April 12 …
Voorhees University is a private historically Black university located in Denmark, South Carolina, with origins closely tied to the Episcopal Church’s educational missions in the post-Reconstruction era.
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The institution began as Denmark Industrial School — founded on April 12, 1897 — by educator and church leader Elizabeth Evelyn Wright to provide educational opportunities for Black children in rural South Carolina. The school became one of the state’s most important centers of Black education during the Jim Crow era and eventually evolved into a four-year university.
Founder Elizabeth Evelyn Wright was born in Talbotton, Georgia, and trained at Tuskegee Institute under the influence of Booker T. Washington. Inspired by Washington’s emphasis on education and self-help, Wright traveled to South Carolina to teach African American children despite fierce local opposition. After several relocations and considerable financial hardship, she established the Denmark Industrial School.
The school initially operated in a modest building with only a handful of students, but Wright’s determination drew support from both Black and white benefactors. Among the most important supporters was Ralph Voorhees, a New Jersey philanthropist whose financial contributions helped secure land, build structures, and stabilize the institution’s finances.
The school’s growth was also aided by Wright’s friendships with prominent reformers and educators, including Booker T. Washington and northern church leaders who helped raise funds for the institution. Following Wright’s death in 1906 at age 34, school officials renamed the institution Voorhees Industrial School in honor of Ralph Voorhees.
The school continued to expand throughout the 20th century, adding secondary and collegiate programs. In 1924, it affiliated with the Episcopal Church, a relationship that brought additional support and strengthened its educational mission. The institution was later renamed Voorhees School and Junior College, then Voorhees College in 1962, and finally Voorhees University in 2022.
Voorhees has produced graduates distinguished in public service, education, religion, and the arts. Among its notable alumni are the following individuals.
- Clementa C. Pinckney, who graduated in 1995, served in the South Carolina Senate, and led Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church until his death in 2015.
- Marion Christopher Blakey (Class of 1955) became a prominent leader in the Episcopal Church.
- Educator and civil rights advocate Willie Jeffries earned his bachelor’s degree from Voorhees in 1957 and later became the first African American head football coach at a predominantly white Division I university.
The university has also educated numerous ministers, teachers, military personnel, and community leaders whose service reflects the institution’s historic mission.
Today, Voorhees enrolls several hundred students and offers bachelor’s degree programs in business administration, criminal justice, biology, education, health sciences, computer science, and interdisciplinary studies. Recent academic initiatives have expanded opportunities in STEM disciplines, workforce development, and online education. The university continues to emphasize small classes, individualized instruction, and community engagement while maintaining its Episcopal affiliation.
More than a century after its founding, Voorhees University remains a testament to Elizabeth Evelyn Wright’s belief that education could be a powerful instrument for racial uplift and community transformation.
Selected Sources:
- Voorhees University. “History and Traditions.” Denmark, SC.
- Miller, Chalmers M. “Elizabeth Evelyn Wright and the Founding of Voorhees School.” South Carolina Historical Magazine 85, no. 4 (1984): 215–229
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