Blatt Physical Education Center; recreational sports facility dedicated to Solomon Blatt Sr
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- Memorial Type
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- Memorial Inscription
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Memorial Structure
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Named Building
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Blatt, Solomon Sr
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Blatt Physical Education Center; recreational sports facility dedicated to Solomon Blatt Sr
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The Blatt Physical Education Center was built in 1971 and dedicated to Speaker of the House Solmon “Sol” Blatt on October 27, 1973. An expansion completed in 1975 doubled the size of the structure. The facility includes spaces for physical education classes and recreational sports, an Olympic-size swimming pool, gymnasium, and offices and classrooms. The memorial marker and bust of Blatt was placed on a pillar in the lobby of the building in 1979.
Sol Blatt graduated from the University of South Carolina with a law degree in 1917 and served as a trustee from 1936 to 1948. His election to the state House of Representatives in 1932 began a powerful political career that spanned six decades. Blatt served as Speaker of the House from 1937 to 1946 and again from 1951 to 1973. His ardent devotion to USC and his role in channeling significant funding to the institution lead to the nickname “Mr. USC.” In 1946, students claimed that Blatt “singlehandedly controlled the University board of trustees.”
Blatt was a staunch segregationist who used his considerable political power to enforce segregation at the university and throughout the state. He headed a special of the board that blocked the admittance of two Black men in 1938 and 1939, stating that the board “will do everything in their power to maintain the University of South Carolina for white students only.” In 1958 Blatt successfully pushed for the firing of USC professor Joseph Margolis over his criticism of segregation. During his tenure as Speaker the legislature enacted 28 laws opposing desegregation or defending segregation in response to Brown v Board of Education.
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A large concrete and brick facade recreational facility.
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Solomon Blatt Health and Physical Education Center
Fall 1979
At its meeting of May 15th, 1973, the Carolina board of trustees unanimously voted to name this building the Solomon Blatt Health and Physical Education Center in honor of the then speaker of the house, Solomon Blatt of Barnwell, South Carolina. Mr. Blatt is a most distinguished and loyal alumnus of the university, Class of 1917, who at the time of his retirement as speaker had served in that legislative capacity longer than anyone in the history of the United states.
On May 9th, 1979, ceremonies were held at the South Carolina State House formally dedicating the Solomon Blatt administration building and a bust of speaker emeritus blot was unveiled. By action of its board of trustees, the university obtained a copy of this bust and it is ceremoniously placed within the Solomon Blatt Health and Physical Education Center on the Columbia campus as a tribute by the university community to the career of the speaker emeritus and to his matchless loyalty and devotion to his alma mater.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Richard W. Riley Governor of South Carolina, ex officio presiding officer of the board
Charlie G. Williams State Superintendent of Education
Harry A. Chapman Chairman Senate committee on education
Eugene C. Stoddard Chairman House committee on education
R. Markley Dennis Sr chairman
William B. Hawkins vice chairman
John G. Beasley
T. Luke Benson
William N. Bowen
William S. Brockington MD
James W. Cothran Sr
Paul S. Goldsmith
Daniel S. Henderson
J. Robert Peters Jr
Frampton W. Toole Jr
Hugh H. Wells MD
William E. Whitney Jr
Othniel H. Wienges Sr
Hugh L. Willcox Sr
D. Glenn Yarborough
James B. Holderman, president
George Curry, secretary
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University of South Carolina
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1971
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27 October 1973
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1975
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1979
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University of South Carolina
Position: 1936 (2 views)