Bettis Academy - A concise history

A short history of Bettis Academy and Junior College

Lydias Assistant April 9th, 2007

My father took me to see the ruins of Bettis Academy when I was very young. I found myself looking at a field of wild hay, looking at old building foundations, wondering what was so special about it. He was always interested in local history- but I don’t remember much about what he told me about Bettis, other than he said it was an all-black school from the early 1900’s.

The former Bettis Academy lies on Bettis Academy Road between Augusta Road (Highway 25) and Ascauga Lake Road. It was established by Reverend Alexander Bettis in 1881 to provide basic education for former slaves. The Reverend himself was a former slave and could neither read nor write, but he raised $300 through his Mt. Canaan Church to buy the land and build the school.

A boarding institution with a strong emphasis on religion, Bettis Academy initially focused on education in the skilled trades, but there was also a curriculum in education. Graduated students often went on to have informal careers as teachers. In 1933, the school had grown to 14 buildings and was accredited as a Junior college by South Carolina. This was great for the students, for as graduates they could teach in any SC elementary school or continue their education by entering 4-year colleges on a junior level.

In 1940, the school added Biddle Hall as a large economics building and expanded their agriculture program by buying tractors and implements. The outlook for the school looked promising at the start of the 1940’s, but the outbreak of war and the draft affected students and the teachers alike. Expansion plans were put on hold, and by the early 1950’s the school was struggling. The state of SC was rapidly improving education for African Americans and there was a steady drop in attendance for Bettis Academy. It had 71 years under it’s belt, but sadly the Academy closed it’s doors in 1952.

The National Register of Historic Places added Bettis Academy and Junior College to it’s roster in 1998. I don’t suppose there are many former students left around, but if there are I’d love to hear from them.

You can see some photos of the old campus at the Mt. Canaan Association.