S C T E CHN I CA L CO L L E G E S Y S T EM ’ S
F I R S T 5 0 Y EAR S
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The 1960s
M O B I L I Z I N G A G R E A T R E S O U R C E
building, a really unattractive building, unfortunately, no windows
in it. The great part though was working with Tom Barton, Don
Garrison, and Lex Walters—those great icons of the system.”
Back then Greenville Tech wasn’t the most popular place on the
block. “Right across the street was the first McDonald’s in South
Carolina,” said Hudgins. “McDonald’s had more people visiting it
than we had coming to Greenville Tech. I’m sure TomBarton had us
over there passing out brochures where you could get hamburgers
for fifteen cents a piece.”
In its early days, the school had 280 full-time and part-time stu-
dents and three divisions: technical, industrial, and extension. Staff
consisted of twelve full-time and twenty part-time instructors and
three full-time administrators.
FOOLING THE GOVERNOR
Hudgins saw the system grow from one building into a part of
mainline education in South Carolina. “I lived through the days
when counselors used to tell students, ‘If you don’t do better you’re
going to end up at the technical college or the reformatory.’”
Or you might end up playing tricks on the governor. Fred Fore,
yet another “boy president,” was the founding president (1963-1988)
of Florence-Darlington Technical College. In 1962, he worked for
Hollings and remembers how “Black Cat” Barton fooled the gover-
nor one afternoon.
“Fritz called me one day and said, ‘I want to see that little training
school in Greenville you talked me into putting Barton in.’”
Fore called Tom. “The governor wants to look at your program.”
“Oh my gosh,” said Barton.
Hollings and Fore arrived that afternoon. “Tom, are you all
squared away,” asked Fore.
“Yeah, I’m all fixed.” Barton briefed the governor and said, “Let
me show you some of the classrooms.”
York TEC
Horry-Georgetown TEC
Piedmont TEC
Chesterfield-Marlboro TEC
