USC Upstate celebrated its 59th year and honored distinguished members of the university community during its 2026 Founders Day event. Upstate leadership, faculty and staff, alumni and other friends of the university gathered in the Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center on Thursday, Feb. 19 for the occasion.
The annual event, sponsored by the Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education (SCCHE), marks the anniversary of the university’s founding in 1967 and recognizes those who have contributed to the success of the institution.
Chancellor Bennie Harris described the university’s impact as USC Upstate approaches its 60th next year.
“Today, USC Upstate is a thriving university serving more than 5,000 students on more than 300 acres of land with an economic impact of $625 million across this region,” Harris said, “but numbers alone don’t tell our story. What truly defines USC upstate is our people and the lives changed through education, opportunity and service.”
At the celebration, three members of the campus community were awarded for their contributions to the university.
Dr. Warren Carson, distinguished professor emeritus of USC Upstate, delivered the keynote address, in which he detailed Upstate’s growth since he first arrived on campus 42 years ago.
Carson, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, shared that only four academic buildings accompanied the Stockwell Administration Building during his early years, and the mascot was the Running Rifles. The university itself was known as USC Spartanburg. He noted the name change to USC Upstate in 2004 was a sign of a much bigger transformation.
“A new spirit emerged and began to permeate our beloved institution with what I will refer to as the Upstate spirit,” Carson said. “A real, deliberate students-first attitude began to overtake a previous malaise, and soon we took off with a new mantra, new challenges, new directions, onward and upward, and I am delighted to see we are still moving.”
During his 34 years of teaching at the university, Carson held various leadership positions, including vice chancellor for student affairs. He also helped to create the Gospel Choir and served as its director for 25 years.
Carson said the award is more than a tribute to just his service at Upstate; it’s also a tribute to all the school’s people: “I’m just always amazed at how much they’ve accomplished over the years,” he said, “and I’m gratified at having been able to play a small part in that.”
Keith Hansen, adjunct instructor of computer science, was presented the Distinguished Service Award. Hansen has taught at Upstate since 2010 and is well known for his enthusiastic support of Spartan athletes.
“If you have ever attended a USC Upstate athletics competition, you have probably witnessed Keith in action,” RJ Gimbl, vice chancellor of university advancement, said during Hansen’s introduction. “There’s no doubt he’s the loudest fan in attendance to cheer on our student athletes.”
Citing the huge growth in the success of Upstate’s athletic programs over the past several years, Hansen shared, “I found it tremendously rewarding that at the height of this surge in success in the field, our students last semester had the highest GPA ever. And I can’t help but feel like maybe I’m a little part of that–that I helped some way in that.”
The third award of the celebration, the Founders Day Award, was presented to Allen Newman, another dedicated supporter of Upstate athletics. The award is given to community members that have had an exceptional impact on the University. Newman graduated from USC Upstate with a business degree and went on to work in housing construction and subdivision development.
In 2000, Newman opened Woodfin Ridge Golf Club. The club would become the practice grounds for the Spartan golf team. Newman and his wife have been recognized by the U Club as Spartans of the Game, have hosted the annual Spartan Golf Tournament at Woodfin Ridge several times, and have created an athletic scholarship for Spartan student athletes.
Current students like senior exercise science major Aysa Milton, who spoke at the celebration, affirmed the strength of the Upstate spirit.
“Back in 2023, I took a tour of the university, and almost immediately I knew I was going to be able to call this place home,” Milton said. “USC Upstate stood out as a place that values its students and their success.”
More photos from Founders’ Day can be found on our Flickr album.
Story: Samuel Hermanson
Edited by: Elizabeth Anderson, Director of Integrated Communications and Christina Cleveland, Digital Content Coordinator