The Very First President of SCSU

Thomas E. Miller was the very first president of South Carolina State University. He died the same year that the building was named after him. Miller Hall is the building that he was named after. According to Avery Daniels it was built by students that went to the school. Thomas was a leader for the civil rights movement. Thomas was adopted by his mom who was a fair skinned women, which is light skinned African American. No one really knew what race Miller was, but he claimed to have Black in him. He was named after a slave master and born in Ferrebeeville, South Carolina.

Thomas Miller was born June 17, 1849 and died April 8, 1938. On his tombstone it has a quote that he said before his passing. Miller said, "I served God and all the people loving the white man not less, but the negro needed me the most." Thomas Miller believed that Blacks needed him the most. Maybe he feels as though he helped out the African Americans at the time. Him being a White man in the slavery times is good that he helped out African Americans. I am not aware of what all he did for the Black students at South Carolina State University, but it seems as though it was for the better. 

Some may not know this, but SCSU was known to be South Carolina State College. However, even before that it was called something different. It was known as Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina. Yes that is right, what we now know as South Carolina State University used to be known as something totally different. Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina is what the school was named since 1896 to 1954.