Remembering the Days: A USC Podcast

Fifty years ago, it wasn't uncommon to hear professors give the 'look to your left, look to your right — one of you will have failed by the end of the semester' speech. But exactly 50 years ago, Carolina tried something different: a course designed to help freshmen feel like they belonged along with the academic tools they needed to succeed. It was called University 101, and it became model for hundreds of colleges across the country.

Women's college sports were in their infancy in the 1970s, but Title IX changed everything by leveling the playing field for men's and women's sports at the collegiate level. Meet two of the first 18 women to receive athletics scholarships at the University of South Carolina.

Scores of University of South Carolina graduates have died in military service since the Spanish-American War at the close of the 19th century. In observance of Memorial Day, we remember three, who died serving their country in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War.

Pranks and pratfalls are part of life in any college residence hall, but one dormitory complex at the University of South Carolina seemed to have more than its fair share. Stories about life in the Towers, also known as the Honeycombs and the Veilblocks, are now almost the stuff of legend. Here are a few anecdotes from yesteryear about the now-demolished dorms. 

Sarge Frye knew how to make grass grow, and for five decades he made sure the University of South Carolina's athletic fields were green and trimmed. But much more than that, Sarge had a heart for people and connected with everyone he met. It's why his name continues to be synonymous with Gamecock sports. 

The third-longest serving president in the history of the university, Tom Jones led Carolina during a period of unprecedented growth, both in student enrollment and campus expansion. And he did it during a tumultuous era of Vietnam War protests and a rapidly changing society. 

Nearly 60 years ago, a Hungarian-born choral conductor named Arpad Darazs launched the University of South Carolina's  Concert Choir, which quickly earned a reputation for its musical prowess. Darazs is long gone but the Concert Choir remains the university's premier choral group, and Darazs' former students remain stalwart fans.

No one writes letters much anymore, but back in the day, University of South Carolina students wrote letters to home as frequently as today's students send texts on their phones. Technology changes, but one thing remains constant: college students always need more money.

Built in 1840 as the nation's first freestanding collegiate library, the South Caroliniana Library is now the repository for a vast collection of materials that capture the culture and history of the Palmetto State. Massive renovations at the library promise to return the venerable building to its early glory and make it a more comfortable place for patrons to visit and use. 

When Jotaka Eaddy arrived at the university from her rural dirt-road home in the Pee Dee, she quickly joined several organizations, including Student Government. By her junior year, the small-town girl was making a big splash — and making history. 

Cupid's arrows find their mark in this special Valentine's Day episode about eight couples who fell in love on the University of South Carolina campus. 

Intended as a large lecture hall when it was built in 1855, the building we now know as Longstreet Theater never lived up to its intended purpose. Poor acoustics turned it into an echo chamber that was ill-suited for almost any academic purpose. But an engineering miracle in the 1970s transformed the building into a premier stage for live theater.

For much of the first half of the 19th century, students at South Carolina College were not pleased with the quality of food served on campus. In 1852, the wormy biscuits and rancid meat were too much to stomach, so the students issued an ultimatum — that ultimately gave them a case of indigestion.

JFK once had a bad night's rest in the President's House, and Burt Bacharach tickled the ivories there. Pope John Paul II addressed a crowd of thousands packed onto the Horseshoe. This trip down memory lane has us remembering some of the famous visitors who've come to campus over the years.

For nearly 40 years, Havilah Babcock inspired students in his English classes with his "I want a word" course — and entertained outdoor enthusiasts with his tales of hunting and fishing. Reminders of the beloved professor still linger on the university campus.