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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8 7
The 1990s
A H I G H E R R O L E I N E D U C A T I O N
Sensing a good story, a radio station up Greenville’s way called
Morris, who explained why the state board did not endorse it.
Listening to that radio program was Barton. “And he was angry,”
said Morris. “He called me and chewed me out for talking to his
media outlet.”
Morris replied, “I have a statewide responsibility, Tom, and
if the issue is in your community, I’m going to be there, pro or
con.”
Things turned out fine though.
“When I came to the system after serving at Midlands,” said
Morris, “the first person who called me was Tom. I didn’t know
whether to take his call or not, but he called to offer his support,
and when I needed something, I’d call Tom. ‘Now Tom, this is
going to come up on the agenda at the presidents’ meeting. I need
you to support it. Don’t just sit there and vote for it, say some-
thing.’ He said, ‘You got it.’ He was my biggest fan.”
The perils attending the changing colleges’ name were not
lightly considered. It was risky business to seek change in these
hallowed areas.
Dr. Jim Hudgins served as president of Midlands Technical
College from 1986 to 1999. He remembers when the name con-
troversy landed him in hot water. “The closest I ever came to
being fired was 1996. With 100 percent support of my board and
92 percent support of superintendents, principals, and counsel-
ors, I went to the state board and asked permission to change
the name of Midlands Technical College to Midlands Commu-
nity College. We believed—as those superintendents and coun-
selors that supported the proposal did—that it would help us
reach more students who would come and take our technical
programs.”
Hudgins explains the problem. “The word ‘tech,’ while hav-
ing a positive image in manufacturing, has a negative orientation
in schools that bused people to the vocational center. ‘Tech’ got
associated with that. Our board chairman almost had a heart at-
tack over that.”
Governor David Beasley (1995-1999) called Hudgins: “Jim,
what are you doing?”
“The perception,” said Hudgins, “was that I was trying to be-
come a junior college. I was trying to do what I thought we were
about, and that was to reach and better serve students. That was
my introduction to community college, and in a way I was proud
of it even though I didn’t get the result I wanted, because we did
it the right way and for the right reason.”
A MAVERICK IN WAITING
The name game, a cauldron of dissent, would not stop ef-
fervescing. In the decade to come, one nonconforming college
would
change its name. Pendleton’s Samuel Augustus Maverick
became an ornery Texas rancher, a “maverick,” who signed the
Texas Declaration of Independence. Thus, did “maverick” enrich
our language and thus would “community college” one day de-
scribe an upstate college.
Dr. Marilyn J. “Murph” Fore, senior vice president for aca-
demic affairs at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, takes a
stand on the name issue, and she doesn’t mince words. “I find
1993 1994
1993:
Construction began on the first American BMW plant
in Greer, SC with the first American-made BMW rolling
off the assembly line the following year.
1994:
Michael B. McCall was appointed executive director of
the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education.
