Notable Alumni of South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University (SCSU), a historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, has a rich history of producing prominent figures in various fields. This article highlights some of the university's most distinguished alumni, showcasing their contributions to sports, civil rights, and other areas.
Athletic Achievements
South Carolina State's athletic programs, particularly its football program, have consistently developed talented individuals who have excelled at the professional level. Several alumni have achieved remarkable success in the National Football League (NFL), with four being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Deacon Jones: Although Jones only played one season for South Carolina State before transferring to Mississippi Valley State after sitting out a year, his impact on football is undeniable. Known for his exceptional pass-rushing abilities, the 6'4", 272-pound defensive end was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams with the 186th pick in the 1961 NFL Draft. Jones earned numerous accolades throughout his career, including two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, five first-team All-Pro selections, three second-team All-Pro selections, and eight Pro Bowl selections. He led the league in sacks five times, amassing a total of 173.5 sacks and 15 fumble recoveries. Jones is also recognized as one of the greatest players in FCS football history, and the Deacon Jones Award is presented annually to the most outstanding all-around player in HBCU football.
Harry Carson: Playing alongside Donnie Shell at South Carolina State under Coach Willie Jefferies, Harry Carson was a defensive powerhouse for the Bulldogs. As a middle linebacker, he anchored the team's defense, leading them to consecutive MEAC championships. Carson was the first MEAC player to win consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. In his senior season in 1975, he set a school record with 117 tackles and 17 sacks, earning him a first-team selection on the AFCA College-Division All-America team. Drafted by the New York Giants with the 105th pick in the NFL draft, Carson spent his entire career with the team, winning a Super Bowl in 1987. He was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times, including consecutive selections from 1981 to 1987, and finished his career with 19 sacks, 11 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, and 1 defensive touchdown.
Donnie Shell: Donnie Shell was a defensive star during his time at South Carolina State. Under legendary head Coach Willie Jefferies, he started his career playing linebacker and then switched to strong safety his senior year. That season he tallied 77 tackles and 8 interceptions for the Bulldogs, leading the team to the Orange Blossom Classic against the Florida A&M Rattlers to determine the defacto Black College National Champion. After going undrafted, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974, where he played his entire 14-year career. Shell won four Super Bowls with the Steelers and was selected as a Pro-Bowler five times. He recorded 51 interceptions for 490 yards, 19 fumble recoveries, and 4 defensive touchdowns.
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Marion Motley: Motley played one season for South Carolina State before transferring to the University of Nevada. Although his statistics for his freshman season with the Bulldogs are not available, he was known as a physically imposing 200-pound fullback. Motley had a storied career for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1953 and finished his career with the Steelers in 1955. He averaged 4,720 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns, earning one Pro Bowl selection in 1950 and two first-team All-Pro selections. He also won an NFL Championship in 1950.
Current NFL Players
South Carolina State continues to produce NFL talent. Defensive standouts such as Colts Pro-Bowl linebacker Darius Leonard and Rams defensive back Decobie Durant are examples of Bulldogs currently succeeding in the league.
Other Notable Alumni
Alex English: List ranges from Alex English.
Sterling Sharpe: List ranges from Sterling Sharpe.
James Salley: SC State alumnus James Salley as the principal speaker.
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Javon D.: Javon D. arrangements and event décor for all occasions. Event Studio and Sulit Luxe Affairs.
Jennifer M.: Jennifer M. Holyfield, and Tyler Perry Films actress Cassie Davis-Patton. on MTV’s My Sweet Sixteen for Rapper Ceelo’s daughter Sierra. including real estate properties and investments. clientele.
Retired Lt. Col. Anthony Louis Watson: Retired Lt. Col. Anthony Louis Watson is a native of Columbia, South Carolina. Army as a field artillery officer in 1984. served the Army and Army Reserves until his retirement in 2012. Watson received several awards and decorations including the Bronze Star Medal. role as recruiting operation officer.
Dr. William C.: Dr. Jim Crowe America,” the definitive chronicle of the university’s history. his entire teaching career at SC State. he retired in 2012-13 as a Professor of History. of Wyoming. He was awarded a Ph.D. South Carolina history, U. S. American experience.
Dr. Darlene Clark Hine: Dr. Darlene Clark Hine is widely considered a founder in the field of Black women’s history. her bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and her MA and Ph.D. Kent State University. was the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of History. Black History Ph.D. program at Michigan State. Professor of African American Studies at Northwestern University. 1890-1950. (2012).
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South Carolina State University: A Historical Overview
Founded as a land-grant college, South Carolina State University has played a significant role in the education and advancement of African Americans in South Carolina.
Early History and Growth
Academic programs received more attention as the student population increased, but other programs, such as the university's high school, were forced to close due to the Great Depression. The college's campus grew, as it purchased over 150 acres (61 ha) for agricultural learning. After World War II, many students flocked to the college, creating a classroom shortage problem for the school.
Name Change and Expansion
The school's name changed, as well, as the South Carolina General Assembly renamed the school South Carolina State College in 1954. Because of the "separate but equal" laws in the state, the legislature gave the college large sums of money to build new academic facilities and dormitories, some of which still stand on the campus today, including the Student Union (1954), and Turner Hall (1956). This was done in order to give black students an environment of "equal" education. Also, the legislature created a law program for the college, mainly to prevent black students from attending the law school at the then-segregated University of South Carolina.
Civil Rights Era
During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, many students participated in marches and rallies aimed at ending segregation. The struggle came to a climax on the night on February 8, 1968, when three students were killed and 27 others were wounded by state policemen at the height of a protest that opposed the segregation of a nearby bowling alley.
University Status and Modernization
From the late-1960s to the mid-1980s, under the leadership of M. (1972), which, at 14 stories, is the tallest building in Orangeburg County, and a new library building (1968), not to mention enlargements and renovations of existing facilities. The school also opened the I.P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium, which is the only facility of its kind on a historically black university campus in the United States. During the tenure of Smith, the school also gained university status from the South Carolina General Assembly, becoming South Carolina State University in February 1992. In 1993, Barbara Hatton became the school's first female president and created many improvements for the campus, such as the 1994 renovation of Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium, constructing new suites and a larger press box, as well as increasing its capacity to 22,000. Hatton also spearheaded the creation of a plaza which resides in front of the Student Union and passes by several dorms and buildings in the central portion of the campus.
Recent Developments
Under the leadership of Andrew Hugine Jr., the school constructed a new 771-bed residence hall (Hugine Suites), which is the largest dormitory in South Carolina. The first four buildings in Phase One opened on August 26, 2006, and the last two in the first phase opened on September 10, 2006. With the opening of the new dorms, SC State has closed the following dorms, Bethea (freshmen male), Miller (female), Bradham (female), and Manning (female) Halls. Both Bradham and Manning Halls had been used since the World War I era, Miller Hall is being closed due to fire alarm system malfunctions, and Bethea is being closed after 50 years of service due to numerous building and health problems. The dining halls, both Washington Dining Hall and "The Pitt", located in the Student Union, received major facelifts, and the dining hall inside Truth Hall has been renovated into a cyber cafe, Pete's Arena. The university is also working to renovate Lowman Hall, which, when refurbished, will be the new administration building. South Carolina State recently broke ground on the new James E. Clyburn University Transportation Center (UTC), which will be home to the only UTC in South Carolina, one of only three among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and one of only 33 total UTCs in the nation. Currently work is being done to expand Hodge Hall.
South Carolina State hosted the first debate of the 2008 Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Debate series. This event, which took place on April 26, 2007, at the Martin Luther King Auditorium, was televised nationally on MSNBC. Leroy Davis Sr. Hugine's contract was terminated by the SC State Board of Trustees on December 11, 2007, only four days before the Fall Commencement Exercises, by a telephone conference meeting. According to the board, his reasons for dismissal were a performance review for the 2006-2007 school year and a second education review. The board decided to conduct a national search for a new president immediately. On December 13, 2007, the board selected Leonard McIntyre, the Dean of the College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences at SC State to serve as interim president. Department of Agriculture, assumed the presidency of S.C. State on July 16, 2008, and was the tenth president. The SC State Board of Trustees voted to terminate Cooper's contract on June 15, 2010. John E.
Academic Programs and Accreditation
SCSU is the only university in South Carolina and only HBCU in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering. The program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Campus and Facilities
The school's campus size is 160 acres (65 ha), with an additional 267 acres (108 ha) at Camp Harry Daniels in Elloree, South Carolina. The library is the Miller F.
Athletics
SC State Bulldogs vs. South Carolina State is a charter member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and participates in NCAA Division I (FCS for college football). The school sponsors basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, cross country, track and field, and tennis for women, and basketball, tennis, track and field, cross country, and football for men. Oliver C. The school's football team has won more conference championships than any other school in the MEAC with 19 championships. Three former Bulldogs are members of the College Football Hall of Fame, including coach Willie Jeffries.
The Marching 101
The university's marching band is known as The Marching 101. The band are regular performers at football games throughout the southeast, nationally televised professional football games, and has performed in The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Rose Bowl Parade. The band was organized in 1918 as a "regimental band" performing military drills as well as assisting with music in the college Sunday school and other occasions. From 1924 on, a succession of band directors influenced the growth of the band as it became part of the Department of Music program. The nickname "Marching 101" came about when the band started with 100 members and 1 majorette. Champagne". In 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016, the Marching 101 was voted to perform at the annual Honda Battle of the Bands held in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Richard G. Former S.C. M. Benjamin F. John H. James E. Ernest A. Matthew J. Clifford L. John W. Amos M. Abraham J. Point guard and originator of the Two Ball Skills Development Program. Legendary college football coach at South Carolina State and Howard University. former professional football player for the St. ^ "SCSU asks lawmakers for $209M in state budge". thetandd.com. ^ a b "Ranking". www.usnews.com. ^ "Campaign 2008: Democrats Rumble in South Carolina Debate". CBS News. ^ "South Carolina State University". Scsu.edu. ^ Fain, Paul (July 1, 2010). "South Carolina State U.'s Board Rehires Ousted President - Administration - The Chronicle of Higher Education". Chronicle.com. ^ "Fired President Settles His Lawsuit Against South Carolina State U. - The Ticker - Blogs - The Chronicle of Higher Education". Chronicle.com. February 4, 2010. ^ Sprunt, Barbara (December 17, 2021). "Biden joins an HBCU in celebrating its graduates - including an old congressional ally". ^ "South Carolina State University". www.scsu.edu. ^ Doug Lederman (June 20, 2014). "A College Loses Accreditation". Inside Higher Ed. ^ Levins, Savannah (June 11, 2015). "SC State Keeps Accreditation, Still on Probation". WLTX. ^ Wilks, Avery. "S.C. State escapes death sentence, retains accreditation". The State. ^ "Overall rankings". US News Education. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. ^ Miller F. ^ "College Scorecard: South Carolina State University". College Scorecard. United States Department of Education. ^ "Clubs & Organizations - SC State University". ^ University, SC State (2025-05-16). "SC State's Marching 101 shines in 803Fresh's video". The Times and Democrat. ^ "Kandice Tanner". September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. ^ Silverberg, David (October 24, 2016). "Former Tuskegee President Benjamin Payton shaped Alabama school, civil rights history". Naples Daily News. ^ "John Dozier named Institute Community and Equity Officer". MIT News. February 12, 2020. ^ "Columbia College (SC) Office of the President". ^ NCAA (1968). "1968 Cumulative Basketball Statistics Report - SC State College" (PDF). NCAA Stats Archive. NCAA. ^ "FORMER BULLDOG HOOPS STAR LISTED AS NOMINEE FOR NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME". ^ "Harry Carson". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Watkins, Sierra. "The State of South Carolina Vs. South Carolina State University: The Underfunding of A Black Land Grant University." The Macksey Journal 4.1 (2024). Hine, William C. “Civil Rights and Campus Wrongs: South Carolina State College Students Protest, 1955-1968.” South Carolina Historical Magazine 97#4 (1996), pp. 310-31. Hine, William C. "South Carolina State College: A legacy of education and public service." Agricultural history 65.2 (1991): 149-167. Hine, William C. South Carolina State University: A Black Land-Grant College in Jim Crow America (U of South Carolina Press, 2018). Shuler, Jack. Blood and Bone: Truth and Reconciliation in a Southern Town. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 2012. List of famous alumni from University of South Carolina, with photos when available. Prominent graduates from University of South Carolina include celebrities, politicians, business people, athletes and more. This list of distinguished University of South Carolina alumni is loosely ordered by relevance, so the most recognizable celebrities who attended University of South Carolina are at the top of the list. This directory is not just composed of graduates of this school, as some of the famous people on this list didn't necessarily earn a degree from University of South Carolina. List ranges from Alex English to Sterling Sharpe, plus much more. ORANGEBURG, S.C. game despite his team’s loss to -- once more -- the Kansas City Chiefs.
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