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Born out of the Age of Revolution … the College of Charleston was founded in 1770 during a time of great change and great opportunity.
For centuries … that same spirit of independence has sustained the College as it has grown, developed and evolved across America’s history.
Much has happened at the College … 250 years defined by starts and stops … defeats and victories … challenges and achievements.
Check out some of the College’s major milestones.
After decades-long efforts by the Charles Town Library Society and citizens of the city, the College, originally called the College of Charles Town was founded when the first donation to its endowment was made together with gifts from private citizens.
The college graduated its first class of six students.
Due to dire financial straits, the City of Charleston assumed responsibility for the College’s support, making the College of Charleston the first municipal college in the U.S. The city provided funds, for example, in 1850 to enlarge the main academic building, construct Porters Lodge and fence in the Cistern Yard, the block that is still the […]
During the Union siege of Charleston, the city became the most bombarded mainland city in the history of the United States. It wasn’t until 1866 that classes could resume.
Pierrine St. Claire Smith Byrd proved that women could not only excel at the College but play an integral role on campus. She graduated first in her class and received the prestigious Alumni Medal. While at the College, Byrd served as the president of the Co-Ed Club, captain of the women’s basketball team and editor-in-chief […]
The College is incorporated into the S.C. State College System
Eddie Ganaway ’71 came to the College in the spring of 1968 after serving as a U.S. Navy medic. Despite the relative isolation as one of the few African Americans on campus, the history major came to see the College as deeply enriching and rewarding. He went on to earn a master of history and had […]
The administration brought the computer age to CofC students with the goal of using of computers to streamline registration and end the long lines of students waiting to schedule their classes.
The first graduate program in marine biology was established in 1972, but the graduate was formally established in 1992. Today, the graduate school offers more than two dozen graduate programs that leverage the abundant resources and opportunities found throughout the South Carolina Lowcountry – from the coastal marshes to the vibrant tourism industry .