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TO HONOR THE SIGNIFICANT HISTORY OF THE CARLISLE MILITARY SCHOOL IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE SCHOOL'S RICH LEGACY WITH A REUNION ON APRIL 14, 2018.
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives deem it altogether fitting and appropriate to pause in their deliberations to honor the legacy of the Carlisle Military School and what it has meant to the community and State; and
Whereas, Carlisle Military School was established in 1892 in Bamberg, South Carolina, as The Carlisle Fitting School of Wofford College. Carlisle was named in honor of Dr. James H. Carlisle, who was at that time the president of Wofford College in Spartanburg and has been acclaimed as one of the most preeminent educators in the history of South Carolina; and
Whereas, The Carlisle Fitting School was authorized by the South Carolina Methodist Conference as a preparatory school for Wofford, partly due to the lack of public high schools in the United States at that time. The town of Bamberg was vital in the enterprise, and gifts for Carlisle's financial support were largely local. It was chiefly for this reason that the institution enrolled both boys and girls during this time; and
Whereas, in 1928, as the need for fitting schools passed, the Methodist Church decided that Carlisle would no longer be affiliated with Wofford College. This same year, Colonel James F. Risher was elected headmaster. It was through his leadership that Carlisle was able to survive the Great Depression. As the Methodist Church considered closing the school, Colonel Risher leased and then purchased Carlisle from the church. As Colonel Risher's offer was accepted, Carlisle School became thereafter known as Carlisle Military School. Colonel Risher established his vision of "developing manly men," serving as headmaster of Carlisle until 1958 when his son, William, was named as his successor; and
Whereas, in 1958, Colonel Risher purchased Camden Academy, naming another son, Lanning, as the headmaster of what would henceforth be known as Camden Military Academy. Colonel Risher carried his life's calling forward as president of both institutions until his death in 1973; and
Whereas, then the 1970s brought a new trial to Carlisle: a dwindling enrollment in the post-Vietnam era. Its doors were closed at the end of the 1977 school year. Since 1979, the property has been used as a U.S. Department of Labor Job Corps Training Center, continuing its relevance as an education institution in the Bamberg community and beyond; and
Whereas, the history of Carlisle did not die with its closure. All the cadets who ever walked through her doors, as well as those from Camden Military Academy, carry with them the lasting heritage and eternal values this institution endowed upon them. From its foundation, built upon the legacy of its namesake James Henry Carlisle, through John Caldwell Guilds (later president of Columbia College), who brought Carlisle back from the brink of closure, to James Risher, who saw his life intertwined with Carlisle as a calling, the school was able to touch many lives and leave a lasting impression on her students; and
Whereas, some of Carlisle's graduates became senior military officers, an U.S. Ambassador, Superintendent of the National Parks Service, and noted athletes. Carlisle's heritage is now carried forward by future generations of those who attend Camden Military Academy and utilized the services of the Job Corps Center that now occupies the same property and many of the buildings once occupied by Carlisle. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the House of Representatives of South Carolina, by this resolution, honor the significant history of the Carlisle Military School in the celebration of the school's rich legacy with a reunion on April 14, 2018.
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