Statue honors first Black students at USC including Greenville Sterling High School grad

A statue unveiling Friday morning will honor the first three Black students to enroll in the University of South Carolina, post-reconstruction.

Greenville native Robert G. Anderson joins Henrie Monteith Treadwell and James L. Solomon Jr., forever enshrined on USC's high honor quad known as "the horseshoe" with a 12-foot bronze sculpture, commissioned by international artist Basil Watson. It marks the 60th anniversary of the trio's enrollment.

The ceremony will be at the McKissick Museum, the site of the Osborne Administration Building where Anderson, Treadwell of Columbia, and Solomon of McDonough, Georgia, had a photo taken of their historic first steps as university students in 1963.

"It helped change history at our beloved university," said Dorn Smith, former chairman and current member of USC's board of trustees, about the group's bravery during the September 1963 school year. "I thought it was imperative to honor who helped to integrate this school with such style and class."

According to the USC board of trustees, with the addition of Anderson, Treadwell, and Solomon, there are four statues of Black students on the university campus, including Richard T. Greener, the school's first Black professor, George Rogers, a college football Hall of Famer, and A'ja Wilson, a Women's Olympic basketball champion.

The university's effort to remember the historic enrollments and put the students' experience in context began in February 2022, according to Thad Westbrook, USC board of trustees chairman.

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Who is Robert G. Anderson of Greenville, S.C.?

Anderson was a graduate of the now-defunct Sterling High School in West Greenville.

He first attended Clark Atlanta University before enrolling at USC in September of 1963, according to the school's website.

After graduation, Anderson had a decorated career as a New York City social worker, assisting Cuban refugees and families in the Bureau of Child Welfare system and operating an alcohol counseling program. He also served on a combat tour during the Vietnam War and worked for the Veterans Administration after retiring from social work.

"I'm moved and proud that Robert is being recognized; everybody doesn't get a statue," said Alan Mitchell, Greenville County council member and Sterling High alumni member. "This is fantastic, and I applaud the University for taking this step."

Anderson died in 2009, but his sister Carmen Smith and several other relatives plan to attend the statue unveiling, according to Jeffrey Stensland, USC vice president of institutional relations and public affairs communication. Treadwell and Solomon are also expected to attend the ceremony.

"I'm glad to see the trailblazers being recognized, living or not... especially at the level of USC," said Mitchell.

What happened in 1963 at the University of South Carolina?

As a junior in high school, Treadwell began the legal process against the University of South Carolina in May of 1962 after being denied admission into the school.

After winning a class action lawsuit, Treadwell resubmitted her application for USC in August 1963 and was admitted. Shortly after, her uncle's home was bombed. He survived.

Treadwell's legal win allowed James Solomon and Anderson to be admitted, as well, in September. The admissions came following desegregation in 1951 and nine years after Supreme Court Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954.

According to the USC website, Anderson and the two others faced harassment through bigotry, racial slurs, and violence. Anderson recounted white students bouncing a basketball after hours outside of his dorm room or waving a broomstick followed by a racist remark while walking across the horseshoe during the fall 1963 semester.

In 1988, Anderson returned to campus for an anniversary that, according to Solomon, had changed his perception of the university, according to USC's website.

University of South Carolina Board of Trustee and NBA Hall of Fame member Alex English enrolled at USC in 1972, almost a decade after Anderson, Solomon, and Treadwell. Their statue will stand in the horseshoe where English recalls having to walk around as a child growing up in Columbia because he is Black.

"All the people that have come before and after me; watching the university grow and remembering my days as a kid, not being able to walk across the campus," said English.

He estimates there were nearly 7,000-to-10,000 Black students during his time at USC.

"Knowing we had three brave people to make this happen has contributed to making the state of South Carolina exceptional," he added.

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The significance of McKissick Museum

The Welcome Center in McKissick Museum was established in 1976 and became neighbor to the location of the original Osborne building. Its place on campus has significant meaning as the majority of visitors and students on campus frequently patronize the corridor.

Board of Trustee member Dorn Smith called the photo of the three students walking up the steps a beautiful and iconic photograph that needed to be visible to all who come to the university.

"We handpicked this spot (for the statue)," said Smith. "They are going be at the apex of the horseshoe, where everyone is going to walk past that statue."

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription..

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: USC unveils statue to first Black students including Greenville man