Voorhees College

Voorhees College
Former names	Denmark Industrial School, ; Voorhees Industrial Institute for Colored Youths,; Voorhees School and Junior College
Type	Private, HBCU
Established	1897
Religious affiliation	Episcopal Church
President
Students	600
Location	Denmark, South Carolina, United States; 33°18′32.61″N 81°7′41.51″W / 33.3090583°N 81.1281972°WCoordinates: 33°18′32.61″N 81°7′41.51″W / 33.3090583°N 81.1281972°W
Campus	Rural
Colors	Royal blue and white;
Athletics	NAIA – Independent
Affiliations	NAICU; UNCF
Mascot	Tiger
Website	www.voorhees.edu

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

History[]

In 1897, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright founded Denmark Industrial School for African Americans. 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.

In 1902, Ralph Voorhees, a New Jersey philanthropist, gave the school a donation to purchase land and construct buildings. 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.^[4]

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.^[5] Many were suspended.

Voorhees College Historic District[]

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.^[6] Photographs of some of the buildings are available.^[7]

Athletics[]

Voorhees' athletic teams, nicknamed the Tigers, compete as an independent member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Voorhees was a full member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference between 2013 and 2015. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country and track & field; women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, softball, track & field and volleyball.

Greek letter organizations[]

The university has chapters for eight of the nine National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations.

Organization	Symbol	Chapter	Chapter symbol
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority	ΑΚΑ	Eta Nu	ΗΝ
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity	ΑΦΑ	Eta Iota	ΗΙ
Delta Sigma Theta sorority	ΔΣΘ	Eta Phi	ΗΦ
Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity	ΚΑΨ	Epsilon Omega	ΕΩ
Omega Psi Phi fraternity	ΩΨΦ	Sigma Theta	ΣΘ
Phi Beta Sigma fraternity	ΦΒΣ	Zeta Gamma	ΖΓ
Sigma Gamma Rho sorority	ΣΓΡ	Eta Omicron	ΗΟ
Zeta Phi Beta sorority	ΖΦΒ	Theta Epsilon	ΘΕ

Notable alumni[]

Jackie Dinkins - NBA player with the Chicago Bulls^[8]
, architect^[9]

References[]

^ "Orangeburg figure Sellers will lead Voorhees College".^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "NAICU – Member Directory". Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
^ 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 – via Internet Archive. Lay summary – Vanderbilt Television News Archive.
^ "NRHP Nomination form" (PDF).
^ "South Carolina Department of Archives and History".
^ "Jackie Dinkins NBA statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
^ "Review of African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945".

External links[]

Official website

[1] "Orangeburg figure Sellers will lead Voorhees College".^{[permanent dead link]}

[2] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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

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

[5] "ABC Evening News with Howard K. Smith - April 29, 1969". ABC Evening News. American Broadcasting Corporation. April 29, 1969. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via Internet Archive. Lay summary – Vanderbilt Television News Archive.

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

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

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

[9] "Review of African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945".

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Former names	Denmark Industrial School, Voorhees Industrial Institute for Colored Youths, Voorhees School and Junior College
Type	Private, HBCU
Established	1897
Religious affiliation	Episcopal Church
President	^[1]
Students	600
Location	Denmark , South Carolina , United States 33°18′32.61″N 81°7′41.51″W / 33.3090583°N 81.1281972°W / 33.3090583; -81.1281972Coordinates: 33°18′32.61″N 81°7′41.51″W / 33.3090583°N 81.1281972°W / 33.3090583; -81.1281972
Campus	Rural
Colors	Royal blue and white^[2]
Athletics	NAIA – Independent
Affiliations	NAICU^[3] UNCF
Mascot	Tiger
Website	www.voorhees.edu