Claflin University
Claflin University is a private historically black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Founded in 1869 after the American Civil War by northern missionaries for the education of freedmen and their children, it offers bachelor's and master's degrees.
History
Claflin University was founded in 1869 by Methodist missionaries who freed slaves to take their rightful places as full American citizens.Claflin 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.
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 43-acre campus. Claflin's first president was Dr. Alonzo Webster, a minister and educator from Vermont who had previously spent time as a member of Claflin's Board of Trustees.
Webster came to South Carolina to teach at the Baker Biblical Institute in Charleston, an institution established by the S.C. 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.
Since the administration of Dr. Webster, Claflin has been served by seven presidents: Dr. Edward Cooke ; Dr. Lewis M. Dunton ; Dr. Joseph B. Randolph ; Dr. John J. Seabrook ; Dr. Hubert V. Manning ; Dr. Oscar A. Rogers, Jr., Dr. Henry N. Tisdale and Dr. Dwaun Warmack.
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.
Academics
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's athletic teams are the Panthers. It is a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the NCAA. Men's sports include basketball, baseball, tennis, and track and field. Programs for women include basketball, softball, volleyball, tennis, and track and field.Claflin has an All-Girl cheerleading team that serves as athletics support and ambassadors of the university.
Student Organizations
There are over 50 student organizations on campus.Reserve Officers Training Corps
Claflin graduates who complete the R.O.T.C. program may be commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.Greek letter organizations
The university currently has chapters for eight of the nine National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations.| Organization | Symbol | Chapter | Chapter Symbol |
| Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority | ΑΚΑ | Gamma Nu | ΓΝ |
| Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity | ΑΦΑ | Delta Alpha | ΔΑ |
| Delta Sigma Theta sorority | ΔΣΘ | Gamma Chi | ΓΧ |
| Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity | ΚΑΨ | Gamma Nu | ΓΝ |
| Omega Psi Phi fraternity | ΩΨΦ | Lambda Sigma | ΛΣ |
| Phi Beta Sigma fraternity | ΦΒΣ | Omicron | Ο |
| Sigma Gamma Rho sorority | ΣΓΡ | Theta | Θ |
| Zeta Phi Beta sorority | ΖΦΒ | Mu | Μ |
Gamma Phi Delta, a national Christian fraternity, founded a chapter at Claflin in 2010.