Claflin University

Claflin University is third in our series on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU). Claflin University was founded in 1869. The 43-acre campus is located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. It is the oldest historically black college or university in the state of South Carolina. Orangeburg, South Carolina, a city of 15,000 people, is about forty miles south of Columbia.

Claflin was founded Methodist missionaries to prepare freed slaves to take their rightful places as full American citizens. The University takes its name from 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.

Dr. Alonzo Webster, a minister and educator from Vermont and a member of Claflin’s Board of Trustees, secured Claflin’s charter in 1869. The charter forbids discrimination of any sort among faculty, staff and students, making Claflin the first South Carolina university open to all students regardless of race, class or gender.

Claflin opened its doors with Dr. Webster as its first president. He came to South Carolina to teach at the Baker Biblical Institute in Charleston, an institution established by the South Carolina Mission Conference of 1866 of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the education of Black ministers. In 1870 the Baker Biblical Institute merged with Claflin University. 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. During the administration of Claflin second president, Dr. Edward Cooke, a disastrous fire destroyed the Fisk Building, a proud monument designed by Robert Bates, recognized as the first certified Black Architect in the United States. In 1879 the first college class was graduated.

Claflin University is an independent, four year liberal arts, co-educational, historically black institution that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is dedicated to educational excellence and to preparing students without regard to gender, race, religion or ethnic origin. It is committed to offering quality undergraduate programs, select graduate programs, and viable continuing education opportunities. Well known artist and educator Leo Twiggs graduated from Claflin University.

Claflin has an enrollment of about 1,800 students. 32% are male and 68% are female. they represent 45 South Carolina counties, 24 States, and 18 countries. The University currently offers a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA), a Master of Science in Biotechnology and 33 undergraduate majors.

The school has a cross enrollment agreement with South Carolina State University in the R.O.T.C program. Graduates of the program are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

Intercollegiate Sports: Claflin is a member of SIAC Conference of the NCAA (Division II level). Programs for men: basketball, baseball, tennis, and track and field. Programs for women: basketball, softball, volleyball, tennis, and track and field.