South Carolina may justly be proud of her educational record. This chapter will endeavor to show that in the past the State has fostered education and provided well for the uplifting and culture of her sons and daughters; that today the State furnishes varied instruction, spending for this purpose as much per capita as any of her sister States; that the future presents splendid opportunities for the continuation of this noble work.

A sketch of the educational growth in South Carolina for a handbook must necessarily be brief. The reader may, therefore, find unwritten some things that he deems essential. While a complete record of each important step taken by the early settlers in the founding of schools and charitable institutions would be of great interest, these are so numerous that a mere tabulation of their names and places would require pages. It suffices to say that their existence has served a grand and a noble purpose as the forerunners of the great institutions that today are an honor and blessing to the State. They have been more than this, for they have furnished the State with a proud citizenship ready to go forward and do better things for the commonwealth.

In the sketch to follow, the endeavor shall be to say enough of the work done by those pioneers to cause the men of the present day to fondly cherish their memory, emulate their virtues, and follow their example; also to show the result of the work on the present status of education in the State; giving a brief account of the present conditions, showing what the State offers now, and what the future portends.

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EDUCATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

Colonial Period to Revolution.-Our English forefathers realized the fact that "education is the bulwark of civilization." While they regarded education as so important and so necessary to the welfare of the commonwealth, they knew that religion must go hand in hand with education in developing and fostering the best interests of a nation. Therefore, as soon as they placed their feet upon the soil, they gave their most earnest efforts to provide libraries and schools for the education of the children in the arts and sciences and Christian religion.

The first public library was established in Charles Town in 1698, and the Assembly, by special act, placed it under the care of the Church of England. In 1710, an act was passed to found a free school in Charlestown "for the instruction of the youth in this Province in grammar and other arts and sciences and useful learning, and also in the principles of the Christian religion." For some reason this free school never went into operation, and further legislation was necessary. Hence, in 1712, an act entitled "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning" was passed. This act supplemented the deficiencies of the former and provision was made for the education of the people on a more extended scale than by the previous act.

This act constituted a body corporate consisting of the Governor and fifteen others, empowered to make rules and to elect a Master, who shall be of the Church of England. Mr. John Douglass was made Master of said school. No apology is made for introducing this ancient school master, who occupied so proud a position in the history of the education of the State. His attainments were necessarily of a high order, inasmuch as the standard fixed by our venerable fathers was a classical standard. This act required the Master "to be capable of teaching the Latin and Greek languages, giving instruction in the principles of the Christian religion, writing, arithmetic, merchants' accounts, the

art of navigation and surveying, and other useful and practical parts of mathematics." His salary, which was "per annum, paid out of the public treasury in quarterly payments," consisted of £100 and a house. Twelve free scholarships were provided for, lasting five years, to any citizen upon payment of £20. The act further provided that any school master in a country parish was allowed £12 towards erecting a school house. This act shows the liberal spirit that animated the people in the face of the most trying circumstances, as they were harassed by foes from without and dissensions at home. When the free school was founded the Province was torn by the claims of two conflicting Governors, Gov. Robert Johnson and Col. James Moore, which was scarcely settled before a severe contest arose against hostile Indians. The system of education adopted at this time by South Carolina far surpassed that of any of the New England Provinces, up to that date, in effectiveness and liberality.

The first Royal Governor, Gen. Francis Nicholson, showed great zeal in the cause of education. Hewitt says the Governor urged the great importance of establishing the free school. He alleged that the want of early instruction was

S. E. VIEW OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA FEMALE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE, BARHAMVILLE, NEAR COLUMBIA (1817).

(Pendleton's Lithography, Boston.)

one of the chief sources of impiety and immorality, and if they neglected the rising generation, a race of white people as ignorant as the savage Indian would inhabit the land. Animated by the example of the Governor, the colonists made strenuous effort to educate the youth.

Generous-hearted citizens added to the educational fund, until schools were established in St. Paul's Parish, Goose Creek, St. Thomas and St. John's. These schools accomplished great good. The funds were well managed and in the process of time the surplus was invested and became an endowment fund, from which the schools were improved and the good results lasted till the Civil War, and in some cases even to the present day.

In 1734 a free school was opened at Dorchester, a town that had been settled in 1696 by a colony from Massachusetts under Rev. Joseph Lord, whose daughter is the heroine of two popular novels of recent date, "The Lass of Dorchester" and "Betty Blue." Dr. Ramsey says "this school furnished a means of education to the youth of the Province in the classics and the elements of mathematics and the principles of the Christian religion."

With increase of wealth and prosperity came an increase of love for learning. During colonial times many educational and charitable associations were formed. The South Carolina Society, organized in 1737, employed teachers, taught and clothed poor children, besides extending aid to indigent members and their children. The Winyah Indigo Society, of Georgetown, was incorporated in 1757, and exists today as the Georgetown Graded School. Such schools prepared the heroes of the Revolution for that trying time in our country's history. During the war period, however, learning did not languish. In 1777 Mount Zion Society, Winnsboro, and the Catholic Society, Camden, were incorporated. In 1778 Salem Society, Camden, and St. David's Society, Cheraw, were founded. From the Revolution to the War of Secession.-In 1784 an act was passed which has proved to be of more importance to the educational interest of the State than any which preceded it. This act was to establish a college at the village of Winnsborough, a college in or near the city of Charleston, and a college at Cambridge (Ninety-Six). The first two had a long career of honor and usefulness, and are still in active operation, one as Mt. Zion Institute, and the other as the College of Charleston. The College of Ninety-Six, after a

struggle for existence for nineteen years, closed as a college and became a celebrated high school. By legislative enactment other colleges were authorized, one at Beaufort and one in Pinkney District (Union County), called the College of Alexandria. This college and the district alike "live only in the memories of the past."

In 1786 the Beaufort Society and the St. Helena Society were incorporated; in 1789, the Claremont Society (Stateburg); in 1791, the Beaufort District Society; in 1798, St. Andrew's Society, Charleston; in 1799, Upper Long Cane Society (Abbeville); in 1800, the John's Island Society and Mount Pleasant Academy were incorporated.

Besides these, the Fair Forest Academy (Union), Mount Bethel (Newberry), Minerva Academy (Richland), and one of the same name in Spartanburg, are mentioned by Dr. Ramsey as filling positions of great usefulness, showing what

a great impetus was given to education as soon as peace was declared and independence gained.

No special attention was given to free school instruction after the efforts of the early colonial government until the year 1811; only one free school (Orangeburg) being established by the Legislature, which was done in 1798.

In 1811, November 26, Gov. Henry Middleton in his annual message urged the establishment of free schools. The next day Senator Strother, of Fairfield, presented petitions for free schools from citizens of Fairfield, Chester, Williamsburg, Darlington, Edgefield, Barnwell, York, St. Stevens, St. James, Santee, St. John's, Colleton, and St. Peter's. A joint committee was appointed with Hon. Stephen Elliott as chairman. This committee reported a bill which passed the Senate unanimously and was adopted by the House by a vote of 72 to 15. This act established in each district and parish free schools equal in number to the representation of each district or parish in the lower house. Three hundred dollars a year was appropriated to each school, and elementary instruction was to be given to all pupils free of charge. The annual appropriation for these schools was $37,000. Vigorous efforts followed to put these schools into suc

cessful operation. Governors in their annual messages showed an earnest desire for a more general diffusion of knowledge. Governors Middleton, 1812; Williams, 1815-16; Manning, 1826; Miller, 1829; Hamilton, 1831; Hayne, 1839; Hennegan, 1840; Hammond, 1842, urged the endowment of an academy in each district. In thickly settled communities much benefit was derived from these schools, but in the sparsely settled localities little good was accomplished and the general result was unsatisfactory. Increased efforts were, however, made to insure success instead of abandoning the attempt. A committee, Rev. Stephen Elliott and Rev. J. H. Thornwell, D. D., was appointed in 1838 to confer with the various school commissioners and suggest improvements. Their report contained, among other contributions, a very carefully prepared paper by Hon. Edmund Bellinger, of Barnwell, showing that in twenty-seven years the average attendance for the State was 6,018 pupils and the annual expenditure $35,000. The largest attendance in any one year was 10,718 in 1833, and the greatest annual expenditure was $48,951, during which year the attendance was only 3,002.