Edward J. Woodhouse
Director
1954-1955
George C. Rogers
Director
1955-1961
William C. Casper
Director
1961-1963
Edward M. Singleton
Chancellor
1963-1983
Fredrick W. Hicks, III
Chancellor
1983-1985
Ronald G. Eaglin
Chancellor
1985-1992
Ronald R. Ingle
President 1993-2007
Chancellor 1992-1993 |
1954
On the evening of July 23, 1954, a group of citizens meets
in the Horry County Memorial Library to discuss a daring
proposal - the creation of a local college. The group soon
becomes a non-profit organization, the Coastal Educational
Foundation, Inc. Coastal Carolina Junior College opens September
20, 1954, as a branch of the College of Charleston. Fifty-three
students are enrolled, taught by a handful of part-time
faculty, with classes meeting after hours in Conway High
School.
1958
Coastal Carolina Junior College becomes independent when
College of Charleston discontinues its extension program.
Horry County voters approve a referendum which raises taxes
by three mills to provide funding for the college.
1959
The South Carolina General Assembly creates the Horry County
Higher Education Commission, a government regulatory agency
to oversee use of Coastal Carolina's county tax money.
1960
The Horry County Higher Education Commission is responsible
for a contract that establishes Coastal Carolina Regional
Campus of the University of South Carolina, effective fall
1960.
1961
Members of the Horry County Higher Education Commission
and Coastal Educational Foundation, Inc., agree it is time
to move to a campus suitable for institutional growth. They
select the present site of the University, most of which
was donated by Burroughs Timber Company and International
Paper Company. A major fund-raising drive raises $317,000
for construction.
1962
Ground is broken for the campus and less than a year later
Coastal Carolina's 110 students move into the first campus
building, the Edward M. Singleton Building.
1966
With an idea and a gift from William A. Kimbel and L. Maud
Kimbel, the Atheneum, the campus symbol, is completed.
1973
USC Coastal Carolina College adds a junior year; in 1974,
a fourth year is added.
1975
USC Coastal Carolina College awards its first four-year
degree.
1981
Wheelwright Auditorium, the first center for the performing
arts in northeast South Carolina, is dedicated. The $3.1
million facility is funded almost entirely by private donations,
including a $1.2 million gift from the Kimbel family. The
facility is named for L. Maud Kimbel's maternal grandfather,
John Wheelwright, who was involved with the cotton trade
in South Carolina in the early 1900s.
1987
The first on-campus residence halls open.
1989
Enrollment reaches more than 4,000 students. The number
of full-time faculty grows to 175.
1990
The Campaign for Progress sur-passes its goal of $5.5 million
in fewer than five years, spurring growth in capital projects,
the arts, and academic enrichment programs.
1991
On July 23, 1991, the Coastal Educational Foundation, Inc.,
and the Horry County Higher Education Commission vote to
seek legislative approval to establish an independent Coastal
Carolina University. USC System President John Palms recommends
to the USC Board of Trustees that Coastal pursue independence
from the University in name and administration. The trustees
adopt President Palms' recommendation in June 1992.
1993
The South Carolina Legislature passes legislation establishing
Coastal Carolina University as an independent, public institution,
effective July 1, 1993. Governor Carroll Campbell signs the
bill during a ceremony at Coastal Carolina on May 14, 1993.
The University's first Board of Trustees meets for the first
time July 1, 1993. Ronald R. Ingle
is named the University's first president. Coastal Carolina
University begins offering its first graduate programs in education
in the fall of 1993. The E. Craig Wall Sr. School of Business
Administration Building is completed and dedicated in honor
of Mr. Wall, who was one of the University's original founders.
1994
The Eldred E. Prince Building, funded by the Horry County
Higher Education Commission, is completed and dedicated.
New projects include plans for a humanities building, residence
hall/dining facility, athletic administration complex, printing
services facility, and renovations to existing buildings.
The University's first formal Inauguration is held to install
President Ingle. 1996 A new 400-bed residence hall and dining
facility is completed for fall 1996 occupancy; the number
of students who live in campus residence halls reaches 1,000.
President Ingle unveils a $68 million campus master plan
that will guide development of the University to the 50th
anniversary of the institution, to be celebrated in the
year 2004.
1997
The Board of Trustees adopts A Journey of Excellence, a
plan to guide the University into the next century. The
South Carolina General Assembly approves $11.7 million for
the new Humanities and Fine Arts Building.
1998
The R. Cathcart Smith Science Center is dedicated and a
$2 million campaign to upgrade the facility is announced.
Coastal Carolina offers baccalaureate degree programs in
36 major fields of study through its four academic schools,
six graduate programs in education, and seven cooperative
programs with other South Carolina universities. The E.
Craig Wall Sr. School of Business Administration gains accreditation
by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.
1999
The South Carolina General Assembly approves the final funding
for the new Humanities and Fine Arts Building. Nobel Laureate
Archbishop Desmond Tutu visits the campus as part of the
Kimbel Distinguished Lecturer Series. The School of Education
gains accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation
of Teacher Education. The Board of Trustees approves
the
sale of revenue bonds to begin construction of a 350-bed
residence hall, expansion of the dining facility, and University
Hall. Football will be added to the intercollegiate mix
in 2003; with football, the University will offer 17 NCAA
Division I intercollegiate programs. |
2000
To reflect the growth of academic programs and the maturity
of the institution, the four academic schools of the University
are renamed colleges. The College of Humanities and Fine
Arts is named for Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards. A statewide
awareness campaign bolsters the University's visibility.
The University endowment tops $12 million, reflecting a
more than 300 percent increase since 1993; the total number
of donors increases by 17 percent in the past year.
2001
University enrollment increases to almost 5,000 students
from 47 states and 50 countries. The average SAT for entering
freshmen tops the national average. New degree programs
are approved for Middle Grades Education, Music, Philosophy,
Spanish, and Special Education. A major construction boom
is highlighted by the opening and formal dedication of the
Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and
Fine Arts, the largest building on campus. A $1.8 million
gift from the estate of Rebecca Randall Bryan marks the
largest single cash gift in Coastal Carolina's history.
In collaboration with the Georgetown community, the University
brings the Freedom Schooner Amistad to Georgetown. The Amistad
attracts more than 16,000 visitors, including more than
8,000 school children from Horry and Georgetown.
2002
The largest freshmen class in the University's history
boosts enrollment to a record of more than 5,800 students.
A baccalaureate degree program is offered in Management-International
Tourism. The first class of recruits for the new football
team begins practice in preparation for intercollegiate
play in Fall 2003. State appropriations fall to approximately
23 percent of the total current funds, and tuition and
fees represent nearly half of the university's $63 million
operating budget.
2003
Coastal Carolina University offers six master’s degree
programs in education, instructional technology, and coastal
marine and wetland studies. Coastal's many international partnerships
make it possible for students to study in places such as Australia,
Costa Rica, England, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Germany, India,
Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Russia and Spain. The University anticipates
its anniversary in 2004 with plans for the 50th
Anniversary Initiatives, an ambitious $10 million campaign
to raise private funds to support the academic, physical and
athletic needs of the University. A $1.5 million gift from Burroughs
and Chapin Company, Inc. is announced to support the construction
of an education and research facility at the University's Waties
Island/Tilghman Point property. A $2 million gift from Loris
native Bob Brooks marks the largest single gift in the history
of Coastal Carolina and places Brooks name on the brand new
football stadium. More than 8,000 fans pack Brooks Stadium on
September 6 for the inaugural game for the Chanticleer NCAA
I-AA football squad.
2004
2004 Coastal Carolina offers baccalaureate degree programs
in 38 major fields of study and 36 undergraduate minors, including
a new bachelor's degree in economics. Coastal serves students
and the community with a new location, the Waccamaw Higher Education
Center, and sites in Georgetown and Myrtle Beach. The 50th Anniversary
celebration officially begins on Founders' Day, September
20, with a formal convocation to honor the three educational
institutions that had pivotal roles in the shaping of Coastal
Carolina: Horry County Schools, University of South Carolina
and College of Charleston. The Spadoni College of Education
is named for William L. "Spud" Spadoni and members
of his family through a $1 million gift to the 50th Anniversary
Initiatives. The public phase of the 50th Anniversary Initiatives
was announced in September with more than $10 million already
committed.
2005
Coastal Carolina has a record enrollment of 7,613 students; to accommodate the growth, the University continues to extend its physical presence to the East Campus, located in the Atlantic Center on Highway 501. The campus now comprises 52 main buildings on 302 acres. The long-awaited Master of Business Administration degree gains approval, and the Wall College of Business begins accepting MBA students for fall 2006. New baccalaureate degree programs are approved in Communication and in Recreation and Sport Management. The 50th Anniversary Initiatives campaign raises $3 million over its $10 million goal, reflecting the growing community support for the University. For a conference-record seventh time, Coastal Carolina captures the Sasser Cup for athletic program success. President Ronald R. Ingle announces his retirement for June 2007, and the Board of Trustees begins planning the search for the University's second president.
2006
The university continues record growth with 8,049 students from 44 states and 32 foreign countries enrolled for fall 2006. The freshman class has an entering SAT score of 1,047 and an average high school GPA of 3.32, topping national averages in both categories. The university¹s
operating budget hits $110 million, 12 percent of which comes
from state appropriations. Ground is broken for Adkins Field
House following a $1.8 million gift from Charlotte businessmen
and twin brothers Mark and Will Adkins, representing the largest
pledge ever received from alumni.
2007
David A. DeCenzo takes office as the second president of Coastal Carolina University on May 7, 2007; his formal inauguration built around the theme ³Dawning of a New Tomorrow² is set for Sept. 14. The new president appoints a Strategic Planning Steering Committee comprising all university stakeholders to examine and refine the university¹s mission, establish priorities, and link strategic direction to budgeting and assessment. DeCenzo succeeds Ronald R. Ingle, who served as the university¹s first president since 1993 when Coastal Carolina became an independent university. The total number of alumni since 1993 reaches 10,129. A record fall enrollment of approximately 8,300 students includes a freshman class of more than 1,600 students. The annual economic impact of the university tops $255 million.
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