Voorhees University

Voorhees University
Former names	Denmark Industrial School for African Americans; (1897–1902); Voorhees Industrial Institute for Colored Youths; (1902–1947); Voorhees School and Junior College; (1947–1962); Voorhees College; (1962–2022)
Type	Private historically black university
Established	April 14, 1897; 127 years ago
Religious affiliation	Episcopal Church
Academic affiliations	NAICU; UNCF
Endowment	$10 million (2021)
President	Ronnie Hopkins
Students	507
Undergraduates	473
Postgraduates	34
Location	Denmark, South Carolina, United States; 33°18′32.61″N 81°7′41.51″W / 33.3090583°N 81.1281972°W
Campus	Rural
Colors	Royal Blue & White;
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – Continental
Mascot	Tiger
Website	www.voorhees.edu

Voorhees University (formerly Voorhees College) is a private historically black university in Denmark, South Carolina. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

History[edit]

On April 14, 1897, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright founded Denmark Industrial School for African Americans.^[4]^[5] Located in a rural area and the small town of Denmark, it was modeled on the well-known Tuskegee Institute of Alabama. The first classes were held on the second floor of an old store.^[6] Its first class was fourteen students, taught by two teachers.^[6]

In 1902, Ralph Voorhees, a philanthropist in Clinton, New Jersey, donated $5,000 (equivalent to $176,000 in 2023) to the school in order to purchase land and construct buildings.^[7]^[8] The school used the donation to purchase 250 acres of land from Capt. J.B. Guess for $4,500 (equivalent to $158,000 in 2023) and to build a school building on the land.^[7] The school moved to the new location in October 1902.^[7]

In 1904, the South Carolina General Assembly renamed the school and incorporated it as the Voorhees Industrial Institute for Colored Youths.

In 1924, the school was affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. In 1947, its name was changed to Voorhees School and Junior College. In 1962, with the addition of departments and four-year curriculum, it became accredited as Voorhees College.^[9]

In 1969, the school's predominantly Black student body demanded more Black study programs and the hiring of Black faculty, as well as outreach to assist the local lower income community of Denmark with scholarships. The Voorhees administration, made up of mostly whites, ignored the students' plea. A demonstration of 500 students began as a response, which eventually inspired 75 students to command a two-day armed student occupation of the college. The president of Voorhees agreed to the students' demands, but filed a formal request to the South Carolina National Guard to subdue the students. The protesters surrendered but were subsequently arrested.^[10]^[11] Many were suspended.

In 2020, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $4 million to Voorhees College. Her donation is the largest single gift in Voorhees' history.^[12]

The institution changed its name to Voorhees University in 2022 when it celebrated its 125th anniversary.^[13]

Voorhees College Historic District[edit]

This historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 1982. It includes thirteen contributing buildings constructed from 1905 to 1935. The historic district is noteworthy as an example of pioneering education for African Americans in the early 20th century, and for its association with co-founder Elizabeth Evelyn Wright. In addition, the buildings, constructed mostly by students, showed ambitious design and masonry techniques. Many of these buildings were constructed by the students of Voorhees College as part of their crafts program.^[14] Photographs of some of the buildings are available.^[15]

Athletics[edit]

The Voorhees athletics teams are called the Tigers and Lady Tigers. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing as an NAIA Independent within the Continental Athletic Conference since the 2015–16 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 2005–06 to 2012–13 as an Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII). The Tigers and Lady Tigers previously competed in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) from 2013–14 to 2014–15; and in the defunct Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) from 1983–84 to 2004–05.

Voorhees competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country and track & field; women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, softball and track & field.

Student life[edit]

The university has cheerleaders, choir, band, Student Government Association, special interest groups, fraternities, and sororities on campus.

Notable alumni[edit]

Jackie Dinkins - NBA player with the Chicago Bulls^[16]
Lester Oliver Bankhead (1912–1997), American architect and class of 1941, born in Union, South Carolina and active in Los Angeles, California^[17]

References[edit]

^ "NAICU – Member Directory". Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
^ "Voorhees College | Data USA".
^ Institutional Governance & College Administration Policies (PDF). Vol. 1. May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
^ "The Tuskegee of South Carolina". Boston Evening Transcript. September 8, 1915. p. 28.
^ "Many Branches of Institute". The Montgomery Times. February 10, 1913. p. 5.
^ ^a ^b "Tour of the State". Evening Star. March 26, 1909. p. 17.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Denmark Doings". The Bamberg Herald. July 17, 1902. p. 3.
^ "The Voorhees Industrial School". Boston Evening Transcript. February 10, 1909. p. 7.
^ Edgar, Walter (2006). South Carolina Encyclopedia. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. pp. 999–1000. ISBN 1-57003-598-9.
^ "ABC Evening News with Howard K. Smith - April 29, 1969". ABC Evening News. American Broadcasting Corporation. April 29, 1969. Retrieved February 23, 2019.^{[dead link]} Vanderbilt Television News Archive
^ "Campus Unrest / Voorhees / Arms | Vanderbilt Television News Archive". tvnews.vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
^ "Voorhees College".
^ Boyd, Tamia (February 22, 2022). "'We're like family': Voorhees College, a private historically Black institution in Denmark". The Greenville News. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
^ "NRHP Nomination form" (PDF).
^ "South Carolina Department of Archives and History".
^ "Jackie Dinkins NBA statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
^ Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (March 1, 2004). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-95628-8.

External links[edit]

[1] "NAICU – Member Directory". Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2010.

[2] "Voorhees College | Data USA".

[3] Institutional Governance & College Administration Policies (PDF). Vol. 1. May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2013.

[4] "The Tuskegee of South Carolina". Boston Evening Transcript. September 8, 1915. p. 28.

[5] "Many Branches of Institute". The Montgomery Times. February 10, 1913. p. 5.

[tour-6] "Tour of the State". Evening Star. March 26, 1909. p. 17.

[bamberg-1902-7] "Denmark Doings". The Bamberg Herald. July 17, 1902. p. 3.

[8] "The Voorhees Industrial School". Boston Evening Transcript. February 10, 1909. p. 7.

[9] Edgar, Walter (2006). South Carolina Encyclopedia. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. pp. 999–1000. ISBN 1-57003-598-9.

[10] "ABC Evening News with Howard K. Smith - April 29, 1969". ABC Evening News. American Broadcasting Corporation. April 29, 1969. Retrieved February 23, 2019.^{[dead link]} Vanderbilt Television News Archive

[11] "Campus Unrest / Voorhees / Arms | Vanderbilt Television News Archive". tvnews.vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved March 19, 2022.

[12] "Voorhees College".

[13] Boyd, Tamia (February 22, 2022). "'We're like family': Voorhees College, a private historically Black institution in Denmark". The Greenville News. Retrieved May 18, 2022.

[14] "NRHP Nomination form" (PDF).

[15] "South Carolina Department of Archives and History".

[16] "Jackie Dinkins NBA statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.

[17] Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (March 1, 2004). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-95628-8.

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v t e Colleges and universities in South Carolina
Public institutions	The Citadel Clemson Coastal Carolina College of Charleston Francis Marion Lander South Carolina State USC Aiken USC Beaufort USC Columbia USC Lancaster USC Salkehatchie USC Sumter USC Union USC Upstate Winthrop
Private institutions	Allen American College of the Building Arts Anderson Benedict Bob Jones Charleston Southern Claflin Columbia Columbia International Coker Converse Erskine Furman Limestone Morris Newberry North Greenville Presbyterian Sherman Southern Wesleyan Spartanburg Methodist Voorhees Wofford
Technical colleges	Aiken TC Central Carolina TC Denmark TC Florence-Darlington TC Greenville TC Horry-Georgetown TC Midlands TC Northeastern TC Orangeburg-Calhoun TC Piedmont TC Spartanburg CC TC of the Lowcountry Tri-County TC Trident TC Williamsburg TC York TC
Seminaries, graduate, and professional institutions	Charleston School of Law Erskine Theological Seminary Geneva Reformed Seminary Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Medical University of South Carolina USC School of Law
Defunct colleges	The Arsenal Chicora College

v t e Historically black colleges and universities (List)
Public institutions	Alabama A&M Alabama State Albany State Alcorn State Arkansas–Pine Bluff Bishop State CC Bluefield State Bowie State Central State Cheyney Coahoma CC Coppin State Delaware State Elizabeth City State Fayetteville State Florida A&M Fort Valley State Gadsden State CC Grambling State Harris–Stowe Hinds CC Jackson State Kentucky State Langston Lincoln, Missouri Lincoln, Pennsylvania Maryland, Eastern Shore Mississippi Valley State Morgan State Norfolk State North Carolina A&T North Carolina Central Prairie View A&M Savannah State Shelton State CC South Carolina State Southern Southern–New Orleans Southern–Shreveport Tennessee State Texas Southern UDC UVI Virginia State West Virginia State Winston-Salem State
Private institutions	Allen Arkansas Baptist Barber–Scotia Benedict Bennett Bethune–Cookman Claflin Clark Atlanta Dillard Edward Waters Fisk Florida Memorial University Hampton Howard Huston–Tillotson Interdenominational Theological Center Jarvis Christian Johnson C. Smith Knoxville Lane LeMoyne–Owen Livingstone Meharry Miles Morehouse Morehouse School of Medicine Morris Brown Morris New Orleans University Oakwood Paine Paul Quinn Pensole Lewis Philander Smith Rust Selma Shaw Simmons College (Ky.) Southwestern Christian Spelman Stillman St. Augustine's Talladega Texas College Tougaloo Tuskegee Virginia Union Virginia University Voorhees Wilberforce Wiley Xavier (Louisiana)
Defunct institutions	Bishop Booker T. Washington Carver Central Mississippi College Collier-Blocker Concordia Alabama Daniel Payne Frelinghuysen Georgia Baptist Gibbs Guadalupe Hampton Haygood Seminary Immanuel Lutheran Jackson Johnson Kittrell Lincoln Junior College Luther Mississippi Industrial College Morristown Mount Hermon Female Seminary Roosevelt Rosenwald Saint Paul's Storer Straight Suwannee River Volusia County Western
Consortia	Atlanta University Center Florida's Black Junior Colleges Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southwestern Athletic Conference Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Gulf Coast Athletic Conference

v t e NAIA Independents
Continental Athletic Conference
All-sports	Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes Bacone Warriors Crowley's Ridge Pioneers Fisher Falcons Florida College Falcons Florida National Conquistadors Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies Haskell Fighting Indians Morris Hornets Northern New Mexico Eagles College of the Ozarks Bobcats Penn State–Schuylkill Nittany Lions Victoria Vikes Voorhees Tigers Washington Adventist Shock Wilberforce Bulldogs

v t e College sports teams in South Carolina
NCAA Division I	Charleston Charleston Southern Clemson Coastal Carolina Furman Presbyterian South Carolina South Carolina State The Citadel USC Upstate Winthrop Wofford
NCAA Division II	Allen Anderson Benedict Claflin Coker Converse Erskine Francis Marion Lander Limestone Newberry North Greenville Southern Wesleyan USC Aiken USC Beaufort
NCAA Division III	None
NAIA	CIU Columbia College Morris Voorhees
NJCAA Division I	Clinton Denmark Tech Spartanburg Methodist USC Lancaster USC Salkehatchie USC Sumter USC Union
NCCAA Divisions I and II	Bob Jones CIU Clinton North Greenville Southern Wesleyan

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	United States