[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 26, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E956-E957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 26, 2010

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
distinguished higher education institution in South Carolina's Sixth 
Congressional District that is celebrating its 140th anniversary. 
Claflin University, a Methodist affiliated institution, was founded in 
1869 and is the oldest historically black college in South Carolina.
  In 1869, Dr. Alonzo Webster, a minister and educator from Vermont, 
secured a charter for Claflin University. This charter was unique in 
that it forbade the discrimination of any sort among faculty, staff and 
students, making the college the first in South Carolina to open its 
doors to students regardless of race, class or gender. The school took 
its name from Boston philanthropist Lee Claflin and his son, 
Massachusetts Governor William Claflin, who provided the financing for 
the purchase of the Orangeburg campus.
  Dr. Webster served as Claflin's first president. He was a trained 
theologian, who originally came to South Carolina to teach at the Baker 
Biblical Institute in Charleston, which was established by the South 
Carolina Mission Conference of 1866 for the Methodist Episcopal Church 
to educate African American ministers. In 1870, the Baker Biblical 
Institute merged with Claflin and moved to Orangeburg.
  Two years later, the South Carolina General Assembly designated the 
South Carolina State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute as part of 
Claflin University. Then in 1896, the General Assembly voted to 
separate the two institutions, and South Carolina State became a

[[Page E957]]

separate land-grant institution on property donated by Claflin adjacent 
to its campus.
  In its 140-year history, Claflin University has been served by only 
eight presidents. Following Dr. Webster were Dr. Edward Cooke (1872-
1884); Dr. Lewis M. Dunton (1884-1922); Dr. Joseph B. Randolph (1922-
1944); Dr. John J. Seabrook (1945-1955); Dr. Hubert V. Manning (1956-
1984); Dr. Oscar A. Rogers, Jr. (1984-1994); and Dr. Henry N. Tisdale 
(1994-present).
  During Dr. Cooke's administration, a fire destroyed the Fisk 
Building, which was designed by Robert Bates, who was the first 
certified Black Architect in the United States.
  The first college class graduated in 1879 under Dr. Cooke's 
administration. Dr. Cooke was succeeded by his vice president and 
development officer, the Reverend Dr. Lewis Dunton. He established a 
law department under the tutelage of the Honorable J.J. Wright, a 
former Associate Justice of the S.C. Supreme Court. The program's 
graduates were admitted to the South Carolina Bar. Dr. Dunton also 
increased the campus from 6 to 21 acres. He even deeded his home and 6 
acres of land to Claflin after his retirement.
  Claflin's fourth president, Dr. Joseph Randolph, emphasized a liberal 
arts education. He sought to inspire students intellectually, 
culturally, and spiritually to prepare them for a variety of 
professions. Under his direction, the high school and upper grades were 
discontinued. The first four years of elementary school were retained 
for the teacher education program; however, they were later 
discontinued as well.
  Dr. Seabrook, who became the fifth president, persuaded the South 
Carolina Annual Conference to substantially increase its annual giving 
to Claflin. He also renewed the interest of the New England Conference 
of the Methodist Church in the institution. The increased funding 
enabled the college to expand its programs, and in 1948 it became 
accredited for the first time by the Southern Association of Colleges 
and Schools.
  The tenure of the sixth president, Dr. Manning, was most noticeably 
marked by the significant increase in Claflin's physical plant. He also 
strengthened the faculty and increased the endowment. It was during Dr. 
Manning's tenure that I was first associated with the University.
  Under Dr. Rogers' administration, two capital campaigns were 
completed. This increased the endowment and improved the college's 
financial base. Student enrollment grew and the Grace Thomas Kennedy 
building was constructed. He also commissioned a master plan to guide 
campus development into the 21st century.
  In 1994, the current president, Dr. Henry Tisdale took the helm of 
Claflin. He was a former senior vice president and chief academic 
officer at Delaware State University. His dedication to scholarly 
achievement led him to declare academic excellence was the number one 
priority of the institution. Dr. Tisdale established the Claflin Honors 
College and the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, and 
gained the national accreditation of more than a dozen academic 
programs. Under his leadership, Masters programs in Business 
Administration, Biotechnology and Education were established. He also 
oversaw construction of the Living and Learning Center, Legacy Plaza, 
the Student Residential Center, the Music Center and the new University 
Chapel.
  Claflin University has been recognized as one of the nation's Top 
Tier higher education institutions by publications including U.S. News 
and World Report, Forbes.com, Consumers Digest, Chronicle of Higher 
Education, and the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating Claflin University on its rich 140-year history. Claflin 
began as a mission to educate African American ministers and today has 
become one of our country's premier higher education institutions. I 
commend Dr. Tisdale and Claflin University for their tremendous 
contributions to South Carolina and its students.

                          ____________________