Spartanburg Methodist College has a rich and inspiring history dating back to 1911. It was founded as the Textile Industrial Institute (TII) by David English Camak, a visionary who was deeply moved by the challenges faced by southern cotton textile workers. Camak's vision led to the establishment of an elementary and secondary school in a vacant house near Duncan Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church. With the support of Walter S. Montgomery, president of Spartan Mill, the school steadily grew, eventually becoming a mission of the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Founding and early years (1911-1919)
In 1913, the college acquired its present campus. It began constructing Charles P. Hammond Hall, which still serves as a residence hall.
Although the work and study schedules helped students attend the Textile Industrial Institute, the school needed additional income. The TII Board of Trustees recruited members from the South Carolina Methodist conferences, allowed the land to be sold, and paid off the debts to create new funds for the project. The Model Mill opened in 1919, allowing TII to combine education and work as Camak had envisioned. The Model Mill produced weaves, dyed and bleached materials, enhanced the threads to make them more robust, and refined the art of depth in precise dying. The success of the Model Mill was short-lived. In 1921, the mill employed only TII students; however, issues with financing led to the closure of the Model Mill in 1922. Students once again returned to off-campus jobs to support them while enrolled at TII.[4]
Hammond Hall, the first building on the campus, was constructed by students in 1913.
Expansion and challenges (1920-1940)
By 1927, TII expanded its offerings to include the first two years of college-level education, providing students with various pathways for their future.[5] After initially providing high school-level courses for young adults working in the area's textile mills, TII expanded its curriculum in 1927 to offer two years of college-level work, granting associate degrees in liberal arts. That allowed graduates to transfer to senior-level colleges or enter the workforce with valuable skills.[5]
The college continued. The industrial mill jobs on campus created declines in health due to working in harsh conditions. Many students worked on campus in the kitchen, laundry, or on the farm; others worked in town. The trustees soon realized that the students required additional housing due to the increased enrollment. Eliza Attleton Judd, wife of a local bank president, was interested in helping women access education and offered a solution to the school's housing problem by donating money to create a building for girls on campus. The trustees believed that completing Hammond Hall was a more urgent priority than building a dormitory for girls. Mrs. Judd continued to support TII with a gift of timberland. In 1928, a decade after her death, the Textile Industrial Institute built Judd Hall, a women's dormitory, in her honor.[4]
In 1940, TII discontinued its high school classes, and in 1942, the institution changed its name to Spartanburg Junior College. In 1974, it changed its name to Spartanburg Methodist College.[5]
Transitioning to a four-year institution
For decades, Spartanburg Methodist College served as a two-year junior college.[6] In 2019, Spartanburg Methodist College further expanded its academic offerings by introducing bachelor's degree programs. Today, the college is a four-year institution.[7]
Presidents
College presidents
President
Years Served
David English Camak
1911-1923
Rembert B. Burgess
1923-1962
Lester Kingman
1963-1970
James S. Barrett
1970-1976
George D. Fields, Jr.
1976-1997
Charles Porter Teague
1997-2009
Colleen Perry Keith
2009-2015
William Scott Cochran
2015-present
Keith Fountain, named for President Colleen Perry Keith, SMC's seventh President; the fountain was built in 2016.
The university's current president, Scott Cochran, assumed office on November 16, 2015.[9][10] The president is appointed by the university's board of trustees, which has 24 members, five clergy and 19 laity, whose terms are staggered on a three-year basis.[11]
Accreditation and affiliations
Spartanburg Methodist College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church.[12] This accreditation signifies that the college meets or exceeds specific academic standards and ensures the quality of its education. It also means that the college's programs, faculty, and facilities have undergone rigorous evaluation and meet the high standards set by these accrediting bodies. The college is also affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the South Carolina Annual Conference.
Academics
Spartanburg Methodist College offers a range of degree programs to cater to its students' diverse interests and career goals. These include six associate degrees covering arts, business, criminal justice, fine arts, religious studies, and science, and ten bachelor's degree programs covering fields such as business with four different concentrations, business management, psychology, professional writing and digital communications, sports management, humanities, and general studies.[13]
SMC occupies 110 acres near the western edge of Spartanburg's city limits. The campus has seven residential halls (Willard, Hammond, Kingman, Parsons, Judd, Bridges, and Sparrow) that are co-ed or all-female. Over the past decade, SMC has expanded its campus facilities. In 2012, a new academic building, Ellis Hall, was opened on campus. It houses nine classrooms, a bookstore, and educational offices, including the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Write Place, student publications, the President's Hall, and Gibbs Auditorium, which seats 275.[15] In 2019, the 4,000-square-foot Moore Family Fitness Center was opened on campus and provides students with access to aerobics machines, free weights, weight machines, and an aerobics classroom.
SMC competes in 14 intercollegiate varsity teams. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, and track and field. Women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. All 14 teams transitioned to NAIA competition beginning in the 2024-25 academic year. Men's volleyball will be introduced in the 2026-27 academic year.[16]
Accomplishments
SMC's athletic teams have won numerous regional, divisional, and national titles during their time in the NJCAA, establishing the college as a competitive athletic program. The men's soccer team won an NJCAA national championship in 1994 under coach Pete Petersen, who compiled a 78-29-6 record over six seasons at SMC and was later named national junior college coach of the year. Following the championship, Petersen left the college to coach professionally with the South Carolina Shamrocks. Since his departure, the program has experienced limited success at the national level.[17] Other teams have also competed nationally, including women's golf (three individual Top 50 finishes, 2011), men's tennis (26th place, 2010), wrestling (29th place, 2010), men's cross-country (2nd place, 2012), women's cross-country (16th place, 2009), men's and women's half-marathon (3rd place, 2012), and volleyball (16th place, 2009).
Legacy of Coach Tim Wallace
One of the most influential figures in Spartanburg Methodist College athletics was longtime head baseball coach Tim Wallace.[18] Over 34 seasons, Wallace built the Pioneers into a national contender, leading the team to 12 NJCAA Region 10 championships and seven appearances in the Division I JUCO World Series, including three straight from 2012 to 2014. He earned over 1,350 career wins, ranking fourth all-time in junior college baseball. He was inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame (2014) and the Wofford College Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to mentoring 18 NJCAA All-Americans and over 150 players who signed professional contracts, Wallace notably coached four-time MLB All-Star Orlando Hudson.[19]
Wallace stepped down in early 2025 due to health issues[20] and passed away later that year after a battle with brain cancer.[21] A celebration of life was held at SMC's Camak Auditorium, and the college established the Coach Tim Wallace Memorial Fund in his honor.
1 2 Cann, Kathy (2007). Common Ties: a History of Textile Industrial Institute, Spartanburg Junior College, and Spartanburg Methodist College. Hub City Writers Project.
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