The Greater University of South Carolina Alumni Association traces its roots to the year 1846. The graduates of that year met after commencement and agreed to establish a series of reunion dinners. The first reunion was held in 1851.
At the College's semi-centennial celebration in 1854, an Alumni Association was formed with the Honorable John L. Manning as president. The class of 1846 held its ten-year reunion in 1856, but the Civil War prevented the 1861 gathering. In 1880, the class of 1846 held another reunion and called for increased support of higher education in the state. These South Carolina College graduates planned a revival of the Alumni Association and one year later, graduates from several classes assembled at the State House to form an official association. Former governor John L. Manning was again named president.
Through the remainder of the nineteenth century, the Alumni Association was an organization of only two to three hundred graduates whose primary activity was to gather at annual meetings. In 1904, the Alumni Association was incorporated and a revolving loan fund was developed that amounted to $10,982 in 1916. In 1919, alumni involvement reached new heights as the athletic committee engaged renowned football coach Sol Metzger.
The Alumni Association of the University of South Carolina was reincorporated on July 15, 1920 by the Secretary of State as an eleemosynary organization. The name was changed to the Greater University of South Carolina Alumni Association in March 1976. The purpose of the Association was recorded thus: "to promote the general education interest of the State of South Carolina, to make it more and more a potent influence and agency in the education policy of the State."
In November 2006, the Alumni Association launched the My Carolina campaign with a new branding effort aimed at promoting a more personal relationship between the University and its alumni. Today's Alumni Association holds as its mission to involve, inform and engage every alumna and alumnus. It provides a myriad of programs and activities to address the needs of the institution and her former students.
Staff to contact for additional information:
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Jack W. Claypoole, '87 BA, Life Member
Executive Director, My Carolina Alumni Association
jclaypoole@mycarolina.org
803.777.4113
"My Carolina is the place where I learned to give voice to my passion, heart to my family and service to my University."
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Carolina Alumni Association | 1600 Hampton Street Annex | Suite 305 | Columbia, SC 29208
803.777.4111 (main) | 800.476.8752 (toll-free) | 803.777.6263 (fax)