The World Needs Visionaries
Note: Due to the weather associated with Hurricane Florence, the "Claflin Comes to Town" fundraiser reception schedule for Thursday, September 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church in Charleston has been postponed. Please stay tuned for the new date and location. 

Claflin First Lady to Receive Trailblazer Award and Serve as Keynote Speaker for Geraldyne Zimmerman Scholarship Fund Gala
Claflin University First Lady Alice Carson Tisdale will receive the inaugural "Geraldyne Zimmerman Trailblazer Award" at the Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina's 3rd Annual Geraldyne Zimmerman Gala on Friday, September 21 at 6-9 p.m. at the Cinema in Orangeburg, S.C. Mrs. Tisdale will also be the event's keynote speaker.  She is the wife of Claflin President Henry N. Tisdale and director of the University's honors college which carries her name.
  
The gala is a fundraiser to support the Geraldyne Zimmerman Scholarship Fund which awards scholarships to graduating members of the Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina (GSESC) Council who have been accepted and enroll at Claflin University, South Carolina State University, or Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.  The  GSESC Council  awarded a pair of $2,000 scholarships in 2017 to Chayna Rivers and Pria Anderson. Both students attend Claflin University.

In 1996, the Claflin Board of Trustees renamed the the University's honors program to the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College. Its more than 800 graduates have included Harry S. Truman, William J. Fulbright, Gates Millennium, Thomas R. Pickering, and Mellon Foundation Fellows and Scholars. Under her direction, the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College has been strengthened and expanded to reflect Claflin's commitment to cultivating academically outstanding students. Admissions standards were raised and initiatives were implemented to enhance the experience of honors college students at every level. The goal was to prepare these high-achieving students for prestigious graduate and professional schools, and become globally engaged visionary leaders in their chosen careers.
 
"We selected Mrs. Tisdale because of her numerous contributions to the community," said Frances Morant, chairperson of the scholarship committee.  Morant is also a troop leader in Service Unit 643 which serves Orangeburg and Calhoun counties.

Mrs. Tisdale has earned numerous awards and accolades.  In 2011, she received the Community Service Award from the Delta Zeta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and was the recipient of the IMARA Magazine Community Service Award. She received the 2012 Education Award from the Orangeburg, SC, Branch of the NAACP, and in December of 2013, she and Dr. Henry N. Tisdale received the Times & Democrat "Persons of the Year" award for the phenomenal transformational change taking place at Claflin University. In September, 2014, she received the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian award in the State of South Carolina, presented by Gov. Nikki Haley.

"Mrs. Tisdale inspires and helps students at Claflin and other young people to achieve their goals," added Morant.
 
Zimmerman, known affectionately as "Mrs. Z," died April 10, 2011, at the age of 100. Born in 1911, she was one year older than the Girl Scouts.  She had been active with the Girls Scouts since 1951 and started the first Girl Scout troop for African-American girls in Orangeburg. Zimmerman served not only as a Girl Scout troop leader, but as a board member, association president, troop consultant and service unit chairperson. She retired as a math professor in 1976 from South Carolina State University after 31 years of service. 
 
Click here to purchase tickets for the event.  To become a sponsor, click here .

Claflin University to Host Annual UNCF Community Prayer Breakfast
Claflin University will host its 17th annual United Negro College Fund Community Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, October 6, at 9 a.m. in the Tullis Arena of the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Physical Education Center. The prayer breakfast is a fundraiser to support scholarships for students at Claflin University.
 
The Rev. Leonard Huggins, pastor of the Shady Grove, Trinity and St. Mark United Methodist Churches in St. George, S.C., will be the keynote speaker. The program also includes performances by the Claflin University Gospel Choir D.R.E.A.M. and The Community Prayer Breakfast Ministers' Choir. 
 
Admission is $250 per table (10 seats) and $15 for individual tickets. The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, September 28. 
 
For more information and to purchase tickets call (803) 535-5722.

Make Your Plans for Homecoming 2018
Claflin University is looking forward to welcoming you "home" for Homecoming 2018 on November 15-18. 
 
Many events are planned for your enjoyment and participation. We will also celebrate reunion for the classes of  1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993,  1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013. Celebrate your class with a memory that last forever. 
 
If you are a class officer/agent, please contact Zelda M. Lee, '77, director of the Annual Fund/Alumni Relations, at (803) 535-5348, zelee@claflin.edu

Faculty and Staff News
Dillon M. Beckford is the new executive director of housing and residential life. Beckford brings a wealth of supervisory experience in student services leadership, residential life and budget management.  Most recently, Beckford served as director of residential education and program development at Lincoln University in Lincoln, Pa. He held a similar position at Lincoln University of Missouri, Springfield (Mass.) College and Central State University of Wilberforce, Oh. He also has served in the United States Army.  Beckford earned a bachelor's degree in organizational management from Langston University of Tulsa, Okla. in 2000 and a master's in educational leadership from Central State University in 2004.

Dr. Barbara C. Moore has been appointed interim associate vice president for institutional advancement. Dr. Moore is a seasoned results-oriented professional in fundraising.  Her experience in university advancement spans over four decades and covers all facets of resource development, including annual fund drives and capital campaigns. She is also an accomplished organizational leader through strategic and innovative approaches to achieve sustained success.

Alice Carson Tisdale, director of the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College, will receive an Enduring  Spirit Award on Thursday, September 27, 2018, at 6 p.m. at the Columbia Museum of Art. Sponsored by the  Friends of African American Art & Culture, t he awards recognize the outstanding achievements of African American women in the Midlands who are working to improve their communities. 
 
The Enduring Spirit Awards are named in honor of the work of Columbia artist Tyrone Geter, who credits his mother as the inspiration for his art. Much of Geter's work celebrates the relationship between mothers, daughters, and sisters - Black women - whose personal and public sacrifices make it possible for their children to advance.  

Honorees are selected from nominations received from the community. This year's recipients (a total of eight) were chosen from a strong slate, representing a diverse array of careers and lifelong contributions to the region.

To become a sponsor or purchase tickets to the event, click here or call (803) 799-2810.

Alumni News
Gregory Starks, '03, has been invited to attend the 2018 Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) to represent The Ivy League Language School CARE Foundation. H osted by President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea Clinton, the CGI U will be held on October 19 through 21, 2018, at the University of Chicago.
 
Starks is the founder and president of The Ivy League Language School CARE Foundation and a current law student.  The Ivy League Language School CARE Foundation is an international language immersion school that teaches Chinese, Spanish, and English and is a full-service foreign language summer school program that partners with schools and communities to create high-quality language learning opportunities during the summer. 

Panther Pride
Claflin-Shaw CIAA Volleyball Contest Rescheduled to Thursday, October 25

Due to weather associated with Hurricane Florence, the Claflin University-Shaw University Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAAvolleyball game scheduled for Wednesday, September 19 has been rescheduled to Thursday, October 25. The contest is set for 6 p.m.
 
Alternate dates for the Lady Panthers home match with Francis Marion, which was scheduled for Friday, September 14, and the away contest with Saint Augustine's which was set for Sunday, September 16, have not been determined.
 
For up-to-date information on Claflin University volleyball please visit the athletics page.

September 19, 2018
In This Issue
Calendar of Events
Connect with Us
@Claflin is published by the Office of Communications & Marketing 
President: Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, '65
Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Rev. Whittaker V. Middleton, '73
Assistant Vice President for Communications & Marketing: George Johnson Jr.
Public Relations Director: J. Craig Cotton
Web Communications Manager: Colin Myers, '07
Sports Information Director: Romanda Noble-Watson
Photographers: Cecil Williams, '60, Geoff Henderson and Colin Myers, '07
Student Workers: Cody Dallas, Deontre' McCray and Annchester Williams