Converse University

	Converse College Historic District
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. Historic district
Location	580 E. Main St., Spartanburg, South Carolina
Area	20 acres (8.1 ha)
Built	1891-1915
Architect	Hook, Charles
Architectural style	Late Gothic Revival, Romanesque, Richardson Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	75001706
Added to NRHP	November 12, 1975

Converse College
Type	Women's Undergraduate College. Co-Ed Graduate Programs
Established	1889
Endowment	$68.29 million
President	Elizabeth A. Fleming
Students	1,938
Undergraduates	800
Postgraduates	1,165
Location	Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA; 34°57′16.59″N 81°55′01.51″W / 34.9546083°N 81.9170861°W
Campus	Urban; 70 acres (0.3 km2)
Colors	Purple and Gold
Affiliations	Conference Carolinas
Mascot	Valkyries
Website	converse.edu

Converse College is a liberal arts women's college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. It was established by a group of Spartanburg citizens and named after textile pioneer Dexter Edgar Converse.

History

Converse College opened on October 1, 1889 with a student body of 168 and 16 faculty members. The College operated as a "stock company" with the board of directors composed entirely of citizens of Spartanburg. Dexter Edgar Converse, a native of Vermont who had settled in Spartanburg before the American Civil War and had become a successful pioneer in the cotton mill industry, served as the head of the first board of directors. On January 2, 1892 fire destroyed the College's main building. The building was enlarged during its reconstruction. In 1896, the College was incorporated in South Carolina and a self-perpetuating board of trustees was named. In 1964, the College introduced graduate programs.

The Converse College Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.^[2] It encompasses eight contributing buildings dated between 1891 and 1915. They are the Main Building (1892), Annex (Pell Hall, 1891), Twichell Auditorium (1898-1899), Carnegie Library (1905), Cleveland House (c. 1905), Judd Science Hall (1915), Dexter Hall (1899), and Towne House (1898). The buildings are representative of the Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, and Neo-Classical styles.^[3]^[4]

Description

It has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 800 women who come from throughout the United States. The graduate enrollment of approximately 1,200 students is made up of both men and women.

Departments

Art and Design
Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
Economics, Accounting, and Business
Education
English/Creative and Professional Writing
Languages, Cultures, and Literature
Health and Physical Education
History and Politics
Mathematics and Computer Science
Psychology
Religion and Philosophy
Theatre and Dance
Music

Athletics

Converse College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II. The Valkyries are a member of the Conference Carolinas. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, golf, tennis, swimming and volleyball.

Presidents

Name	Years served
Benjamin F. Wilson	1890–1902
Robert Paine Pell	1902–1932
Edward Moseley Gwathmey	1933–1955
Oliver Cromwell Carmichael, Jr.	1956–1960
Robert T. Coleman, Jr.	1961–1989
Ellen Wood Hall	1989–1993
Sandra C. Thomas	1994–1998
Nancy Oliver Gray	1999–2005
Elizabeth A. Fleming	2006—

Notes

^ As of June 30, 2013. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2013 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2013". 2013 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ Mary Ann Eaddy and Georgianna Graham (May 1975). "Converse Heights Historic District" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
^ "Converse College Historic District, Spartanburg County (Spartanburg)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 2014-07-01. and accompanying map

External links

[1] As of June 30, 2013. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2013 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2013". 2013 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved September 16, 2014.

[nris-2] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

[nrhpinv-3] Mary Ann Eaddy and Georgianna Graham (May 1975). "Converse Heights Historic District" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved 2014-07-01.

[scdah-4] "Converse College Historic District, Spartanburg County (Spartanburg)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 2014-07-01. and accompanying map

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v t e Colleges and universities in South Carolina
Public institutions	The Citadel Clemson Coastal Carolina College of Charleston Francis Marion Lander South Carolina State USC Aiken USC Beaufort USC Columbia USC Lancaster USC Salkehatchie USC Sumter USC Union USC Upstate Winthrop
Private institutions	Allen American College of the Building Arts Anderson Benedict Bob Jones Charleston Southern Claflin Columbia Columbia International Coker Converse Erskine Furman Limestone Morris Newberry North Greenville Presbyterian Sherman Southern Wesleyan Spartanburg Methodist Voorhees Wofford
Technical colleges	Aiken TC Central Carolina TC Denmark TC Florence-Darlington TC Greenville TC Horry-Georgetown TC Midlands TC Northeastern TC Orangeburg-Calhoun TC Piedmont TC Spartanburg CC TC of the Lowcountry Tri-County TC Trident TC Williamsburg TC York TC
Seminaries, graduate, and professional institutions	Charleston School of Law Erskine Theological Seminary Geneva Reformed Seminary Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Medical University of South Carolina USC School of Law
Defunct colleges	The Arsenal Chicora College

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by county	Abbeville Aiken Allendale Anderson Bamberg Barnwell Beaufort Berkeley Calhoun Charleston Cherokee Chester Chesterfield Clarendon Colleton Darlington Dillon Dorchester Edgefield Fairfield Florence Georgetown Greenville Greenwood Hampton Horry Jasper Kershaw Lancaster Laurens Lee Lexington Marion Marlboro McCormick Newberry Oconee Orangeburg Pickens Richland Saluda Spartanburg Sumter Union Williamsburg York
Lists by city	Charleston Columbia Greenville North Charleston Rock Hill
Other lists	Bridges National Historic Landmarks
Keeper of the Register History of the National Register of Historic Places Property types Historic district Contributing property

v t e Conference Carolinas
Members	Barton Bulldogs Belmont Abbey Crusaders Chowan Hawks Converse Valkyries Emmanuel Lions Erskine Flying Fleet Francis Marion Patriots King Tornado Lees–McRae Bobcats Mount Olive Trojans North Greenville Crusaders Southern Wesleyan Warriors UNC Pembroke Braves Young Harris Mountain Lions
Future members	Ferrum Panthers (joining in 2025) Shorter Hawks (joining in 2024)
Acrobatics & tumbling affiliates	Coker Cobras Lander Bearcats Limestone Saints Mars Hill Lions Wingate Bulldogs
Bowling affiliates	Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters Tusculum Pioneers
Wrestling affiliates	Allen Yellow Jackets Bluefield State Big Blue Coker Cobras Emory & Henry Wasps Lander Bearcats Limestone Saints Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters Montevallo Falcons Newberry Wolves