“M” is for Maxcy, Jonathan (1768-1820). College president, minister. A native of Massachusetts, Maxy graduated from the Rhode Island College (later Brown University) in 1787. Five years later he was named the president of the college. In 1802 he became president of Union College in New York. Seeking a warmer climate for his health, he accepted the presidency of the new South Carolina College in 1804 and welcomed the first students and faculty in 1805. Maxcy was professor of belles lettres, criticism, and metaphysics and a member of the board of trustees. During his presidency, academic standards were raised and the college expanded to seven buildings. Deeply committed to the principle of religious toleration, he believed that neither civil harmony nor salvation required doctrinal consensus. After Jonathan Maxcy’s death, a marble obelisk was dedicated in his honor.
“M” is for Maxcy, Jonathan (1768-1820)
