Bettis Academy

Bettis Academy and Junior College, a private school for African Americans, was founded in 1881 by Rev. Alexander Bettis, a former slave who was taught to read by his owner's wife but was never taught to write. A Baptist minister, he established Bettis Academy on religious principles and Christian character and served as the school's president until his death on May 13, 1895. It began in a one-room frame structure with one teacher and a few students. Along with its religious principles, the academy emphasized teacher education and industrial training. The school was incorporated in 1889 and accredited as a junior college in 1933. By the time it closed in 1952, Bettis had 14 major buildings and some 350 acres of land.

South Carolina · United States