USC to install monument to honor 60th anniversary of the university’s desegregation

A monument to commemorate the University of South Carolina’s 60th anniversary of desegregation will be installed in early 2024, the university announced Sept. 11 during a ceremony celebrating the milestone.

Situated near the university’s Visitor Center in McKissick Museum, the monument will feature a 12-foot bronze statue, which was created by sculptor Basil Watson and inspired by a photograph of Henrie Monteith Treadwell, Robert G. Anderson and James L. Solomon Jr. as they walked down the steps at the Osborne Administration Building after registering at USC on Sept. 11, 1963.

“We honor the three brave students who 60 years ago took the first steps in ending segregation at the University of South Carolina,” said Thad H. Westbrook, chair of USC’s board of trustees. “By celebrating their legacy with this monument, we are reminded not only of how far we’ve come as an institution in the decades since, but also of the important work that continues to ensure that the university reflects the people of South Carolina.”

Representatives from USC also unveiled a plaque honoring Solomon at LeConte College, where the university’s math department is located. When Solomon entered the college, he enrolled in its graduate program in mathematics, becoming the department’s first African American student.