USC named its first building after a person of color. Here’s what to know about her

A University of South Carolina dormitory that houses roughly 300 students will soon bear the name Celia Dial Saxon. She’s the first person of color to have a building named for her on USC’s campus.

But who was she?

While the specific wording of the dorm, located at 700 Lincoln St., is yet to be decided, Saxon’s legacy as an educator, organizer, civil rights activist and more made her one of South Carolina’s most celebrated educators.

Born a slave just a block from USC’s antebellum campus, Saxon graduated from USC during Reconstruction and went on to teach for 57 years at Booker T. Washington High School, Benedict College and South Carolina A&M College (now S.C. State University). She helped found a school, an orphanage, co-founded a federation of women’s clubs and a YMCA branch, according to USC’s website.

Saxon was one of the first people to graduate from USC’s Normal School after it was integrated during Reconstruction. The Normal School was USC’s program to train teachers. Shortly after graduating, she began teaching at Howard School, a public school for Black children formed during Reconstruction.

In one particularly outstanding feat, in her 57 years of teaching she only missed three days of school, according to USC’s website.

While on campus, she also knew Richard Greener, USC’s first Black professor, said Bobby Donaldson, a USC history professor who specializes in civil rights.

“She was among an extraordinary cohort of aspiring African American students at our university,” Donaldson said.

Walter Edgar, a USC history professor, noted that Saxon was not only one of the first Black students to attend USC, but also one of the first women.

City of Columbia Women, a local group that seeks to promote the histories of local women leaders, called Saxon the “most celebrated educator, black or white, in Columbia.”

Alex English, an NBA Hall of Fame player, Columbia native and the USC board of trustees member who spearheaded the movement to name the dorm after Saxon, said he agrees Saxon was Columbia’s most prominent educator of all time.

English, a Columbia native who attended Celia D. Saxon Elementary School, said he was particularly inspired by Saxon being one of the first graduates of the university’s normal school.

“I felt she should be one of the first considerations for naming a building,” English said.

Saxon is the first person of color to have a building on campus named after her, USC spokesman Jeff Stensland said in a text message. For English’s part, he expects to see more campus buildings named from an official list of dozens of prominent Black figures with USC ties.

“We’ve got a huge list and we’re still adding to the list,” English said. “There’s still so many people who should be recognized.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 3:16 PM.