2013-2014 Bill 1046: Dr. Henry N. and Mrs. Alice Carson Tisdale - South Carolina Legislature

1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 120th Session, 2013-2014 3 4 S. 1046 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 Concurrent Resolution 9 Sponsors: Senators Matthews and Hutto 10 Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\29914ab14.docx 11 12 Introduced in the Senate on February 20, 2014 13 Introduced in the House on February 25, 2014 14 Adopted by the General Assembly on February 25, 2014 15 16 Summary: Dr. Henry N. and Mrs. Alice Carson Tisdale 17 18 19 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 20 21 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 22 2/20/2014 Senate Introduced, adopted, sent to House ( Senate Journalpage 7) 23 2/25/2014 House Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence ( House Journalpage 6) 24 25 26 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 27 28 2/20/2014 29 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 10 11 TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR DR. HENRY N. TISDALE, 12 PRESIDENT OF CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY, AND MRS. ALICE 13 CARSON TISDALE, DIRECTOR OF THE HONORS COLLEGE 14 OF CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY, AND TO CONGRATULATE 15 THEM UPON BEING NAMED PEOPLE OF THE YEAR BY 16 THE TIMES AND DEMOCRAT NEWSPAPER. 17 18 Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly 19 were pleased to learn that Dr. and Mrs. Henry N. Tisdale were 20 honored as People of the Year for 2013 by the Times and 21 Democrat newspaper in Orangeburg; and 22 23 Whereas, a native of Kingstree and a magna cum laude graduate of 24 Claflin University in 1965, Dr. Tisdale returned to take the helm as 25 the eighth president of his alma mater in 1994; and 26 27 Whereas, after completing a bachelor’s in mathematics, Henry 28 Tisdale earned a master’s degree in education from Temple 29 University in 1967, during which time he taught mathematics in 30 the Philadelphia school system until 1969; and 31 32 Whereas, he served Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, 33 as a professor of mathematics from 1969 to 1985, assistant director 34 of institutional research and planning and instructor of the Summer 35 Engineering Institute from 1978 to 1985, assistant academic dean 36 for administration, planning and information management from 37 1986 to 1987, and senior vice president and chief academic officer 38 from 1987 to 1994; and 39 40 Whereas, he was awarded a master of arts degree in mathematics 41 in 1975, followed by a doctor of philosophy degree in mathematics 42 in 1978, both from Dartmouth College. In 1985, he was selected

[1046] 2 1 by the American Council on Education (ACE), Center for 2 Leadership Development in Washington, D. C., to serve as an 3 ACE Fellow in Academic Administration; and 4 5 Whereas, in the tradition of Claflin’s presidents, Dr. Tisdale has 6 been a servant leader, overseeing tremendous growth in all areas of 7 the University’s campus and academic endeavors, such as an 8 eighty-five percent increase in enrollment, the addition of critical 9 new academic majors on the undergraduate and graduate levels, 10 numerous new buildings and facilities, and extensive renovation or 11 restoration to historic buildings throughout the campus; and 12 13 Whereas, under his leadership, Forbes.com listed Claflin as the top 14 Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the country in 15 August 2008, and ranked the institution in the top four percent 16 nationally the first time the University was ranked by “America’s 17 Best Colleges.” U.S. News and World Report’s “Guidebook to 18 America’s Best Colleges” has included Claflin in the publication’s 19 “Top Tier” rankings among baccalaureategranting institutions in 20 the South for fourteen consecutive years, and in 2012, Claflin was 21 ranked among the top national liberal arts colleges and 22 universities; and 23 24 Whereas, Dr. Tisdale has been the recipient of numerous awards 25 and honors, including honorary doctorates from Hofstra University 26 in 2009, and from South Carolina State University in 2004. In 27 2008, his hometown of Kingstree erected six highway markers 28 proclaiming it the “Home of Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, The Eighth 29 President of Claflin University.” He was named the 2007 30 BellSouth Honoree and received the 2007 Milliken Medal of 31 Quality Award, the CASE (Council for Advancement for Support 32 of Education) District III Chief Executive Leadership Award, the I. 33 DeQuincey Newman Humanitarian Award, the NAFEO (National 34 Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education) 35 Distinguished Alumni Award, and the NAACP Educator of the 36 Year Award, and he served as a member of Governor Nikki 37 Haley’s Transition Team; and 38 39 Whereas, he is a member of the American Council on Education 40 Commission on Effective Leadership; the Association of 41 Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges Council of 42 Presidents; the HBCUETS Steering Committee; Williamsburg 43 County Public School Foundation; the National Advisory Board of

[1046] 3 1 the International African American Museum in Charleston, South 2 Carolina; and the Claflin University National Alumni Association; 3 and 4 5 Whereas, Dr. Tisdale serves as a member of the board of the 6 United Negro College Fund and the American Council on 7 Education Commission on Effective Leadership. He is a member 8 of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the 9 Orangeburg Rotary, and Trinity United Methodist Church; and 10 11 Whereas, his beloved wife, First Lady Alice Carson Tisdale, is a 12 native of Montgomery, Alabama, and earned a bachelor’s degree 13 in elementary education from Elizabeth City State University in 14 North Carolina and a master of education in reading diagnosis 15 from Salisbury State University in Maryland; and 16 17 Whereas, a twentyoneyear middlelevel educator in the Smyrna 18 School District in Delaware, Mrs. Tisdale received that district’s 19 Teacher of the Year award in 1986; the 1991 Superstars! In 20 Education award from the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce; 21 and the National Association of African American Programs 22 (NAAAP) Educator of the Year award from the Dover, Delaware, 23 Central Branch of the NAACP; the 2004 Outstanding Director of 24 the Year award given by the National Association of 25 AfricanAmerican Honors Programs; the 2011 Community Service 26 Award from the Delta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha 27 Fraternity, Incorporated; the 2011 IMARA Magazine Community 28 Service Award; and the 2012 Education Award from the 29 Orangeburg, South Carolina, branch of the NAACP; and 30 31 Whereas, she now serves as the director of the Claflin University 32 Honors College, where she has worked to elevate the program to a 33 premier academic status, and in 1996, the Claflin board of trustees 34 officially named the Honors College after Mrs. Tisdale in 35 recognition of her considerable contributions to the University; and 36 37 Whereas, in 2011, Mrs. Tisdale was appointed to serve on the 38 Governor’s Mansion and Lace House Commission by Governor 39 Nikki Haley, she currently serves as the board chairman of the 40 Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative; a member 41 and the cofounder/director of the Kids Praise children’s Christian 42 theater for Trinity United Methodist Church in Orangeburg; a 43 member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Beta Zeta

[1046] 4 1 Omega Chapter; and a member of The Links, Incorporated, 2 Orangeburg Chapter; and 3 4 Whereas, together Dr. and Mrs. Tisdale have reared two fine 5 children, Danica Camille Tisdale Fisher and Brandon Keith 6 Tisdale; and 7 8 Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly 9 appreciate the recognition that Dr. and Mrs. Henry Tisdale have 10 brought to Claflin University and to their community and are 11 grateful for the standard of excellence they have set in education 12 for the Palmetto State. Now, therefore, 13 14 Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 15 concurring: 16 17 That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this 18 resolution, recognize and honor Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, president of 19 Claflin University, and Mrs. Alice Carson Tisdale, director of the 20 Honors College of Claflin University, and congratulate them upon 21 being named the People of the Year by the Times and Democrat 22 newspaper. 23 24 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to 25 Mr. and Mrs. Henry Tisdale. 26 XX 27

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