Wikipedia

Wofford College

Wofford College is a private residential liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1854, it is one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the American Civil War that still operates on its original campus. The 175-acre (71 ha) campus is a national arboretum.

Wofford College
MottoIntaminatis fulget honoribus
Motto in English
Untarnished, She Shines with Honor.
TypePrivate liberal arts college
Established1854; 170 years ago (1854)
Religious affiliation
United Methodist Church
Academic affiliations
Annapolis Group
CIC
IAMSCU
Endowment$417.4 million (2023)[1]
PresidentNayef Samhat[2]
Academic staff
140 (fall 2021)[3]
Undergraduates1,800 (dec 2020)[3]
Location
Spartanburg, South Carolina
,
U.S.

34°57′32″N 81°56′06″W / 34.959°N 81.935°W / 34.959; -81.935
CampusSuburban, 175 acres (71 ha)
Colors   Gold & black[4]
NicknameTerriers
Sporting affiliations
Division I – SoCon
MascotTerrier
Websitewofford.edu

Wofford was founded with a bequest of $100,000 from Benjamin Wofford, a Methodist minister and Spartanburg native who sought to create a college for "literary, classical, and scientific education in my native district of Spartanburg."[5] The college's Main Building is the oldest structure on campus and was designed by the noted Charleston architect Edward C. Jones.[6] In 1941, the college was awarded a chapter of the honor society Phi Beta Kappa, and the Beta of South Carolina chapter was the first at a private college in South Carolina.[7]

Wofford College Historic District

edit
Wofford College Historic District
 
 
 
 
LocationWofford College campus, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Area30 acres (12 ha)
Built1854
ArchitectEdward C. Jones
Architectural styleItalianate, Georgian
NRHP reference No.74001879[8]
Added to NRHPDecember 27, 1974

The Wofford College Historic District consists of the Main Building, which was designed by Edward C. Jones in the Italianate style, and six two-story brick residences.[9][10] It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[8] Construction of the Main Building began in 1852, and the first classes were held in the fall of 1854. The Wofford campus is designated as a national arboretum.[11]

Endowment

edit
 
Main building, built in 1854

During the Civil War, the endowment was invested in Confederate bonds and other securities, which became worthless by the end of the war.[11]

In February 2021, Jerry Richardson, alumnus and founding owner of the Carolina Panthers, donated $150 million to the college's endowment, which, according to Wofford statements, exceeds $400 million.[12][13]

Academics

edit

The academic year consists of a four-month fall semester, a one-month January term called the Interim,[14] and a four-month spring semester.

Faculty

edit

136 full-time faculty teach at the college, 92 percent of whom have earned a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree. The FTE faculty-to-student ratio is 1:11.[3]

Majors and minors

edit

Wofford offers academic majors in a variety of areas including 27 majors.[15]

The college also offers pre-professional programs in teacher education (secondary certification), dentistry, medicine, law, ministry, engineering, and veterinary science. The college's Army ROTC program was established in 1919.[16]

Interim program

edit

The Interim program is designed to provide students with opportunities to gain new experiences outside the realm of traditional academics and allows students to become involved in departments outside their academic majors. Interims generally fall into one of four categories. In the most common type, students enrol in faculty-proposed projects on campus. These projects range from participation in theatre to pottery, knitting, and short story writing. Students may elect to enrol in internship projects that are supervised by faculty but involve working off-campus in legal, medical, dental, congressional, corporate, or non-profit settings. Students may propose independent research projects under the supervision of a faculty sponsor. Finally, faculty-led travel projects take groups of students and professors to study in other parts of the United States or in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, or Australia. Recent travel projects have included studies in England and Ireland, South Africa, Peru, Brazil, Belize, Vietnam, China, and Japan.[14]

International programs

edit

The college's Office of International Programs helps students select from over 200 study abroad programs in 59 countries. Wofford consistently ranks in the nation's top ten in the Institute of International Education Open Doors Survey, which is based on comparing the number of students earning credits abroad in a given year to the number of students in the graduating class. Wofford's 2009 score was 93%, compared to the Lincoln Commission national average of 9% of graduates earning credits abroad.[17] The college has had six Fulbright English Teaching assistantships in the past four years[when?] as well as two Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships.[18] In 2012, Rachel Woodlee was selected as Wofford's sixth Rhodes Scholar.

Reputation and rankings

edit
Academic rankings
Liberal arts
U.S. News & World Report[19]59 (tie) of 185
Washington Monthly[20]97 of 199
National
Forbes[21]195 of 500
WSJ/College Pulse[22]90 of 400

Wofford is tied for 59 of 199 in U.S. News & World Report's list of the best national liberal arts colleges.[23][24]

Athletics

edit
Further information: Wofford Terriers
 
Logo used to represent Wofford Athletics

The Wofford Terriers compete in NCAA Division I in the Southern Conference. Wofford's colors are old gold and black. The school mascot is the Terrier. In the 2010 NCAA Division I graduation success report, 9 of 13 Wofford teams posted GRS scores of 100, the highest available mark. For the past 16 years, the Carolina Panthers have made their summer training camp home at Wofford. The Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas (a high school all-star football game) is played at Wofford's Gibbs Stadium. Boss, a Boston Terrier, is the mascot for Wofford's teams.

Student life

edit

Wofford offers a self-contained environment (93% of students live on campus). The Village apartment-style housing for the senior class was a 2008 "Dorm of Distinction" as chosen by University Business Magazine.[25]

Student organizations

edit

Students participate in various service, pre-professional, religious, social, and other student organizations. Student publications at the college started with a literary magazine first published in 1889. The student newspaper, the Old Gold and Black, is published every other week; the yearbook is called The Bohemian. Delta Phi Alpha, the national collegiate German honorary society, was founded at Wofford, as was the National Beta Club, an honorary society prominent in American high schools.[citation needed]

In 1941, the college was awarded a chapter of the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. This was the first chapter at a private college in South Carolina.[7]

Service learning

edit

Wofford has a variety of student service organizations on campus, including the Bonner Scholars,[26] and ONE.[27]

Fraternities and sororities

edit

Around half the student body is said[by whom?] to participate in Greek life.

Diversity

edit

In each of the years from 1901 through 1904, two women graduated from Wofford.[28] In 1964, Wofford became the first private college in South Carolina to desegregate voluntarily with the admission of Albert Gray.[29]

Alumni

edit

Academia

edit

Athletics

edit

Business

edit

Education

edit

Entertainment

edit

Politics, law, and public service

edit

Religion

edit
edit
Additional images
  •  
    Wofford College in 1905
  •  
    Science Hall, 1905 (since demolished)

References

edit
  1. ^ As of June 30, 2023. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2023 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY22 to FY23 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "President - Wofford College". Wofford.edu. July 1, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Wofford College - Fast Facts". Wofford.edu. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  4. ^ Wofford College Logo Sheet (PDF). November 1, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  5. ^ David Duncan Wallace, History of Wofford College (Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 1951) pp. 48–56
  6. ^ Wofford: Shining With Untarnished Honor, 1854–2004 (Spartanburg, SC: Hub City Writers Group, 2005), p. 14
  7. ^ a b "Phi Beta Kappa". Wofford.edu. October 22, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  8. ^ a b "National Register Information System – (#74001879)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  9. ^ Brabham, William H. (August 29, 1974). "Wofford College Historic District" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  10. ^ "Wofford College Historic District, Spartanburg County (Spartanburg)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  11. ^ a b "A History of Wofford, 1854-present". Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  12. ^ "Richardson gives record $150 million to Wofford College Endowment". Wofford College (Press release). Spartanburg, South Carolina. February 24, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  13. ^ Jaschik, Scott (February 25, 2021). "Wofford Receives $150 Million Gift". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Interim". Wofford.edu. October 22, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  15. ^ "Wofford College - Academics". Wofford.edu. October 22, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  16. ^ David Duncan Wallace, History of Wofford College (Vanderbilt University Press, 1951, p. 212.
  17. ^ "Wofford College - Wofford ranks among leaders in nation for study abroad". Wofford.edu. November 15, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  18. ^ Wofford Today, Summer 2011
  19. ^ "2023-2024 National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 18, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  20. ^ "2024 Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  21. ^ "America's Top Colleges 2024". Forbes. September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  22. ^ "2025 Best Colleges in the U.S." The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  23. ^ "Why Wofford". Wofford.edu. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  24. ^ "Wofford College | Best College". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  25. ^ "Wofford housing wins 2nd national award". GoUpstate.com. August 1, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  26. ^ "the Bonner Scholars". Wofford.edu. October 22, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  27. ^ "ONE Campus Challenge". One.org. April 23, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.[dead link‍]
  28. ^ "Diversity & Inclusion". Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  29. ^ "First African American Wofford Student Albert W. Gray and First African American Wofford Graduate Douglas Jones Sr. honored with room naming at Wofford". May 24, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  30. ^ "Robert Galloway Men's Doubles Overview". www.itftennis.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  31. ^ "Jude Reyes". Forbes. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wofford College.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wofford_College&oldid=1257759893"