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Voorhees History
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Elizabeth E.
Wright |
For more than 110 years, Voorhees College has made a
historic contribution to the educational, economic, and
social development of the County of Bamberg, State of South
Carolina and this nation. Since its founding, two underlying
currents have influenced the curriculum at Voorhees College.
First, there has been the sustained influence of the debate
between those who advocated pragmatic education for
vocational pursuits and those advocating liberal education
to develop youth for leadership of the race. Secondly,
intertwined in this philosophical debate has been religion
and religious values.
In 1897, a young black woman, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright,
founded Voorhees College. A former student of Booker T.
Washington, Miss Wright, at 23, dreamed the seemingly
impossible dream of starting a school for colored youth in
Denmark, South Carolina. The College's historic reason for
being was to provide educational opportunities for young
blacks in rural Bamberg County.
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In 1924, the school became one of the institutions
supported by the American Church Institutes for Negroes.
This organization was a component of the Episcopal
Church. The Bishops from both the Upper Diocese of South
Carolina and Diocese of South Carolina assumed
leadership of the Board of Trustees.
Since then, the College has become a four-year
institution. Today, Voorhees College is a four-year
liberal arts institution with accreditation by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The
College is a member of the United Negro College Fund.
The College has a curriculum that combines the view of
Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, through its general education
curriculum, with the view of Dr. Booker T. Washington,
through its curriculum in pragmatic studies. The College
remains affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The basic
stated purpose of the College remains the same - to
educate the mind, heart, and spirit of all who would
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Original Classroom |
As the College moved into the new millennium, it renewed its
historical partnership with the Episcopal Church. The
original partnership was based on the Church and the School
is proclamation that the Rule of God is at hand, to nourish
Christ's people from the riches of His grace and to
strengthen them to Glorify God in this life and in the life
to come. Effective teaching and learning was an integral
part of the partnership and commission. The Church alone
cannot fulfill the commission without the help of Christian
institutions of learning.
Conversely, Voorhees College cannot provide effective
teaching and learning that helps its learners to proclaim
that the Rule of God is at hand, to select careers, which
nourish people for the riches of His grace and to Glorify
God in this life and in the life to come without the help of
the Church.
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Therefore, Voorhees College recognizes the need to
bring an additional dimension to our legacy of
excellence. The College, through this plan, will
renew its original partnership with the Episcopal
Church by creating an "Agenda for Excellence." The
excellence the College seeks sets forth the standard
by which our teaching, learning, scholarly
management and service programs will be judged. The
College has much to offer. "Partners in Mission"
will be a joint ministry and an investment, which is
mutually beneficial to society.
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P. O. Box 678 - Denmark, SC 29042 - Phone (803) 780-1234 -
Toll Free (866) 685-9904 -
Physical Address -
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