The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-06-15
PROPOSE to Combine
Voorhees, andClafin

Bamberg will be interested n the
following article printed in the Co.
lumbia Record Sunday, written by
colored preacher, Rev. |. E. Lowry,
which tells of plans to consolidate
Voorhees,, near Denmark, with Claf-
lin, the joint school coming into Bam-
berg county, and the sale of the pres
ent Claflin property to the state to be
used as additional room for expansion
of the State Colored college,:
News has reached Columbia Of
prospective deal between the board
of trustees of Claflin university and
the trustees of Voorhees, college. The
former college is located at Orange
burg and the latter at Denmark. In
this deal it is proposed to unite the
two colleges which shall be called
''The Voorhees-Dunton college, 1t
is also proposed to sell Clafin to the
state of South Carolina with all of it's
lands and buildings which is to be
added to the negro state college. This
will give them greatly enlarged
plant and will enable them to provide
for another thousand students.
The new "Voorhees-Dunton college
is to be great college built on the
plan of the Tuskegee Normal and In
dustrial institute. The Voorhees, col
lege owns at present more than 800
acres Of good farming land. 1t is
located about two miles from the
town of Denmark. 1t is well equip
ped with buildings and live stock and
has an endowment of more than
100000. This school was founded
by Evelyn Wright, young colored
woman who was educated at Tuskee-
gee. Ex-senator Mayfeld assisted
her in her efforts to secure site and
since it's founding has been trustee.
This woman endeavored to build her
school after the plan of Tuskegee,
her alma mater. She died few
years ago, and is buried on the cam
pus of voorhees, college. But this
school has had a steady growth un-
der the management Of Prof. Martin
A. Menafee. manager, and Rev. E. R.
Robepts as principal.
Rev. L. NJ. Dunton, D. D., l.. l..
D., who for nearly so years, has been
president of Claf1in, has made the
university his beneficiary. At his
death all his property goes to Clafiin,
hence the joint boards of trustees OF
the two colleges propose to honor
him by naming the new college for
him.
The property of Claflin university
is held in trust by board Of trustees
with headquarters in Cincinnati,
Ohio. This board sent one of its rep
resentatives to Claflin during it's re-
cent commencement, who also visit
ed the Voorhees, plant at Denmark.
A committee of the Cincinnati board
will come later to make further in
vestigations.
The wisdom of planting two COL
leges a. close as Claflin and the State
college have been planted, has been
questioned by wise men. And while
there has been no serious trouble be-
tween them, yet little unpleasant
frictions have arisen from time to
time. but these were kept down by
cool heads on both sides OF the renee.
These two colleges were once one,
and when it was thought best to
separate them, the church offered to
buv the state out but the state re-
fused to sell. Now the church offers
to sell to the state and what the out
come will be waits to be seen. Some
of the patrons think we'll of the plan
and others do not! But they are a
group of wise men both on the
part Of the church a4d of the state
who are handling the matter. It may
take two or three years to consum-
mate the deal and to complete the
transfer.
- W>.I