Dr. Henrie Monteith Treadwell, along with the late Robert Anderson and James Solomon Jr., registered for classes on Sept. 11, 1963, marking the end of segregation at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Treadwell died Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the age of 80.
The three desegregation pioneers became the first Black students admitted to the university since Reconstruction. USC President Michael Amiridis praised the profound role Treadwell played in defining South Carolina's values as an institution.
In a release from the university Amiridis said, "Henrie made clear that she broke racial barriers at USC not in a spirit of fear, but with great determination and hope, knowing that she was leading a path that others must and would follow."
A lawsuit filed by Treadwell when she was 16 led to the university's integration. She became USC's first Black graduate since Reconstruction earning a degree in biochemistry.
In 2024, USC erected a 12-foot monument on the Horseshoe to honor Treadwell, Anderson and Solomon and commemorate their role in the school's history. Look back at a special "This Week in South Carolina" discussing the monument's dedication and significance to the university, the state and the nation.