columbia. shall be empowered to make
choice Of any square Of squares. yet ansold,
in the town Of Columbia. for the purpose Of
erecting said college. and the buildings at
tached therato. having strict reference to
every advantage and convenience necessary
for such institution"
With these small beginnings but exalted
aims the oll-ge was opened January 10.
1906. with the President and one other
professor 1.-TWO moro professors being 80
onred during the session). and with Q few
students. numbering in six months twenty.
nine. The first student enrolled was Will
liam Harper. afterwards the distinguished
Chancellor. and the first grad uated in l806)
was Anderson Crenshaw. of Newberry
County. afterwards the distinguished
| Chancellor af Alabama. The President.
from 1904 to his death. in 1890. was Jona-
than Maxcy. a nativ. Of Massac achusetts.
who. at "A. was President Of Brown Uni.
versity and later succeeded Jonathan Ed.
wards as President of Union College. filing
each presidency with brilliant success, AMI
still ranked by each institution as one OF
its greatest presidents. He was A Baptist
preacher. and already "at the North lie WAS
regarded as unrivaled in tie pulpit" His
students. Pettigrew and O'Neall. in after
years. pronounced him the greatest of ora
tors. The monument standing In the
centsr Of the College campus was erected to
his memory by the Cl"riosophic Society.
Up to the War the history of the College
and the history Of the State were one: dur.
ing that brilliant half.century almos. all
the distinguished men of the State and
many Of the leaders of the Southwest were
graduates Of the Sonth Carolina College.
Congress'nen. Senators. Judges Governors
When the War came. students and alumni