USC Palmetto College launches “Legacy Societies” to honor philanthropic contributions
January 30, 2025The University of South Carolina Palmetto College announced the establishment of new legacy societies across its campuses to recognize and honor the exceptional generosity of its donors. These societies celebrate philanthropists who have made significant financial contributions to support the college’s mission of providing accessible, affordable, and flexible higher education.
The legacy societies are named to honor distinguished donors who exemplify the spirit of giving and have made a lasting impact on their respective campuses. The newly established societies include:
- The Chancellor Susan A. Elkins Legacy Society (Palmetto College Columbia)
- The John Winthrop Sr. Legacy Society (USC Salkehatchie)
- The Philip L. Edwards Legacy Society (USC Sumter)
- The From Family Legacy Society (USC Union)
Chancellor Susan A. Elkins, the founding Chancellor of USC Palmetto College, expressed her gratitude for the unwavering support from the college’s benefactors. “Like many of our Palmetto College faculty and staff, I was among the first in my family to graduate from college. I well understand the many sacrifices that our students and their families make for them to complete their associate and bachelor’s degrees. Your generosity helps us to expand our resources to provide a more accessible, affordable, and flexible University of South Carolina education within reach for so many deserving students in our great state,” said Chancellor Elkins.
The legacy societies will offer various levels of recognition based on the amount of financial support provided by donors. These levels include Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, each reflecting the donor’s commitment to advancing the educational mission of Palmetto College.
Philip L. Edwards, a revered philanthropic icon in the Sumter community, established the Williams-Brice-Edwards Charitable Trust, which has had a profound impact on USC Sumter. His vision and dedication to inspiring others to give have led to the creation of numerous endowed scholarships, significantly benefiting students.
John Winthrop, honored by The John Winthrop Sr. Legacy Society, has funded multiple endowments for USC Salkehatchie, including the “Winthrop Grove” on the Allendale campus, a history fund, and an archeology/anthropology fund supporting research. He shared his thoughts on the importance of giving back: “Relocating to South Carolina from Boston has been the most rewarding chapter of my life. The local community has been gracious and accepting of me and my family. I wanted to do something to help the community and create opportunity for people much less fortunate than myself. There is no better way to accomplish this than through investment in higher education, and USC Salkehatchie is quite instrumental in changing lives here in the Lowcountry. Charity is selfish… it opens the door to learning and meeting new people who enrich our lives.”
The From Family Legacy Society at USC Union honors the From family, who have been long-time supporters of higher education in Union County. Reflecting on their legacy, the From family shared, “Union county has been wonderful to the From family over these many years. The USC Union endowed scholarships the From family has established are intended to carry on this legacy and enable other members of the Union community to benefit from the value of a college education.”
In addition to the legacy societies honoring philanthropic giving at the other regional Palmetto College campuses, USC Lancaster has separate plans to recognize cumulative and major gifts during a future USC capital campaign.
For more information about the legacy societies and how to contribute, please contact: Chris DeWolf, senior director of development at USC Palmetto College, at [email protected].
About University of South Carolina Palmetto College
The University of South Carolina Palmetto College offers accessible, flexible, and affordable higher education opportunities for South Carolinians and others seeking to complete an associate and/or bachelor’s degree. With campuses in Lancaster, Indian Land, Allendale, Walterboro, Sumter, Shaw Air Force Base, Columbia, Fort Jackson, Union, and Clinton, as well as online programs, Palmetto College serves 8,000 students annually.