Fifteen years ago, Dr. Henry N. Tisdale returned to Orangeburg to lead his alma mater.

Since then, Claflin University has advanced on many fronts. And its eighth president continues to move forward.

Tisdale said from the outset he "would give it my best as long as I could offer something to Claflin."

He believes he still can.

Tisdale's journey began at a farm in Kingstree, long before prestigious prefixes like doctor or president were attached to his name.

It was there that the son of Walter and Willar first learned how to juggle multiple tasks. His objectives then were to help out on the farm, study and attend church.

"We worked hard. We didn't have a lot of money," he said of farm life.

In first grade, Tisdale didn't actually perform like a future college president.

His teacher gave him a set of reading assignments for the entire school year. Tisdale read them all in a week.

"The teacher wasn't quite sure what to do with me," Tisdale said.

His teacher made him reread the books. He quickly became bored.

"I did very little from then on," Tisdale said.

In spite of his inactivity, Tisdale was promoted to the second grade. But his mother was less than pleased.

Willar Tisdale had stressed the importance of an education to young Henry and his sister.

She sent him to Cane Branch Elementary School and made him repeat first grade. Cane Branch was a private school that Tisdale's family and other community leaders built to ensure African Americans had the opportunity to learn.

Every day, he had to walk four miles to school.

By sixth grade, Tisdale had gotten back on track academically. His principal decided to promote him to the eight grade.

"I made up my year I had lost," he said.

From adolescence

to manhood

By high school, Tisdale had become a star of the classroom and the basketball court.

He went to an all-black school, despite the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education ruling that made segregation unconstitutional.

Tisdale said his school didn't offer basic courses like chemistry or biology.

"Coming out of that, it was challenging. I think everyone recognized my potential and encouraged me to stay focused," he said.

Unlike first grade, Tisdale did just that.

He graduated as valedictorian.

He credited his upbringing and family for making that happen.

"Coming from a farm environment, you to work hard and I understood in life if you're going to get anywhere, you have to work hard. There is no golden key. If you tried and it didn't work, you did it again. I had a very loving family," he said.

It was time for Tisdale to consider colleges. He applied to several institutions. His high school principal, James McAllister, convinced Tisdale to attend Claflin.

Tisdale admits he wasn't certain that Claflin was the best place for him. But those thoughts quickly evaporated when got there.

"I came to Claflin and from day one and I remembered just having a great feeling for the situation," he said.

In spite of being a mathematics major, Tisdale said his greatest influence at Claflin was his English teacher.

Alethia Worthy challenged Tisdale to improve his speaking skills and take courses outside of his major in order to make him a well-rounded student.

"Mrs. Worthy was a mentor that came to me very early on. ... She saw weaknesses I needed to work on and she would say to me we would not do these things during class periods. These were things I would have to do outside of class," Tisdale said.

Tisdale accepted Worthy's challenge and got involved in a campus theatre group. He also met with older students to learn about subjects Worthy thought Tisdale needed to know about.

He said the faculty at Claflin made him feel like he was the only one in class.

In the 1960s, Claflin only had an enrollment of 500 students. Tisdale recalls the members of the Claflin community were like a family.

"It was a place where doors were open and people were warm and inviting. Everyone knew everyone," Tisdale said.

Although he didn't appreciate it at the time, Tisdale said the religious aspect at Claflin was a highlight. Great guest speakers and cultural programs often filled students' heads with wisdom.

He noted the student body was also heavily engaged in the Civil Rights Movement. He said it shaped many of his views today.

In 1965, the Henry Tisdale that came to Claflin four years earlier was a different man.

"I had the confidence that I could do anything that I wanted to do. It was that sense of confidence that I think made the greatest difference," he said.

Coming back

and making a difference

Tisdale spent four years as a math teacher in Philadelphia after graduating magna cum laude from Claflin in 1965. He then moved on to serve in a variety of capacities at Delaware State University the next 24 years. During that time, he earned two master's degrees and his doctorate from Dartmouth College, an Ivy League school, and married Alice in 1977.

Balancing a marriage while working and pursuing a doctorate was a tough act. To escape the rigors of his busy life, Tisdale used to have an interesting hobby.

"I used to get a lot of relaxation out of pretending to be a DJ. ... When I turned my DJ on, it was either popular music or jazz," he said.

Tisdale wouldn't waste any time when he took the helm as the eighth president of Claflin in 1994.

Only half of the faculty had terminal degrees in their respective fields. No programs at Claflin were nationally accredited and the appearance of the campus needed an uplift, he said.

"I came to Claflin with an idea we wanted to make some things happen. I came with a commitment to give my best," he said.

He knew he couldn't do it alone. Tisdale first asked faculty to identify areas of excellence at Claflin. He calls the relationship with the university's employees, "a partnership from day one."

Tisdale also said the Claflin board of trustees was very supportive and provided him with the necessary resources to carry out his vision.

But Tisdale's greatest teammate in what he calls "our noble ministry at Claflin University" is his wife, Alice.

Alice Tisdale was a accomplished educator in Delaware before coming to Claflin with her husband.

She became director of Claflin's honors program and swiftly turned it into an honor's college.

Tisdale also sought his wife's interior decorating talents to generate a theme throughout campus.

"She's a very special person. I'm very fortunate to have her as my wife," he said.

The team concept Tisdale espoused led to quick results.

Claflin now has a dozen academic programs that have received prestigious accreditations and 80 percent of Claflin's faculty hold terminal degrees.

"These are programs we hadn't thought of 15 years ago, like biotechnology and computer engineering," he said. "We are known for having a very strong and capable faculty."

The student population is larger, more diverse and academically stronger, he said.

What started off as a capital campaign to raise $20 million earlier this decade ended up being a $30 million endeavor for the university.

Tisdale described the construction of the dormitory Kleist Hall in 1997 as one of the proudest moments of his presidency.

"That single building was the beginning of transforming what this campus was going to look like in the future," he said. Numerous other buildings have been erected on campus.

The ceremony that commemorated the opening of the James and Dorothy Z. Elmore Chapel was a touchstone moment for Tisdale.

It started at the site of the old T. Witty Lewis Chapel that was dismantled in 1968. A procession of clergy, bishops and students then walked to the new chapel.

"That was a special and moving moment to me at Claflin University," he said.

He notes reaching these plateaus wouldn't have been possible without, "a great partnership with the Orangeburg community."

Recently, Forbes Magazine recognized Claflin as the nation's top historically black college and university. Tisdale says he's extremely pleased the university is now getting national acknowledgement.

Tisdale has gotten some recent recognition himself.

Last September, his hometown of Kingstree dedicated six highway markers in his honor that declared the town the "Home of Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, Eighth President of Claflin University."

Willar Tisdale still lives in Kingstree and her son visits there often.

"When I drive, it's a little strange but quite humbling and quite an honor to see my name listed," he said. "It's not something I expected would happened but I do feel honored when I see that."

Tisdale expects more milestones for his alma mater down the road. He points out the institution has the potential to do breakthrough research in areas like alternative fuels, cancer and HIV/AIDS.

He says his own journey -- and that of the institution that got him there -- still has some chapters remaining.

"I would like to see Claflin recognized as among the best in the world in terms of its teaching and research," Tisdale said.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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