James L. Solomon Archive
Documentary Materials Collection
This archive contains documentary materials related to James L. Solomon Jr. (1930-2024), one of three students who desegregated the University of South Carolina in 1963.
Related Publication: Jesse Leo Kass, "James L. Solomon and the end of segregation at the University of South Carolina," Notices Amer. Math. Soc. 67 (2020), no. 2, 192–200.
Photo of James Solomon from South Carolina State Library holdings.
Biographical Information
- Born: August 24, 1930, McDonough, Georgia
- Died: November 29, 2024
- Education:
- Morris Brown College (one year)
- Morris College (B.S. Chemistry)
- Atlanta University (M.S.)
- University of South Carolina (M.A. Mathematics, 1965)
- Military Service: U.S. Air Force during Korean War, stationed in Okinawa, Japan
- Academic Positions: Morris College (1960-1973): Instructor, Professor, Department Chairman, Chairman of Natural Science Division, Acting Academic Dean, Vice-President of Institutional Planning and Research
- Government Service: State Agency Director; Division Director, Commission on Higher Education; Commissioner, Department of Social Services (1984-1992)
- Elected Offices: Sumter District 17 School Board; Richland County One School Board (Chairman); Richland County Council
Mathematics of James Solomon
Master's Thesis:
- Lectures in the theory of functions of a complex variable, Part III, M.S. Thesis, Atlanta University, August 1960.
Published Work:
- Trigg, C. W., et al. Problems and Solutions. Solution 446, Mathematics Magazine, vol. 35, no. 1, 1962, pp. 55-64.
Professional Activities:
- News and Notices SIAM Review, vol. 9, no. 2, 1967, pp. 270-287. Notice of Solomon's membership in the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.
- Academic Members Elected into the Association The American Mathematical Monthly, vol. 77, no. 9, 1970, pp. 1047-1048. Notice of the election of Morris College into the Mathematical Association of America.
NSF-Funded Program:
- The Cooperative College-School Science Program - Solomon developed and directed this NSF-funded program for elementary school teachers, which ran in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, and 1973.
Commission on Higher Education Documents
Documents authored by Solomon during his tenure as Division Director at the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Holdings at South Carolina State Library.
- Inventory of physical facilities in South Carolina postsecondary institutions : fall of 1974. Columbia, S.C.: The Commission, [1975]. 43 pages.
- Report of the funding of postsecondary institutions in South Carolina under Title VI-A and Title VII-A of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended for fiscal years 1965 through 1976. Columbia, S.C.: South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, 1976. xi, 37 pages.
Recorded Speeches of James Solomon
Transcriptions by Carol McCain. Holdings at South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina.
- "All Signed Up" Remembering The Desegregation of the University of South Carolina (2004)
- From Brown To Now: I Dream Of Freedom (2004)
- Black History Month: A Time To Remember, A Time Of Rededication (1983)
- School district chairman acceptance speech (The State newspaper, p. 30, January 5, 1977)
- To be a Morrisite or to live a liberated life in pursuit of consciousness (1977)
- Life is a song worth singing so sing it (April 1, 1974)
- Speech during 1970 school board campaign (June 7, 1970)
- Concession speech during 1969 school board campaign (1969)
- Speech during 1969 school board campaign (1969)
Video Recordings
- University of South Carolina marks 50th anniversary of desegregation (September 11, 2013, YouTube, uploaded by University of South Carolina)
- University dedicates garden to commemorate desegregation (September 11, 2013, YouTube, uploaded by University of South Carolina)
- CityLight Prayer Breakfast (April 3, 1969, YouTube, uploaded by Ecumenical Church Worldwide)
Recorded Interviews with James Solomon
- Interview conducted by Robert Moore, September 11 and September 17, 2002. Archived by the Oral History Department at the University of South Carolina.
Press Coverage
Profiles & Features
- James Solomon, Mathematically Gifted and Black
Obituaries (2024)
- James L. Solomon Jr. leaves behind lasting legacy at South Carolina, USC News & Events, December 5, 2024
- James Solomon Jr., one of the first students to desegregate USC, dies at 94, WIS TV, November 30, 2024
- James Solomon Jr., USC desegregation pioneer, dies at 94, WLTX, November 30, 2024
- James Solomon Jr. broke barriers at USC, leaving a lasting legacy, WCNC, December 2024
- USC civil rights pioneer James Solomon dies at 94, ColaDaily, December 2, 2024
- Honoring pioneers, Carolina Panorama, December 11, 2024
Monument Unveiling (2024)
- USC unveils monument honoring desegregation trailblazers, USC News & Events, April 19, 2024
- USC unveils monument honoring 60th anniversary of desegregation, The Daily Gamecock, April 20, 2024
- USC reveals monument honoring desegregation trailblazers, ABC News 4, April 19, 2024
- USC statue honors trailblazers who desegregated the university, Post and Courier, April 19, 2024
60th Anniversary (2023)
- USC observes 60th anniversary of desegregation, The Times and Democrat, September 12, 2023
- 60 YEARS OF DESEGREGATION: USC honors three trailblazers at commemoration ceremony, ABC Columbia, September 11, 2023
50th Anniversary (2013-2014)
- USC marks 50 years since desegregation, Post and Courier, September 2013
- Breaking down barriers, SC Living, February 1, 2014
- Photo Gallery: USC closes out 50th anniversary desegregation program with commemorative garden ceremony, ColaDaily, April 13, 2014
Commemoration Events
2019 Mathematics Commemoration
- Event Website
- Held at University of South Carolina, April 2019
- Press Coverage: