Wade Hampton High School (Greenville, South Carolina)
Wade Hampton High School is a public high school in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The school primarily serves the communities of Wade Hampton and Taylors, South Carolina. The school was opened in the fall of 1960, consolidating former high schools Paris Mountain and Taylors and some students who formerly attended Greenville Senior High School. The original buildings were torn down and the new building campus re-opened in January 2006 on the same site. Namesake. Wade Hampton High School takes its name from Wade Hampton III who was one of the largest  slave owners in the country, and went on to serve in the confederate army and as the governor of South Carolina. He later was elected as a U.S. Senator from the state. His campaign as governor was marked by extensive violence by the Red Shirts, a paramilitary group that served the Democratic Party by disrupting elections and suppressing black and Republican voting in the state. They contributed to the Democrats regaining control of the state government in this period. The name has garnered mild controversy in the community, but so far there is no real push to get the name  changed, despite efforts from students and other members of the community. The school was opened in the fall of 1960, a time when it was not uncommon to name schools after confederate generals and other historical figures, that would deter African American attendance at their schools. Academics. Wade Hampton consistently scores higher than both the national and state averages on tests such as the SAT, ACT, and EOC. The school's campus is also home to The Fine Arts Center of Greenville. Athletics. The 1968 football team finished with a 10–1 record and met the Greenwood High School Emeralds for  the first South Carolina state 4A championship, resulting in a loss. The Sandlappers defeated the North Carolina team 21–7. The boys basketball team won state championships in 1970, 1972 and 2011.