Remembering the Days: A USC Podcast

More than 25 years ago, Harry Lesesne was a doctoral history student at USC, tasked with writing a new history about the university that would cover the years 1940 to 2000. He recounts how he took on the assignment to narrate the six decades that transformed Carolina into a modern research university.

Remembering the Days will launch its spring 2025 season with a new co-host — university historian Evan Faulkenbury. Join us Jan. 21 for a new season of the podcast featuring short conversations with those who uncover stories about USC history and those who have been a part of it. 

Almost from the beginning in the early 19th century, the Carolina campus has had its share of natural and manmade disasters, including earthquakes, windstorms, fires and floods. Those threats persist in the 21st century, but the modern campus has a facilities team that works around the clock to prevent or at least mitigate the effects of those threats.

Imagine if all of the clues in the popular TV gameshow Jeopardy! were related to the University of South Carolina. USC archivist Elizabeth West's new book, The University of South Carolina Trivia Book, provides plenty of material — more than 500 questions and answers — for a "Gamecock" Jeopardy version of the show. Tune in to see who wins!

The USC Rugby Club has been on the field for more than 50 years, and the squad's success in its early years included a dramatic match and rematch with British naval personnel in 1973. 

Jonathan Maxcy was Carolina's first and longest-serving president and the only former president to have his own monument on campus. His leadership helped lay the foundation for South Carolina's flagship university. 

WUSC-FM got its start in 1947, providing a training ground for generations of DJs, radio engineers and station managers. Students are still eager to be WUSC DJs, but the motivation today is more focused on sharing a personal passion for music. 

In the early 1970s, USC's historic Horseshoe buildings had fallen into disrepair while new buildings sprouted across the campus. The university began a long renovation and restoration project that systematically rejuvenated each 19th century building, and the vigilant maintenance process continues to this day. 

The University of South Carolina has been around a long time — long enough to celebrate its 100th and 200th birthdays with the 250th less than 30 years away.

It began as a music department with only two professors and grew into one of the region's premier music schools. USC's School of Music is celebrating its 100th anniversary of making beautiful music in 2024.