USC to Erect Statue of First African-American Professor

Richard Greener

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  – The University of South Carolina wants to erect a statue in honor of the school’s first African-American professor.

The State reports that the university is hosting a free celebration of Richard T. Greener’s life at 4 p.m. Monday. University officials are hoping to raise money for the statue and an endowment that would pay for future public lectures and programs that relate to Greener’s “pioneering spirit and contributions.”

The school will also unveil a 2-foot-tall model of the statue during the gathering. It is expected to be erected next to the Thomas Cooper Library.

In 1870, Greener became the first African-American to graduate from Harvard University. Three years later, he became the first African-American on USC’s faculty, teaching classics, math and constitutional history.