Remembering the Days: A USC Podcast

Tales from the President's House, part 1

The current President's House has been home to every university president since 1952. Former university first lady Patricia Moore-Pastides talked to the now-grown children of those former presidents to find out what life was really like in the President's House all those years ago.

Born a slave: Matilda Pinckney's story

In the long history of schoolteachers in South Carolina, Matilda Pinckney's story stands out. Born a slave on the historic Horseshoe at the University of South Carolina, Pinckney was later trained at a Normal School on the university campus and would go on to a 30-plus year career as an educator. 

Books before Buildings

Since its founding in the early 19th century, the University of South Carolina has been keenly interested in building its library collections. Since then, the library's holdings have grown exponentially and now include rare books and special collections that make it a destination for scholars near and far. You can check out a lot of them from your own couch. 

Call it courage: The Chester Travelstead story

In 1955, one year after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional, the School of Education dean at the University of South Carolina had the temerity to agree with that position. He paid a heavy price for speaking up.

The Full Monty, Gamecock style

In the spring semester of 1974, the streaking fad swept college campuses across the country. For about a week, the University of South Carolina laid claim to the largest group of streakers — 508. Now, 47 years later, one of them recalls that warm night in early March when he and the other Gamecock streakers made their historic run. 

Seeing stars: the university's three observatories

From the early 1800s to the 1920s, the University of South Carolina built three observatories for the study of astronomy. The first one is long gone but the third, the Melton Memorial Observatory, remains operational. On clear Monday evenings, the observatory's telescopes offer spectacular views of the night-time sky. 

Larger than life: Richard T. Greener

A statue of Richard T. Greener is on display on the University of South Carolina campus as a tribute to the first Black graduate of Harvard College and the first Black professor at the University of South Carolina. But there was more to Greener's life than merely being a "first."

Paving the Horseshoe Pathways

Ninety years ago, the pathways crisscrossing the Horseshoe were just that — dirt pathways that were dusty in dry weather and muddy when it rained. A young English professor devised a campaign to convert the paths to brick-covered walkways without spending a penny in state funding. 

Dress Codes and Curfews

Dress codes and curfews persisted at the University of South Carolina until well into the 1960s, but were mainly focused on female students. Kit Smith, a 1967 graduate, recalls the dire consequences of returning to campus 15 minutes late. 

Pranking the Tiger

The 1961 Carolina-Clemson football game was a close-fought match that ended with a dramatic goal line stand. But the most memorable part of that game began during the pre-game warmups, when things weren't at all what they appeared to be.