James Solomon Jr., a longtime community leader who also was one of the three Black students who desegregated the University of South Carolina, has died at the age of 94.
Solomon, Henrie Monteith Treadwell and Robert Anderson entered USC's administration building as students on September 11, 1963. When they did, they became the first Black students to attend the university since the end of the Reconstruction era in the 19th century.
"The University of South Carolina family is saddened by the death of James L. Solomon, Jr. ," a spokesperson said in a statement. "His legacy of bravery and service to community is an enduring inspiration to us all. His role in desegregating the Columbia campus, along with Henrie Monteith Treadwell and Robert G. Anderson, is immortalized on our campus as a testament to his personal courage and an unwavering commitment to justice. We share our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and everyone who was affected by his life of selfless sacrifice."
In April 2024, a monument honoring the three pioneering students was unveiled on USC's campus. The granite structure, based on a real-life photograph, depicts the students entering the school's academic building for the first time.
Solomon was born in McDonough, Georgia, in 1930. After graduating from high school, he attended Morris College in Sumter. According to the University of South Carolina, he then joined the Air Force and served in Japan during the Korean War.
Solomon then returned to Sumter, earning a chemistry degree from Morris College. In 1960, he received a master's degree in mathematics from Atlanta University.
He then joined the faculty of Morris College. While working as a professor there, he enrolled at USC in Columbia to take graduate classes in mathematics.
He remained at Morris until the early 1970s, where he ultimately became the school's vice president of institutional planning.
After that, he held several positions in state government, including division director at the Commission on Higher Education and commissioner of the Department of Social Services. He was later elected to the Sumter School District 17 school board, making him the first Black public official elected in Sumter County since Reconstruction.
He also served as chairman of Richland School District One. He held positions at various civic organizations, including the United Way, the Urban League, the Palmetto Development Group, and the American Public Welfare Association.
He was also awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian honor.