JANUARY 2019 PROGRESS: SCSU honors college named for Dr. Clyburn; alumna recognized for investing in young people

The university named its honors college after the late Dr. Emily England Clyburn, a philanthropist, alumna of S.C. State and wife of U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn.

S.C. State President James Clark called Dr. Clyburn “an exceptional educator, a community leader, a civil rights activist, philanthropist and, yes, a most loyal daughter of South Carolina State University.”

“Dr. Emily Clyburn was extremely passionate about educating young people, and especially those who are honors students here at S.C. State,” Clark said.

Dr. Clyburn was praised for her efforts to help students during a ceremony in the Barbara A. Vaughan Recital Hall in the S.C. State Fine Arts Building.

The Clyburns formed the James E. Clyburn Scholarship and Research Foundation. Later, they created the Emily England Clyburn Honors College Scholarship.

Clark praised Dr. Clyburn’s “unwavering support” of S.C. State and noted that the university had previously named the Chestnut Street pedestrian bridge in her honor.

“Her generosity has led to the institution honoring her in many, many ways,” he said. “But today’s honor is one I think Dr. Emily Clyburn – some people liked to call her ‘Miss’ Emily – would be most proud.”

S.C. State Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Learie Luke said that students coming into the honors college will have, “a heroine to look up to, a shining star to point to and … when they leave these hallowed halls of South Carolina State University, they’ll have something to shout about, to sing about, to praise about.”

Honors College Dean Harriet Roland said the honors program was founded in 1988. She joined the faculty of the program in 2000.

“And in 2010, we presented a proposal to the board of trustees to create and implement and grow an honors college,” she said. “So the honors college has been in place about 10 years now.”

With 200 students in the honors college, donors for scholarships are important, she said.

“We know the students are smart, they’re bright, they’re intellectually capable. But they also have to have the means and the access to pursue a college education,” she said.

Roland thanked God for the Clyburns recognizing a need on campus.

“What better way to extend your legacy, what better way to create longevity than by investing in the lives of young people,” she said.

Congressman Clyburn said his wife was born in Berkeley County.

“Her father, a native of Berkeley County, came to South Carolina State. After one year, he had to leave and was never able to come back,” he said.

“That haunted her. Throughout her entire life, she often mentioned it – she and her sister talked about that,” he said.

“And Emily felt that any young person who had enough ingenuity to finish school and go off to college, they ought not be denied an education because of the lack of income.”

Clyburn said that she always tried to help. He would find money missing from the bank account, he said.

“But I always knew it was going to somebody who needed it. I never questioned her about it, but she did it,” he said.

After the unveiling of replica signage and a portrait of Dr. Clyburn, six S.C. State students were formally inducted as Emily England Clyburn Honors College Scholars.

The new inductees were selected for their achievements in academic excellence and for their potential to be servant leaders in their chosen career fields. They are Jordan Brown, Vacarie Burgess, Simien Chestnut, Shia Jones, Jerdasia Scott and Tamara Taylor.

Dr. Clyburn, a native of Moncks Corner, was a public school librarian in Columbia and Charleston before spending nearly 30 years as a medical librarian at the Charleston Naval Base and Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia.

Through the years, the Clyburns raised millions of dollars for the endowment and need-based scholarships at S.C. State, their alma mater, from which Dr. Clyburn received an honorary doctorate in 2010.

She died in September at the age of 80.