The World Needs Visionaries
Claflin Student Named 2019 Luard Morse Scholar and Receives $25K Scholarship to Study Abroad
Janelle Green, a religion and philosophy major and a member of the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College, has been selected as recipient of an English-Speaking Union Luard Morse Scholarship. Green will receive $25,000 toward a semester of study at any university of her choosing in the United Kingdom during the 2019-2020 academic year. Green has selected the University of Oxford.
 
"Janelle is the first Claflin University student to receive this prestigious scholarship award," said President Henry N. Tisdale. "Combined with her experiences at Claflin, Janelle will be able to utilize this new adventure to help prepare her to be a 21st century globally-engaged visionary leader." 

Green is one of three students, all from a historically black college or university (HBCU), to receive this award for the 2019-2020. 
 
"The English-Speaking Union Luard Morse Scholarship Committee is excited about these truly exceptional students," stated Duane Hughes, the chair of the Luard Morse Scholarship Committee. "Aristotle said, 'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.' We, the Luard-Morse Scholarship Committee, are thrilled to reward these students for their habit of excellence."
 
Green, along with the other scholarship recipients, will serve as an unofficial ambassador for the United States while abroad and for the United Kingdom upon returning back home to Claflin University.
 
The Luard Morse Scholarship committee comprises dedicated program alumni, including Laurence Morse, Ph.D. (1972); Duane Hughes (1985); Darrell Hill (1990); and Jill Toliver Richardson, Ph.D. (1998) as well as Christopher Medalis, Ph.D., International Education Consultant.
 
Since 1969, The English-Speaking Union has provided Luard Morse Scholarships to students attending HBCUs to study in the United Kingdom. These merit awards, which are open to sophomores pursuing a four-year degree, provide $25,000 for a semester of study at any university in the United Kingdom. Students in all disciplines are eligible. The scholarship has been awarded to students majoring in economics, philosophy, finance, mathematics, liberal arts and the sciences.
Watch Live the 2019 Spring Convocation and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the New Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex

Click  here  to watch the 2019 Spring Convocation live on Thursday, January 24, at 11 a.m. with guest speaker Dwayne Bryant. At the conclusion of Convocation, please watch the University's official Facebook Live feed for coverage of the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the new Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex. 
Claflin University Receives $10,000 From Toyota to Support Scholarships 
Claflin University is one of five historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs) that will receive $10,000 for student scholarships from the Toyota Financial Services and Toyota Motor North American. The Tom Joyner Foundation was also awarded $10,000 from Toyota's total contribution of $60,000 that will be used to help boost college retention and graduation rates for African-American students. Toyota's support is consistent with the company's deep commitment to diversity and inclusion.
 
"We greatly appreciate Toyota's support for scholarships at Claflin University," said Reverend Dr. Whittaker V. Middleton, vice president of institutional advancement. "We are also grateful to the Tom Joyner Foundation which named Claflin its "School of the Month" for January. All donations to Claflin in January will be used to support our FOCUS100 which provides financial support for students who experience an unexpected crisis which could prevent them from completing their degree requirements at Claflin."

Toyota launched its support of HBCUs five years ago to honor the life and vision of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
 
"Dr. King believed all young people should be given an opportunity to receive the best education possible, and yet, I have personally witnessed promising, young students forced to withdraw from school as a result of financial burdens," said John Ridgeway, general manager of Toyota Financial Services' Customer Service Center in Maryland.  "Through its contributions, Toyota hopes to help ensure students achieve their dreams of higher education, while also contributing to the sustainment of these HBCUs and their ability to address retention issues."

Toyota has been named a DiversityInc Top 50 company for the past 10 years, and has been consistently recognized by Black Enterprise, Hispanic Business, and the Human Rights Campaign as a Best Company for Diversity and one of the Best Places to Work. Toyota has provided millions of dollars in scholarships to deserving students across the nation; its executives actively support and sponsor the company's many diversity and inclusion initiatives, and its team members volunteer tens of thousands of hours of their time and provide their talents to national- and community-based programs across the United States.
Claflin University is Tom Joyner Foundation® January 2019 School of the Month
Claflin University is the January 2019 "School of the Month" by the Tom Joyner Foundation®. The Foundation, formed by the nationally-syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner, chose Claflin as part of its on-going effort to provide scholarships for students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
 
All funds raised through this initiative at Claflin will support FOCUS100 Scholarships. Gifts of $2,500 or more to the campaign in January, whether made by individuals or given by alumni chapters, affinity groups, or organizations may be highlighted that month on the Tom Joyner Morning Show with a 1-2 minute taped segment that will be broadcasted and shared online.

Donations for this initiative can be made directly to Claflin University, via any of the University's existing means, or through the Tom Joyner Foundation by:
  • MOBILE PLEDGE: Text ClaflinPanther to 41444 to donate via credit card.
  • CROWDFUNDING: Text ClaflinPanther to 71777 to donate or become a Fundraiser for Claflin. Visit the Foundation's Crowdfunding Page to learn more.
  • DONATE
    ONLINE: Visit TomJoynerFoundation.org/donate (select Claflin University in the drop-down menu)
  • MAIL A DONATION: Send checks made payable to The Tom Joyner Foundation, Re: Claflin, P.O. Box 630495, Irving, Texas, 75063-0495
For more information or to volunteer to help with Claflin's 2019 School of the Month initiative, please contact Barbara Chappell, major gifts officer, at (803) 535-5349 or  [email protected].
Alumni News

The Greater SC Coastal Alumni Chapters of Claflin University (which consists of Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton & Dorchester Counties) will host the 45th Claflin University International Alumni Convention on April 25-28, in North Charleston, S.C. This year's planning committee is pleased to welcome attendees to Charleston, the "birthplace" of Claflin University, where the theme for the Convention is "Visionaries: From the Lowcountry to a Hilltop High."
 
As noted in the book,  On a Hilltop High: The Origin and History of Claflin College to 1984 by Dr. Blinzy L. Gore, in Charleston, a small group of black and white ministers gathered for deliberations on the grounds of a local religious institution, and when they concluded their efforts, they had given birth to the notion of Claflin University.
 
The merger of Baker Biblical Institute at Charleston and the Normal and Training School at Camden resulted in Claflin University opening its doors in Orangeburg, S.C., on October 27, 1869. These ministers, along with Lee and William Claflin, T. Willard Lewis, Alonzo Webster and many others formed the foundation upon which Claflin stands today - 150 years of academic excellence and visionary leadership! 
 
Click here to register for the convention and to see the full schedule. Early bird registration is now open until March 25.


Angel Oliver, '14, will receive the Young Alumnus of the Year Award  at the  73rd Anniversary UNCF/NAC/NPAC Leadership Conference's Legacy Award Gala on Friday, February 8, in Atlanta, Ga . Oliver is the manager of gifts processing and management at Claflin University. An Orangeburg native, Oliver interned in the Office of Institutional Advancement her senior year at Claflin University. Upon graduation she was offered a position and has been working in the office since then.
Panther Pride
Have You Purchased Your CIAA Tournament Tickets? 

The Claflin University Panthers will make their inaugural appearance in the CIAA Basketball Tournament which begins Tuesday, February 26, 2019, through March 2, 2019, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. The tournament is widely-acclaimed as one of the nation's top sports, cultural, and entertainment attractions. Men's and women's basketball teams representing all 13-member institutions will compete for the tournament title and a berth to the NCAA Division II Championships. Let's cheer the Panthers on to a CIAA Tournament Championship!

The Panthers will need your support at the games!

Tickets are on sale Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the Claflin University cashier's window on the 2nd Floor of Tingley Hall. Please contact the CU Athletics Department at (803) 535-5504 or email [email protected] for additional information. 
Tickets can also be purchased from the Athletics Department online by clicking  here.

Ticket packages available for the tournament as of Wednesday, January 23, are as follows:
  • Courtside Tickets - $485.00 each (only 2 tickets available)
  • Center Court - $250.00 each (only 3 tickets available)
  • General Admission - $200.00 each (only 124 tickets available) 
The host hotel for Claflin University is the Doubletree Hilton Hotel Charlotte, N.C. Please click  here  to reserve your hotel accommodations. You may also call the hotel at (704) 227-2815 and use the group code - CLA.
 
Please contact Tammy McCottry at (803) 535-5665 or email [email protected] or Zelda M. Lee at (803) 535-5348 or email [email protected] if you need additional assistance.


Claflin Men's and Women's Track & Field to Compete in the Gamecock Inaugural

The Claflin University men's and women's track and field teams will travel to Columbia, S.C., on January 18-19, to participate in the Gamecock Inaugural hosted by the University of South Carolina. The two-day meet, which will consist of over 30 teams from the Division I and II levels, will be held at the Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex on the campus of the University of South Carolina.

Events begin at 10 a.m. ET on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday. Live results for the meet can be viewed by clicking here .


Claflin Stages 18-Point Comeback to Defeat Fayetteville State in CIAA Play

The Claflin University men's basketball team defeated Fayetteville State University, 69-62, in a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) southern division matchup on Monday, January 21. With the win, the Panthers improve to 7-11 overall, 6-7 in the CIAA and 4-3 in the division.
 
Claflin will return to action on Monday, January 28, when they travel to Charlotte, N.C. to face Johnson C. Smith University in a CIAA southern division matchup.


Claflin Falls to Fayetteville State in CIAA Southern Division Contest
The Lady Panthers of Claflin University fell to Fayetteville State University, 73-56, in a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division women's game on Monday, January 21. This loss ended Claflin's four-game winning streak, dropping the Lady Panthers to 11-9 overall and 8-5 in the CIAA, including a 4-3 record in the division.
 
The Lady Panthers will take a break before traveling to Johnson C. Smith University on Monday, January 28, for another CIAA Southern Division matchup.
January 23, 2019
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. Dr. Whittaker V. Middleton, '73
Assistant Vice President for Communications & Marketing: George Johnson Jr.
Public Relations Director: J. Craig Cotton
Public Relations/Social Media Coordinator: Charnita Mack
Web Communications Manager: Colin Myers, '07
Sports Information Director: Romanda Noble-Watson
Photographers: Cecil Williams, '60, Geoff Henderson and Colin Myers, '07