Rep. Clyburn hosts gala to raise money for S.C. State
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn (DSC) held a holiday gala Friday in Spartanburg to raise money for an endowment he has established at South Carolina State University.

Clyburn and his wife, Emily, have set a $5 million goal for an archives and history endowment. The Clyburns, 1957 S.C. State graduates, established the endowment to provide additional funding at their alma mater.

The Clyburns have raised $1.7 million for the endowment to date. It is the first endowment in the 109-year history of the 4,500-student historically black college in Orangeburg.

The endowment will provide scholarships, exhibit areas to showcase historic documents, funding to host conferences and visits from prominent academic scholars and partner with public schools and libraries to promote South Carolina history.

Gaffney resident Naomi Stanley, a S.C. State University graduate, is among more than 400 people who attended Friday's black tie fundraising effort.

Stanley said she hopes the endowment will help provide more education opportunities for local students who attend S.C. State University in the future.

"This is a worthy cause. There are a lot of S.C. State graduates in this area," Stanley said. "The holiday gala was a wonderful event. I hope more people will get behind the effort to help make this endowment a reality."

Event organizers include S.C. State Board of Trustees Schylver Foster and Linda Edwards-Duncan, both of Gaffney.

The event emcee was actor Hill Harper, who plays Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on the "CSI:NY" television series. Music entertainment was provided by 2007 Miss South Carolina Crystal Garrett and Morris Robinson, a former Citadel football player who is now an opera singer.

Jim Clyburn has said he plans to hold large fundraisers for the endowment every two years. The next fundraiser will be held in Charleston.