Convocation will be held on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at Second Nazareth Baptist Church, 2336 Elmwood Avenue, Columbia, SC
COLUMBIA, SC – August 25, 2025 —Benedict College is proud to announce that Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, President Emeritus of Claflin University and a nationally acclaimed leader in higher education, will deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Fall Convocation. This signature event will celebrate the academic excellence and achievements of our distinguished BEST of BC scholars. The Convocation will be held Thursday, August 28 at 11:30 a.m. at the Second Nazareth Baptist Church at 2336 Elmwood Avenue, Columbia, SC.
“We are deeply honored to welcome my friend, Dr. Tisdale to our campus,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO of Benedict College. “His remarkable legacy of academic leadership and his unwavering commitment to student success will inspire our scholars as we celebrate their accomplishments and reaffirm our mission to be the BEST.”
Dr. Tisdale’s career embodies the power of vision, scholarship, and leadership. A native of Kingstree, South Carolina, he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Claflin University before pursuing advanced studies at Temple University and Dartmouth College. At Dartmouth, he made history as the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics.
In 1994, Dr. Tisdale returned to his alma mater as the eighth president of Claflin University. Over the next 25 years, his transformative leadership elevated Claflin to national prominence. Under his guidance, the university consistently ranked among the nation’s Top Ten HBCUs, while achieving record enrollment, groundbreaking research initiatives, significant campus expansion, and enhanced fiscal stability.
Dr. Tisdale’s impact has been recognized with numerous honors, including the CASE Chief Executive Leadership Award and the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. Even in retirement, he continues to shape the future of education by serving on influential boards such as the Dartmouth College Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies Advisory Board and the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics Board. He also mentors emerging leaders through the Clark Atlanta University HBCU Executive Leadership Institute.
Most recently, Dr. Tisdale authored Beyond the Western Wall: Audacious Transformation of a Small Liberal Arts College, a memoir that chronicles his bold vision and enduring contributions to higher education.
The 2025 Fall Convocation promises to be a momentous occasion, uniting the campus community in recognition of academic achievement and in anticipation of Dr. Tisdale’s inspiring message.
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About Benedict College (www.benedict.edu)
Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution offering 29 competitive baccalaureate degree programs and two master’s degree programs. The Midlands HBCU welcomes students from several counties in South Carolina, states across America, and countries around the world. The College also has a diverse faculty deeply engaged in teaching, research, and service.
Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. Benedict College is the recipient of the 2024 UNCF Institutional Excellence Award given by UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building Program in celebration of an HBCU that achieved next-level performance. Benedict was also named HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest and was listed among the top half of ranked HBCUs in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges by US News and World Report.
Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Five of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: Social Work Program, Environmental Health Science Program, Environmental Engineering, Studio Art, and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.