Library highlights 200 years of student life
BK Kennedy
Issue date: 3/4/05 Section: The Mix
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While for most Carolina students, the school's history of student life begins when they first set foot on campus, the South Caroliniana Library exhibits something completely different. "200 Years of Student Life at USC, 1805-2005" actually shows that student life dates back to when our great-grandparents' parents were just ideas in their parents' heads, all the way back in 1805.
The exhibit runs through April 16 in the library lobby.
The exhibit divides the two centuries into approximately 15-year intervals. It reveals the school's evolution, from a strict curriculum with only a Bachelor of Arts degree offered in 1805 to a more academically diverse university. Included are pictures of Jonathan Maxcy and Thomas Cooper, as well as a copy of an 1831 catalog showing the Board of Trustees and faculty of fewer than 10.
An interesting note from the 1850s reveals USC discipline problems, especially students' pranks such as "calf-tailing," in which students took a calf, tied a lit object on its tail and followed it screaming as it ran out of control on campus.
The exhibit includes a copy of an 1873 surgery examination. The first signs of racial diversity at USC come from an 1873 picture of the first black students allowed to attend because of desegregation legislation.
Highlights of student life in the 1900s included more than tests and pranks. According to pictures and documents from 1917, ROTC took off fast with good participation thanks in part to World War I. Not to be outdone by its older brother, World War II set off a wave of patriotism, with people joining campus military groups and overall support for U.S. efforts.
However, this was not the case in May 1970 when bedlam erupted on campus in response to the Vietnam conflict. This hostility reached a boiling point after the Kent State shooting. Students staged a Russell House sit-in for several hours, and others trashed administrative offices. The National Guard had to use tear gas to disperse demonstrators on the Horseshoe.
Early pictures from the 1930s show a Horseshoe newly paved by USC students and faculty, and the original Williams-Brice Stadium still in its infancy.
Pictures and documents from 1963 mark Carolina's second integration. According to the exhibit, between 1962 and 1974, USC went from 7,000 to 26,000 students.
Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy gave the 1957 commencement speech. In 1983, USC gave its first honorary degree to a current president, Ronald Reagan. Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu gave the 1991 commencement address.
The event covers construction of current facilities, such as the Strom Thurmond Wellness & Fitness Center, the School of Music and South Quad. Sports are also prominent in the 1990-2005 display, which shows national and conference championship teams, as well as a picture of the first NCAA champions at USC, the women's track team.
The exhibit runs through April 16 in the library lobby.
The exhibit divides the two centuries into approximately 15-year intervals. It reveals the school's evolution, from a strict curriculum with only a Bachelor of Arts degree offered in 1805 to a more academically diverse university. Included are pictures of Jonathan Maxcy and Thomas Cooper, as well as a copy of an 1831 catalog showing the Board of Trustees and faculty of fewer than 10.
An interesting note from the 1850s reveals USC discipline problems, especially students' pranks such as "calf-tailing," in which students took a calf, tied a lit object on its tail and followed it screaming as it ran out of control on campus.
The exhibit includes a copy of an 1873 surgery examination. The first signs of racial diversity at USC come from an 1873 picture of the first black students allowed to attend because of desegregation legislation.
Highlights of student life in the 1900s included more than tests and pranks. According to pictures and documents from 1917, ROTC took off fast with good participation thanks in part to World War I. Not to be outdone by its older brother, World War II set off a wave of patriotism, with people joining campus military groups and overall support for U.S. efforts.
However, this was not the case in May 1970 when bedlam erupted on campus in response to the Vietnam conflict. This hostility reached a boiling point after the Kent State shooting. Students staged a Russell House sit-in for several hours, and others trashed administrative offices. The National Guard had to use tear gas to disperse demonstrators on the Horseshoe.
Early pictures from the 1930s show a Horseshoe newly paved by USC students and faculty, and the original Williams-Brice Stadium still in its infancy.
Pictures and documents from 1963 mark Carolina's second integration. According to the exhibit, between 1962 and 1974, USC went from 7,000 to 26,000 students.
Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy gave the 1957 commencement speech. In 1983, USC gave its first honorary degree to a current president, Ronald Reagan. Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu gave the 1991 commencement address.
The event covers construction of current facilities, such as the Strom Thurmond Wellness & Fitness Center, the School of Music and South Quad. Sports are also prominent in the 1990-2005 display, which shows national and conference championship teams, as well as a picture of the first NCAA champions at USC, the women's track team.
