In 1770, the founders of the College of Charleston realized their dream of establishing an institution built upon the goal of instructing young minds with a traditional liberal arts education. As the oldest institution of higher learning in South Carolina, the College of Charleston has played an integral role in the development of a variety of young men and women from the Palmetto State and beyond. Numbering in the hundreds of thousands, this group of students�current and former�has enjoyed a unique college experience that they have chronicled and shared in letters to family and friends, diaries, student newspapers, journals and, more recently, e-mails. These personal accounts reveal the effect that the College of Charleston has had on its students for generations, and the ways in which those students have shaped the college�s long history.

This engaging book features a collection of correspondences written by College of Charleston students, from the school�s earliest years to the present day. Individually, these writings offer a candid glimpse into students� daily lives during several periods throughout the college�s history. Considered together, the thoughts, concerns and opinions found within paint a fascinating picture of the past at the College of Charleston.