Claflin University is a private historically black university in

Orangeburg, South Carolina Orangeburg, also known as ''The Burg'', is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population of the city was 13,964 according to the 2020 United Stat ...

, United States. Founded in 1869 after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

by northern missionaries for the education of freedmen and their children, it offers

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...

and master's degrees.

History

It was originally named Claflin College, and was founded in 1869 by Alonzo Webster, a minister for the Methodist Episcopal Church (today the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was ...

). Claflin College opened its doors on October 27, 1869. Webster came from

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

as a missionary to teach at the Baker Bible Institute in Charleston, a training school for African American ministers. The Baker Biblical Institute in Charleston, was an institution established by the South Carolina Mission Conference of 1866 of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the education of African American ministers. In 1870, the Baker Biblical Institute merged with Claflin University. Webster had received a charter from the state of South Carolina to establish a college freed slaves to take their rightful places as full American citizens. Claflin University is the oldest historically black college or university in South Carolina and touts itself as the first college in the state to welcome all students regardless of race or gender. It was the first Black college to offer architectural drawing courses. The university was named after two Methodist churchmen: Massachusetts Governor William Claflin and his father, Boston philanthropist Lee Claflin, who provided a large part of the funds to purchase the campus. Claflin's first president was Alonzo Webster, who had previously spent time as a member of Claflin's board of trustees. Since the administration of Webster, Claflin has been served by eight presidents. An act by the South Carolina General Assembly on March 12, 1872, designated the South Carolina State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute as a part of Claflin University. In 1896 the S.C. General Assembly passed an act of separation which severed the State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute from Claflin University and established a separate institution which eventually became South Carolina State University. In 2020, American novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated US $20 million to Claflin University. Her donation is the largest single gift in Claflin's history.

Presidents

Academics

Claflin University Tingley Hall from NNW 1

Claflin offers degrees through four schools: *School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics *School of Humanities and Social Sciences *School of Business *School of Education

Student life

Athletics

Claflin football team of 1899 Claflin University's athletics teams are referred to as the Panthers. The university is a member of the Division II level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) since the 2018–19 academic year. The Panthers have also competed in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) from 2008–09 to 2017–18; as well as in the defunct Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) from 1983–84 to 2004–05. Claflin competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's basketball, baseball, cross country and track & field, and women's basketball, cheerleading, cross country, softball, track & field and volleyball. Claflin has an all-girl cheerleading team that serves as athletics support and ambassadors of the university as well as their pep band.

Student organizations

There are over 50 student organizations on campus, including several honor societies, and chapters for eight of the nine National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations.

Notable alumni

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{Coord, 33, 29, 54.08, N, 80, 51, 14.53, W, display=title University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Private universities and colleges in South Carolina Historically black universities and colleges in the United States Universities and colleges established in 1869 Methodism in South Carolina Colonial Revival architecture in South Carolina Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools African-American history of South Carolina Education in Orangeburg County, South Carolina Buildings and structures in Orangeburg County, South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Orangeburg County, South Carolina 1869 establishments in South Carolina