The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-02-25
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY rs, 1920.
WHY NAME COLLEGE FOR MR.. WINTHROP.

AS0'>A w
also making the following comments on the present
name of the State Normal and Industrial College
for women at Rock Hill:
oJ have often wondered why the state OF South
Carolina when it established it's great college for
the education of the women OF the state 1ouho ~
necessary to go to New England for name.
have frequently asked this question, but h"" never
received from anyone an intelligent and satls1ac-
tory explanation.
CAT an early day in the present session of the
legislature noticed that bill was introduced W
change the name of this college and then hopea
that as result would see the puzzle explained
But among the recent acts of the legislature nno
that the change is immateral and that this college
still passes under the name of a New England man.
"I have aften wondered if the state OF Massa-
cbnsetts in establishing of its colleges, would
come to the state of South Carolina for its name.
Whv should we 90 to the state of Lloyd GARRISON
Wendell Phillips and the poet Whittier to IND a
name for our college seems inexpcable to me. The
state of South Carolina has been so often held up
to the contempt of the world by the New Englana\ :
writer's of history, and by other writers who have
seen fit to draw most invidious comparison De-
tween the Carolinas and New England states that
the puzzle becomes greater as we contemplate ~
and we think that the time has come Tor our law
makers to explain to the people why IN the creaton
of it's great college we had to borrow from NE"
England. Every graduate of this college carries
with her to her home pennant with the name
.sWinthrop" engraved upon it, and that decorates
rhe walls of their homes. l have no doubt Dut
what the name of Mr. Winthrop appears in MORE
homes in the state of South Carolina than any
other man. These graduates will be the motherS
of the coming generations in South CaroIna. we
all know how inqusitive the little ones are' "heh
at their mothers knee they lisp the first sentences
of their mother tongue. They will naturally IN
ouire who Mr.. Winthrop was and to what extent
he has brought the state of South Carolina DEBTOR
to him and his native state How will they be able
to answer that question:
"It seems as if the present generation has lost
all pride of state or are ignorant of the traditions
of our past history. I mean no reflection upon Mr.
Winthrop, for so far as know ne was mosc
prominent and respectable citizen of New England
and one who deserved the respect of all good peo-
lple I am only propounding the question and ask
ing for an explanation why the state OF South caro-
lima should go there for name for our great COL
lege for women. Why should we not have honored
one of our own citizens possibly better be content
with the name "The South Carolina College for
Women?" :*' :
Most people will agree with Mr.. Clark IN "hat
he has to say And all people who stop to think
about the matter will agree, too, with the Coum-
bia State in it's remarks on the question. The
State makes these suggestions:
Call it Johnson College.
"The State agrees fully with the suggestion OF
CAPTAIN W. A. Clark that the great school for girls
at Rock Hill established and supported by the tax
payers of South Carolina should have name as
sociateed with South Carolina.
"What better name could be had for it than that
of it's founder?
"Why not call it Johnson College,
"When DR.. D. B. Johnson became superintendent
of the public schools of Columbia he Immediately
recognized the necessity of training school for
teachers and obtained from the Peabody fund the
small sum of money with which it began its work
about 1886. A year later the General Assembly
established scholarship for each county, and so
the school became State institution.
'sThe school was DR.. Johnson's idea, and his
alone he brought about its realization, and its ex-
panson is in the main due to his indefatigable and
ever affectionate labors Never any educational
institution more closely related from its birth and
throughout it's life, to the present, to the work of
one man than Winthrop has been to the distinguish
ed educator who has been its head about thirty
four years.
"Although DR.. Johnson is far from an old man
and we may hope has many years before him, and
although it is not usual to give to public instltu-
tions the name of still in being, it seems
that an exception might well be made in this case
"It is certain that, no matter what the future