Booker T. Washington High School: A Legacy Reborn in the Heart of SC

From Educational Beacon to Civil Rights Landmark, the Legacy of South Carolina's Most Celebrated Black High School Lives On

Once the largest public high school for African Americans in South Carolina, Booker T. Washington High School in Columbia was a cornerstone of Black education, cultural development, and civil rights progress. From its founding in 1916 until its closure in 1974, the school served as a vital educational sanctuary during the Jim Crow era, producing generations of scholars, professionals, and civic leaders.

Today, thanks to the tireless efforts of community leaders like Doris Glymph Greene, Gloria Boyd and the Columbia Panhellenic Council , the memory of Booker T. Washington High School endures —not only through the establishment of a dedicated foundation but also through a remarkable collaboration with the University of South Carolina, which now houses the preserved auditorium building of the historic school.

An Educational Powerhouse in Segregated South Carolina

Booker T. Washington High School was established when Black educational institutions were grossly underfunded and often overlooked. Yet despite these challenges, it quickly rose to prominence. The school became one of the few African American high schools in South Carolina accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. This rare achievement testified to its faculty's determination and its students' academic excellence.

More than just a school, Booker T. Washington became a cultural epicenter for Columbia’s African American community. Its music, science, literature, vocational training, and athletics programs were second to none. The school nurtured both minds and spirits and counted among its faculty civil rights titans such as J. Andrew Simmons, Septima Clark, and Modjeska Simkins , whose influence extended far beyond the classroom.

The Role of Doris Greene and the Panhellenic Council

Following the school's closure in 1974 as part of Columbia’s desegregation efforts, much of the physical campus was lost. However, community leaders refused to let their legacy be erased. Foremost among them was Doris Glymph Greene , a visionary educator and activist. Alongside the Columbia Panhellenic Council , Greene spearheaded the creation of the Booker T. Washington High School Foundation in 1982.

Their mission was clear: preserve the school’s memory, honor the alumni and faculty who shaped generations, and educate the public about its role in Black history and the Civil Rights Movement. Under their leadership, the Foundation became a rallying point for former students and allies committed to protecting this precious legacy.

The University of South Carolina and the Preservation of History

After the school closed, the University of South Carolina (USC) acquired the property. It demolished all but one building —the auditorium, which had long been the school's symbolic and physical heart. For decades, the building functioned quietly on USC’s campus as a computer lab and event space, but its true identity was never forgotten.

Recognizing its significance, USC committed to preserving and renovating the auditorium to be a permanent tribute to African American education and civil rights history in South Carolina. The building, formerly known as the Booker T. Washington Building , will house interactive exhibits, historic artifacts, and oral histories that tell the school's story and its contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

This effort is part of a broader $24 million civil rights research expansion on the site, transforming the location into a hub for public scholarship, education, and remembrance.

A Living Legacy

Restoring the Booker T. Washington auditorium building is more than a renovation project—it is an act of justice. It acknowledges the school's immense cultural and historical value and solidifies its place in the broader narrative of South Carolina and America’s civil rights journey.

As the University of South Carolina prepares to unveil the newly renovated space, it honors not only the educators and students who once walked its halls, but also the community leaders—like Doris Greene, Gloria Boyd, and the Panhellenic Council— who fought to keep its memory alive. Through the efforts of the Booker T. Washington High School Foundation, supported by the university and the broader Columbia community, the spirit of excellence that defined this institution lives on. It now stands as both a monument to a proud past and a beacon for future generations