Coastal Founders Oral History Interviews

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  Mildred Allen, oral history interview

  Mildred Allen and Mack Sarvis

  Mildred Allen is interviewed and she talks about her time at Coastal Carolina College and its early years of development. She talks about the formation of the Horry County Higher Education Commission and Coastal Educational Foundation and key individuals who helped fundraise. The opening of the college center with 103 students is also discussed. - Charmaine Tomczyk

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  Thurman W. Anderson, oral history interview

  Thurman Wilson Anderson and Mildred Allen

  Thurman Anderson and wife Ruth came to Wheelwright Auditorium for an interview. Mr. Anderson gave an early background of events leading to the beginning of Coastal Carolina College. He was Superintendent of Education for Horry County from 1941-1973 and saw the need for higher education, and with this in mind worked diligently to see that this need was met. It was through his efforts that meetings were held to create interest. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  James P. Blanton, oral history interview

  James P. Blanton and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, Mack Sarvis, Pat and David Parker, and Bill Edmonds visited James Blanton at his home in the Duford Community. A videotape was made with Mr. Blanton telling his involvement with Coastal Carolina College. He was one of the founding fathers and has supported the college from the beginning in July 1954 to present. He is a member of the Coastal Educational Foundation, Inc. and served as Chairman in 1962. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  Eugene H. Carmichael, oral history interview

  Eugene Herbert Carmichael and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, David Parker, and Bill Edmonds visited Eugene Carmichael on Wednesday at 11:00 A.M. at his home in Aynor. Mr. Carmichael was very active on the Coastal Educational Foundation, Inc. from 1956 until he resigned recently due to health. He served as Chairman of the Horry County Higher Education Commission in 1966. He shared with us on video some of the experiences during his involvement with both the Commission and the Foundation. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  William C. Casper, oral history interview

  William Cecil Casper and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, David and Pat Parker, Bill Edmonds, and Mack Sarvis went to Columbia for an interview with Bill Casper. Mr. Casper drove from Aiken to meet for the interview, which was held in the administration building of the University of South Carolina. Mr. Casper was associated with the college as a business teacher and recruiter from the beginning of the college in the Fall of 1954. He then served as Director for 3 years prior to becoming Director of the Aiken Regional Campus of the U.S.C. He gave full details of how he was involved and the ups and downs of the first few years of the college's operation. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  William F. Davis, oral history interview

  William F. Davis and Mildred Allen

  William F. (Bill) Davis came to the Wheelwright Auditorium and was interviewed. Mr. Davis was a charter member of the Coastal Educational Foundation, Inc. and served from the beginning in 1954 until 1959. He feels that the fact that the College of Charleston agreed to sponsor a program here was the greatest step toward a college in Horry County, as well as when the University of South Carolina signed a contract with the Foundation. It was overwhelming how the people of Horry County contributed to a campaign to build a college building. He stated that he felt that the Board of Education working with the Merchants Association was the force behind higher education in Horry County. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  Joseph Kenyon East, Sr., oral history interview

  Joseph Kenyon East Sr. and Mildred Allen

  J. K. and Leona East visited Coastal Carolina College for an interview concerning the role which he played in the beginning of Coastal Carolina College. Mr. East reminisced and told of his dream prior to moving back to Horry County after six years away. He was working as Director of Instruction for the County Department of Education and during this time he worked to promote the idea of higher education in Horry County. Through his efforts a group of interested citizens met and discussed the possibilities. He was successful in getting the College to sponsor a college program here for the Fall of 1954. During the early years of the college, he was a great promoter and was very much involved in the operation until he moved to Columbia to accept a position with the State of South Carolina Department of Education. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  Ralph H. Ellis, Sen., oral history interview

  Ralph Henry Ellis and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, Mack Sarvis, Pat and David Parker, and Bill Edmonds visited Senator Ralph Ellis at his home in Little River. Mr. Ellis served as a charter member of the Coastal Educational Foundation, Inc., the founding fathers of Coastal Carolina College, from 1954 until 1962. He was a strong supporter while serving as a member of the House of Representatives and also Senator of Horry County. Mr. Ellis explained his involvement with the college and stated that the most exciting thing he could remember was the year (1974) when Coastal became a four-year institution. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  Dove Walter Green, Jr., oral history interview

  Dove Walter Green Jr. and Mildred Allen

  Sonny Green was interviewed at his office in Conway. Mildred Allen, Bill Edmonds, and Pat Parker met Mr. Green at 9:30 A.M. Mr. Green served on the Coastal Educational Foundation, Inc. and was a charter member. He also served as Chairman in 1957. He was the Chairman of the Building Committee for the first college building. He was a very active promoter from the beginning and served in many areas of the growth of Coastal Carolina College. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  James C. Hipp, oral history interview

  James C. Hipp and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, Mack Sarvis, Pat and David Parker, and Bill Edmonds visited J. C. Hipp at his home on Liberty Street, in Loris, S.C. A videotape was made with Mr. Hipp telling his involvement with Coastal Carolina College since the beginning in 1954. Mr. Hipp is presently a member of the Horry County Higher Education Commission. He served as Chairman in 1964 and again in 1971. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  Joab Mauldin Lesesne, Jr., oral history interview

  Joab Maudlin Lesesne Jr. and Mildred Allen

  Interview with early staff member Joab Mauldin Lesesne, Jr. Dr. Lesesne, long-time president of Wofford College, talks about the early days of Coastal Carolina College, and about Conway, George Rogers, Bill Casper, E. Craig Wall, and Joe Wightman. - Charmaine Tomczyk

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  Rev. S. George Lovell, oral history interview

  S. George Lovell and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen interviews Reverend George Lovell, who was approached about starting a college in Horry County. He helped with the fundraising campaign for a college building, campus planning, and seeking sponsorship for Coastal. Rev. Lovell discusses the contract with USC, keeping ownership of the land and the building, and the distinction that was made between the Horry County Higher Education Commission and Coastal Educational Foundation. - Charmaine Tomczyk

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  Eldred E. Prince, Sr., oral history interview

  Eldred Eugene Prince Sr. and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, Mack Sarvis, Pat and David Parker, Bill Edmonds, and Robert Herring visited Eldred E. Prince at his home on Fox Bay Road in Loris, S.C. Mr. Prince joined the Coastal Educational Foundation, Inc. in 1959 and served as Chairman in 1961. He led a successful campaign to raise funds to build the first building on the Coastal Carolina College campus. He was actively involved until 1964 when he resigned. A tape was made with him telling his involvement with the college. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  Edward M. Singleton, oral history interview

  Edward Marion Singleton and Mildred Allen

  Dr. Edward M. Singleton was interviewed in the Blue Room of Wheelwright Auditorium on Coastal Carolina College campus. Dick Singleton was Director/Chancellor from July 1, 1963 to June 30, 1983. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  R. Cathcart Smith, oral history interview

  R. Cathcart Smith and Mildred Allen

  Dr. R. Carthcart Smith came to Wheelwright Auditorium and was interviewed at 4:00 P.M. Bill Edmonds and David Parker assisted. Dr. Smith was an original founder and named the college. He has been very active since its inception. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  Ernest F. Southern, oral history interview

  Ernest Fugate Southern and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, David Parker, and Bill Edmonds met Ernest F. Southern at his office at the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce in Myrtle Beach at 11:00 A.M. Mr. Southern has been on the Foundation/Commission since the early days, replacing C. D. Brearley, Sr. as a member of the original Coastal Educational Foundation, serving as chairman in 1962, and as chairman of the Horry County Higher Education Commission in 1970. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  Collins A. Spivey, oral history interview

  Collins Alexander Spivey and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, Bill Edmonds, and Pat Parker visited Collins A. Spivey at his office on Main Street, Conway, S.C. Mr. Spivey shared his memories of Coastal Carolina College and its beginning and the years that he was involved 1959 to 1971. He expressed his biggest disappointment was that when the first building was built that it could not be seen from Highway 501 and this still concerns him when traveling on Hwy. 501. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince

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  James P. Stevens, Sr., oral history interview

  James P. Stevens Sr. and Catherine H. Lewis

  James P. Stevens served as a South Carolina State Senator for over 20 years. He introduced a bill in the General Assembly to make Coastal Carolina College a four-year college. Catherine Lewis interviews Senator Stevens about his role in growing the profile of the institution at that time.

  This interview focuses on Senator Stevens’ life growing up in Loris and Myrtle Beach and his professional life as a practicing lawyer and State Senator. The interview is included in this collection because the only surviving video focuses mostly on his work with Coastal Carolina College. This video clip corresponds with the transcript pages 18-20.

  Senator Stevens was posthumously named an Honorary Founder in 2002.

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  Charles Tilghman, oral history interview

  Charles A. Tilghman and Mildred Allen

  Mildred Allen, Mack Sarvis, David Parker, and Bill Edmonds visited Charles Tilghman at his Real Estate Office, Anchor Realty, North Myrtle Beach. Mr. Tilghman served on the Foundation from 1956 to 1970 and served as Chairman of the Foundation in 1969. The college growth is far beyond his expectations in the beginning years. - Mildred Holmes Allen Prince