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Benedict College is located in Columbia, South Carolina . HISTORY Benedict College was founded in 1870 on an 80-acre plantation in Columbia, South Carolina. Under the auspices of the American Baptist Home Mission Society , Mrs. Bathsheba Benedict of Pawtucket, Rhode Island , provided the $13,000 to purchase the land to open Benedict Institute on December 12 , 1870. This new school was established for the recently emancipated African American s. Benedict's first class consisted of only ten students (all recently freed slaves) and one teacher, the Reverend Timothy Dodge. He was a college-trained preacher from the North, who became president of the Institute. Benedict Institute set out from humble beginnings in a dilapidated former slave master's mansion to prepare men and women to be "powers for good in society." Eventually other subjects were added to the curriculum to address the original objective of the school: to train teachers and preachers. On November 2 , 1894 , the institution was chartered as a liberal arts college by the South Carolina General Assembly and the name "Benedict Institute" was changed to "Benedict College." From 1870 to 1930 , Benedict College was led by seven northern white Baptist ministers, all college trained. On April 10 , 1930, the Reverend John Starks , who earned his bachelor's degree from the College in 1891 , became its first African American president. Five African-American presidents have succeeded him. ACADEMICS Benedict College offers 29 degrees from 12 departments [http://www.benedict.edu/academics.html . ATHLETICS The Benedict College athletics department offers Football , Men and Women's Basketball , Baseball , Softball , Track And Field , Cross Country , Golf , Handball , Soccer , Tennis , Volleyball , Cheerleading , and Marching Band . EXTERNAL LINK |
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