Houston's Robert McNair paves way for smart young people to become South Carolinians

Robert C. McNair believes it is good for South Carolina, and for his alma mater the University of South Carolina, to attract as many high-achieving students as possible to attend college here. He believes it so much that he gave USC $20 million to establish the McNair Scholars program for out-of-state students to attend the Columbia campus.

Many will get their education here and return to their home states. But some will settle here, become professionals, entrepreneurs, community leaders and good citizens. It is one piece of a multifaceted state effort to reverse a century-old brain-drain that has intellectually impoverished South Carolina. We have seen artists such as Dizzy Gillespie (of Cheraw), business and government leaders like Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (of Dillon), and public servants such as National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell (of Greenville) leave the state because of the limited opportunities that existed for them here.

Today, the state is playing catch-up in creating opportunities with business, cultural and academic centers to rival those in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or Atlanta. There has been progress. People travel from all over the world to attend the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. USC, Clemson, and MUSC are creating academic centers that will increase opportunities for rising scientific and academic stars to stay here and work. But these efforts are incomplete. And South Carolina no longer just competes with North Carolina and Georgia economically. In today's global economy, the competition extends to Korea, China and Japan.

Robert McNair grew up in Forest City, North Carolina. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1958. He is the founder of Cogen Technologies in Houston. His thoroughbred horse farm in Kentucky has produced winners of many major races.

A native of Tampa, Fla., McNair was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from the university in 1999. The founder, chairman and CEO of the NFL's Houston Texans, McNair is at the University of South Carolina this week to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the McNair Scholars Program, which he and his wife, Janice, established in 1998 with a $20 million gift to the university.

McNair's gift helps the University of South Carolina attract some of the highest achieving high school graduates in the country to attend college here. The program not only produces future South Carolina citizens, but also helps build the university's growing reputation as a destination university for the nation's best and brightest students.

McNair will give a talk, titled "Bob McNair a la carte," at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, in the university's Russell House theater. His talk is free and open to the public.

 

Comments

[Joan Scott]

I know a girl that lives in OH. She is an honors student. As a junior in high school she is now taking college courses at Ohio State. Her mother is single parent so her resourses for college are limited. Would you be able to offer scholarships and grants that would enable her to persue a degree in pathology?

[Val Green]

Mr. McNair needs to know we already have too many people in this small state, and far too many damnyankees. If he wants to pay somebody to go to some college, maybe he should send them to his home state of NC.