Henry and Alice Tisdale may not think they make an extra-super team, but the Orangeburg County community thinks differently.
Dr. Tisdale, president of Claflin University, and his beloved wife, who serves as director of the university's Honors College, have helped position Claflin among Southeast's premier liberal arts institutions.
Their devotion to the university has extended to the community, with the I. DeQuincey Newman Humanitarian Award being among the president's numerous awards and recognitions. Mrs. Tisdale has also volunteered her time to civic activities, including speaking to fifth-graders during the Orangeburg County Community of Character's Outstanding Character Recognition Program and co-chairing the university's annual scholarship gala.
It is their dedication to working together for the common goal of strengthening the university and community that has earned their designation as the exemplification of cooperation for the month of February as part of the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative.
It is an honor for which they are both thankful and appreciative.
"Any time you're singled out by your community for an honor, it is very special. We are both committed to teamwork. To be selected for the category of cooperation is especially meaningful for both of us," Tisdale said.
"When we talk about cooperation, it's really teamwork," Mrs. Tisdale said. "Everybody is involved in the equation, and everybody plays a part in the success."
Dr. Tisdale said he and his wife shared a common vision when he took the helm as the university's eighth president in 1994.
"Our vision of Claflin is one of the premier liberal arts institutions, and our commitment is to do the things that would help to move the institution toward that particular target of excellence. One of the main programs that we have ... that is very instrumental in bringing about change and making who we are today is the Honors College. The First Lady directs it, and I'm very supportive of it as she is in the things that I do," he said.
"You can't live in a community and not serve the community. Teamwork goes beyond just Claflin University," Mrs. Tisdale said. "What I did for the fifth-grade character program is what I had been doing all along on the campus of the school districts, churches and different organizations. I just try to bring a positive message to students ... and help them to understand they can reach their potential."
"The Community of Character program is one of the most important programs we have ... because it says that we feel responsible for our children as a community. I like the idea that the community is involved in helping children to reach their potential," she said.
Dr. Tisdale said he and his wife have also practiced cooperation during their 30-year marriage.
"When we first got married, I was still in graduate school. Alice was working, so she supported me there. She then went to graduate school after I completed, and I supported her. Of course, we then had our children. It took teamwork to make that happen," he said. "That was just part of how we operated before we came to Claflin, and it just continued."
They are the parents of two children: Danica Camille and Brandon Keith.
"Alice and I have been involved in a number of things here at the university. She and I cowrote the parting ceremony that we now have for our freshman college, and it is a tradition here at the university. We get involved in other community outreach-type programs involving special baskets during Thanksgiving, or special gifts for seniors, children and families during Christmas time," Dr. Tisdale said. "These are things that we do together in support of each other as a family."
Mrs. Tisdale said her and Dr. Tisdale's parents played a pivotal role in setting an example of what cooperation really means. While both of their fathers are deceased, Mrs. Tisdale's mother, Virginia, lives in Dover, Del. Dr. Tisdale's mother, Willar, still lives in his native Kingstree.
"We had role models as parents. Up until the time that my father and my husband's father died, both of our parents were married over 50 years. That's exemplary," she said. "When we went into our marriage, that's just the way we wanted our marriage to be."
"I grew up on a farm. My dad was a farmer and, of course, it was teamwork," Dr. Tisdale said. "My mother helped, and we all helped. It took the whole family to make it happen. That's what I saw. That was a part of the family, and that's what we knew."
He said is grateful for the Community of Character for recognizing the importance of cooperation and other character traits throughout the year.
"I believe ... that it's making a difference in terms of who we are as an Orangeburg community. I believe we are so much better today because of this program, and I'm just thankful to those who make it happen," he said.
T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.