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"B" is for Busbee, Cyril B. (1908-2001

South Carolina From A to Z
SC Public Radio

"B" is for Busbee, Cyril B. (1908-2001). Educator. In his early years Busbee was a teacher, coach, and administrator in various schools in Georgia and South Carolina. In 1943 he moved to Brookland-Cayce Schools (later Lexington District Two), where he rose to superintendent. After service in World War II he returned to the district where he remained as superintendent for twenty-one years. As an administrator, he was considered quite teacher-oriented. In 1966, he was elected state Superintendent of Education and was twice re-elected—serving until 1979. During his tenure the state had to create a unitary school system instead of the racially separate systems that had been in place prior to the 1954 Brown decision. Cyril B. Busbee’s calm, moderate leadership as superintendent proved a great asset that helped school districts make a relatively calm transition.

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Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.