Morris College’s longest sitting president ever retiring

After 43 years on the job, the longest serving president of one South Carolina historically black college will step down this summer.

Luns C. Richardson, a native of Hartsville, announced at an Oct. 29 board of trustees meeting that he will retire as president of Morris College on June 30, according to a news release from the college.

After his retirement, the board will name an interim president and begin the process of selecting its next president.

Richardson is the ninth president of the college and has been serving in that position since 1974. He also served as pastor of Thankful Baptist Church in Bamberg for 56 years.

“Dr. Richardson has worked tirelessly to maintain financial stability, increase student enrollment, initiate new academic majors, organize divisions, secure accreditation of academic programs, expand the college’s technological infrastructure and establish an Army ROTC unit (under the auspices of the University of South Carolina),” the release stated.

Morris College was founded in 1908 and is owned and operated by the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of South Carolina.

It is also the only historically black institution of eight pilot school selected to participate in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College’s new Principles of Accreditation.

The college hosted a visit from Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday.

The college also made headlines back in 2010 for receiving its largest ever gift of $10 million from a lottery winner.

It now has an annual operating budget of $21 million and has more than $60 million in total assets, the release stated.