The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 17, 1975, Page Page 7, Image 7
or
States could be a curse, rather than
a blessing. But the South of 1860
hadn't created the institution; it
had inherited it. And, he wrote,
"until some practicable means is
pointed out of ridding ourselves of
slavery, I enter my most solemn
protest against all denunciation of
our country on account of it."
Coming from the British, "it is like
stabbing a man, and while cat
ching his blood to work into pud
dings, abusing him for bleeding,
and crying out all the time, 'Cure
yourself! cure yourself! or keep
out of decent company'."
A. B. Longstreet saw the times
for what they were, and he saw his
own state and country for their
place in those times. To him
slavery might possibly be a curse,
but he believed that for the time it
was an economic and social
necessity in the South and that to
abort it would bring a mountain of
grief to Negroes and whites. He
was right. It did. Now obviously a
person in 1975 can't wholehear
tedly condone the racial attitudes
of Longstreet, but we can surely
put them into a historical per
spective and hence look at them
more sympathetically. To do that,
to keep historical notions in
history, in their own environment
at the same time we learn from
them is, I think, to do justice to an
illustrious person such as A. B.
Longstreet. To do , otherwise is to
"date" historical figures who don't
exactly confirm to current views
and thrust them into a vacuum
where we simply can't get at them.
And that is to indulge our own
prejudices at the same time it
lessens the value of such wor
thwhile endeavors as The
Gamecock's "History Behind
USC."
J. R. SCAFIDEL
History
Behind
Part Se
SPEC
FEAT
In preparation
States Bicentennia
the Gamecock s
researching USC's
Is the seventh In
ticles. This one
Reconstruction pei
st==n3C==N
Search
The following' interview is the
seventh In a series of 10 articles
highlighting prominent schools and
departments within USC. Dr.
Joseph Hungate, Dean of the
College of Social Work, talks about
his school and its advancements.
BY BOB BAKER
Editor
Q. What do you see as the real
purpose 'of the College of Social
Work?
A. The fundamental goal of the
College of Social Work is education
for the practice of social work, a
helping profession dedicated to
bringing about desired change in
the social functioning of the in
dividual, the group and the com
munity. Basically, our program is
designed to educate people to
assist other people in handling all
their personal difficulties. In this
complex world, people need an
advocate to help them through the
bureaucratic maze which has a
tendency to inhibit people in many
of their activities. We offer only a
two-year masters program in
which our students are oriented
toward becoming community
specialists and also becoming
therapists heavily geared toward
helping people or patients handle
personal social problems.
Q. The College of Social Work is
relatively young. Could you give
me a brief background of the
College?
A. The school was established in
the late forties and closed in the
early fifties because of lack of
funds and interest. It was re
established in 1968 with the first
students entering in 1969. Our first
class graduated 22 in June 1972.
Our present goal is to graduate 50.
to 60 students. Right now, at any
one time we have a student body of
around 140 with 19 faculty, eight of
USC:
even
ff the United
I, .lsan Cate of
taff has been
history. Below
a series of ar
deals with the
iod.
for Acad
Dean Joseph-n gate
those hold doctorates. Our
curriculum has a heavy emphasis
on research. Much of the reason
for that is the rather slim
demographic data we have on
South Carolina. In researdh, not
only are we helping the state out in
getting pertinent data which needs
to be studied, but we are also
acquainting the students with the
need for research. At present
there is just no good hard data
available in South Carolina. By a
matter of record, I thought you
might be interested to know that
we have a heavier emphasis on
research here than at any other
social work school in the nation.
We feel like the research necessary
for the course gives students a
good base in knowing and un
derstanding what they're dealing
with in "real" situations.
Q. What direction does the
College of Social Work hope to take
in the next fiv-t years?
A. When I came here in 1969, I
came with three goals in mind.
First, we needed to establish the
BY SUSAN CAT
of The Gamecock 9
The S.C. Legislature of 1865 con
on the S.C. College campus sinc
had been leveled by Sherman's t
year. The war was at an end ar
establishing the College were bN
Gov. Perry's proposal to open t
form of a university. A univers
would draw in more pupils since <
fields would be offered; the E
would bring in more money. Pen
that the majority of the students,
who had been away from school fi
who would need the versatility
curriculum.
The legislature approved the G(
in the form of a bill establishing
South Carolina with eight coil
Trustees the right to establish sq
medicine, providing for a chaplal
entrance age at 15. Each course'i
a student could take a minimum
The professors were to be paid $14
fees of the students enrolled in thi
The University was to be gover
chairman and no president was
bill was ratified on December 19,
S.C. College had been approved
The University was patterned
sity of Virginia, having only the
classes. A-student could choose hi
upon completing the requirement
degree in that field. To receive
had to complete two literary schi
schools and two other schools of
The University opened on Jan.
preceding years the buildings h
hospitals, a prison, shelter for fre
freedman's bureau. Many refuge<
1885 remained housed on campus u
of the dilapidated condition,
buildings were in better shape
Columbia and the students came
there were 48 on roll.
In genealn the new stuentse w..
emic ExcE
best standards for a masters
degree program we could get. We
think we have. By the w4y, we are
one of the few social work schools
in the nation to have been granted
a full ten-year accreditation.
Because of that we are getting
good press nationally, much better
than that here in South Carolina.
Our second goal was to establish an
extensive off-campus extension
program so that most of the first
year's work can be conducted off
campus, as in Spartanburg,
Charleston, Florence, or Columbia
at night. The main purpose of this
outreach program is to reach
people right where the problems
are. I think a lot of education for
the future will be designed toward
taking programs to the people.
Now, the third part of our program
is to establish a doctoral program
at USC. We have no program at
present, although we hope to get
approval in the spring. The
program needs to be sent to the
Commission on Higher Education
in January. I believe the need is
there. Our masters programs have
well exceeded our expectations.
Social Work just fits into people's
personal desires to improve the
quality of life for other people. You
might be interested to know we do
not intend to get any un
dergraduate program established
here, although other schools are
headed in that direction.
Our entering classes average
about 70. The second year
enrollment is in the vicinity of 60.
That gives us a campus enrollment
of about 120. In addition to this, we
have about 80-90 off-campus
students wanting to get involved in
social work.
I think in the next five years we
should focus on getting social
workers involved in the elemen
4ary and secondary schools of the
state.
Q. Do you see a trend toward
more students in social work?
and well-disci
taff predeceskprs. H
vened in buildings garrison on the
! the State House the Rebels-turne
roops earlier that same blue unifoi
d the hopes of re- shooting at now
ing re-kindled by every day.
ie College in the repeatedly warn
ty, he suggested, in '64 was justif
egrees in specific would be an ille
igher enrollment The Universi
y also pointed out academic set-ba
vould be veterans losses of two coll
ir a long time and discontinued aftt
of a university College-of Medic
the Medical C
vernor's proposal medical school i
the University of when funds ran
ages, giving the Social life in p<
hools of law and than when morn
n, and setting the from Charleston
~ould cost $25 and added to the spiri
af three courses. being together a
00 yearly plus the The years of ge
air departments, state Constitutic
ned by a faculty which stated th,
rovided for. The public funds wa
the same day the regardless of rac
30 years before. had begun-enroll'
after jhe Univer- in 1869 and Lal
lunior and senior member who ret
s own course and specifically inclu
would receive a two of whom
B.A. degree one preparatory sch
ols, two science which was most
his choice. legislature of "ca
10, 1866. In the "negroes" even 1
id been used as the sole purpose c
ad slaves and the When a black
~s from the fire in entered into the
ntil 1869. In spite LaBorde as well
the old college In that year of 18
than most of University dropp
.By May, 1866 not ready to acce
especially not rea
re more mature forced on tit.
iilence
A. I think the student we are
getting now is concerned about
combatting social injustices and
giving people a non-feeling of
helplessness. More students seem
interested in influencing social
change from within the system
rather than standing outside the
systems, as students did in the
early 70's. The University seems
to be a better place because
students demand more. I think we
are returning to a different
educational climate where the
student just seems more in
terested. Students are more at
tuned to practical changes then the
broad theoretical changes which
confronted student revolutionaries
in the 70's. I think social work is
attuned more toward helping for
social change and helping alleviate
problems of social discontent such
as health, nutrition, in addition to
consumer problems such as
gasoline prices and high taxes.
And, I think it's our concern for
what's happening to people that is
making our program eminently
successful.
Q. Can you foresee the USC
College of Social Work ever
gaining the national prominence of
such schools as those at Columbia,
Chicago or Michigan?
A. I think our area of concern
should be more with the needs of
the state and region because that is
where the problems are at least for
the immediate future. I personally
do not want this school to become
the national school of social work.
If we can just become the social
work school serving the best needs
of South Carolina and improve our
efforts there, I think I would be
happy with that. Since the
beginning of this school we have
graduated 170 masters students.
In November 1967 when I came
here I could only find 150 social
workers in the entire state who had
Masters degrees. We are moving
ahead.
plined as compared to their
owever, when the U.S. Army built a
present site of the Russell House,
d-students became infuriated. The
,ims they had spent four long years
marched in front of their campus
rhe professors were forced to
the students that killing a Yankee
ied by war, but killing him in '74
gal assassination.
ty was growing and its only
eks in the first few years were the
ages. The School of Astronomy was
hr the theft of the telescope and the
me, which received criticism from
~llege in Charleston saying one
i the state was enough, was ended
out.
st-war Columbia was more lively
y had been available. Refugees
were still in the capital and they
t. People would party for the joy of
gain in peace.
od will were dampened by the new
n of the Reconstruction in 1868
at all schools supported by any
ere obligated to admit anyone
e. The first of the "white flight"
nent at USC dropped from 113 to 65
B~orde was the only old faculty
nained. The act was amended to
dle USC; a new Board of Trustees,
were black, was formed. A
c.ol was opened on tbe campus
ly Tilled by former slaves. The
arpet-baggers," "scalawags" and
idmitted they were using USC for
if a melting pot for the races.
man, Sec. of State Henry Hayne
then-existant medical college,
as two other professors resigned.
73, the percentage of whites in the
ed to 10 per cent. The South was
apt a new way of life and it was
dy to accept the wayvi a eing.