Each week in February, in observance of Black History Month, The Greenville News, Spartanburg Herald Journal and Anderson Independent Mail will profile South Carolina’s historically black colleges and universities. This is part of a project that will culminate in March with a review of the state of HBCUs in South Carolina.
Rich in history, Voorhees College is a private, historically black institution affiliated with the Episcopal Church.
Voorhees College was established in 1897 by Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, an alumna of Booker T. Washington. The first HBCU founded by an African-American woman, Wright modeled the school after Tuskegee Institute, where she was a student.
Voorhees College suffered several arson attacks in the 1890s. Wright noted that she “sat on the steps of their new home crying as her dreams of starting a school for black children disappeared in the flames.”
Wright is buried on campus where she died on December 14, 1906. On the school’s founding day, students and faculty went to the grave and held a service for Wright, according to Nathaniel Kemp, who worked in admissions .
To celebrate its 125th anniversary, Voorhees plans to change its name from Voorhees College to Voorhees University in April 2022, upon Founder’s Day Convocation.
Voorhees College offers Greek life and is home to the Nine Divines: Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho and Iota Phi Theta, however, Iota Phi Theta is not yet accredited on their campus.
Joshua Duncan, a theology major, is one of many family members to attend Voorhees College. There was never any question of him leaning in as a student of another generation.
Duncan said he was inspired to return to Voorhees after the setbacks in life that initially caused him to leave.
“It’s a small institution so it’s like we’re all family. Everyone knows each other. It’s like that at all HBCUs; we all know the struggle it takes to succeed and be black.” , Duncan said.
College students are online and in-person, depending on the courses the student is taking. Duncan had two classes that were supposed to be in person, but since the class was just him and one other student, the instructors decided to take it online.
The college offers degree programs in business and entrepreneurship, humanities, education and social sciences, science and technology, health and human services, as well as certificate options in child development, in Cybersecurity, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Data Analytics, and Organizational Management.
Fast Facts About Voorhees College
- Tuition and fees for non-boarding students for the 2021-2022 school year are $12,630 and tuition and fees for board resident students are $19,976. These fees do not include books and other personal expenses. Private colleges and universities do not differentiate between domestic and foreign students. Thus, all students pay the same tuition rate.
- Part-time students (who complete less than 12 hours) are charged $484 per credit hour. The $484 per credit fee also applies to full-time students taking more than 18 credit hours.
- Notable Voorhees College alumni include Janie Anderson Cooper-Smith, the first African American woman to be elected to the Orangeburg County Council. South Carolina Senate member Ronnie Sabb, representing District 32, and St. Matthew’s City Councilwoman Sharon Bennett, representing District 6.
Tamia Boyd is a Michigan native and covers breaking news in Greenville. Email her at tboyd@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @tamiamb.
