“C” is for Charleston Southern University

  “C” is for Charleston Southern University. Charleston Southern University is a private, liberal arts university affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Its roots can be traced to the 1950s, when interest in a Baptist college for the lowcountry became apparent among the churches in that area. A charter was obtained in 1960 and in 1964 the South Carolina Baptist Convention accepted the new Baptist College at Charleston as an institution of the convention.  Initially, classes were held in local churches and a downtown hotel. In 1966 a new campus opened north of the city in Charleston County. The first degrees were awarded in 1968 and regional accreditation was received in 1970. In1990, the school’s name was changed. By the early twenty-first century, more than 2,500 students were enrolled at Charleston Southern University.