​Our Story

 

All of us did not start our journey through grade school and middle school together but fiftly-one  students bonded in high school and graduated as a class from Wade Hampton Academy in May of 1973.  We are the sons and daughters of parents from middle class families in Orangeburg, Calhoun and Dorchester counties.  Our parents had suffered the depression, endured hardships and fought in World War II as well as the Korean War.  They had made sacrifices thoughout their lives and wanted dreams for us that many of them had not the opportunity to pursue for themselves.  This is what brought us together as a class.  We owe an unpayable debt of gratitude to Dr. T.E. Wannamaker and other citizens of Orangeburg, S.C. for their vision to establish our school, the staff and teachers who persevered with us in our quest for knowledge and our parents for making the courageous decision to send us there.  Our school gave us an outstanding, traditional education and a firm footing for the future.

 

We became parents, and now grandparents, doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, teachers, farmers, entrepeneurs, business people and even career military.  Our success is rooted in hard work, the "Golden Rule", love of God and our communities, friendship and our firm conviction in the right of an individual to chose their path in life freely.  Some of our classmates have remained local and nourished the strong roots of the communities from which we came. Others ventured throughout our nation, established a life for themselves and contributed to their communites.  A few have traveled the world. Where ever we have gone, we always remember our life journey started at Wade Hampton Academy.