University Archives Finding Aid

Historical Note

Lander University began as Williamston Female College in 1872. Williamston was founded by Samuel Lander who served as the college’s first president. In 1898, the college became a part of the Methodist Conference. Because of its increasing size and the recruitment efforts by local leaders in Greenwood, the college relocated to Greenwood, South Carolina in 1903, where it stands today as an accredited, four-year public university. In that year, the college also changed its name to Lander College. In 1906, the Methodist Conference assumed full sponsorship of the college until 1948 when the county became Lander’s financial sponsor. Greenwood County supported Lander until 1973, when the college became a state-supported university.

Scope and Contents Note

The Lander Archives serve as the institution’s memory. It organizes and preserves the documents, both in print and digital, which the state of South Carolina mandates a state university to preserve. In addition, the archives contain records and materials that reflect Lander’s history. The Lander University Archives house: University Publications, such as campus newspapers, campus magazines, yearbooks, catalogs, and literary magazines; historical issues of regional, state, and national newspapers; university accreditation reports and files; press releases related to Lander; scrapbooks; correspondence from the university’s Presidents Office and Academic Affairs; Alumni Affairs records; Faculty Senate meeting minutes; academic departmental records; photographs; and documents, letters, and regalia related to the university’s history.