Greenville, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Law and government
The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.History
The area was part of the CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
, which ended the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families already had settled just within the boundary, and White traders regularly crossed the area. The first White man to settle permanently in the area was Richard Pearis; he married a Cherokee and was given several tracts of land by the tribe. The City of Greenville and Paris Mountain
Paris Mountain State Park
Paris Mountain State Park is located five miles north of Greenville, South Carolina. The liberal arts college, Furman University, founded in 1826, is also located near the foot of the mountain. Activities available in the park include hiking, biking, swimming and picnicking. The Lake Placid...
(named after Pearis), are on part of that land. During the American Revolution, the Cherokee (and Pearis) sided with the British. After a campaign in 1776, the Cherokee agreed to the Treaty of DeWitt's Corner, ceding territory that includes present-day Greenville County to South Carolina.
Greenville was originally called Pleasantburg before an 1831 name change. Greenville County was created in 1786 from Spartanburg District (now Spartanburg County), but was called Greenville District from 1800 until 1868. Greenville may have been named for American Revolutionary General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
, or perhaps for an early resident, Isaac Green. Greenville is the mother district to Pendleton District (now Anderson County), Pickens District (now Pickens County) and Oconee District (now Oconee County).
In February, 1869, Greenville's Town Charter was amended by the S. C. General Assembly establishing Greenville, the town, as a City.
In 1917, when Greenville was known as the "Textile Center of the World," Old Textile Hall was designed by the J. E. Sirrine Company as the first exposition facility in the Southeast for textile products and machinery. Textile Hall also served as a civic auditorium. The building was listed on National Register in 1980 before being demolished in 1992.
During World War I; Greenville served as a training camp center for Army recruits. This eventually fostered the development of Donaldson Air Force Base
Donaldson Air Force Base
Donaldson Air Force Base is a closed facility of the United States Air Force. Currently known as Donaldson Center, the former Air Force Base is located south of Greenville, South Carolina....
, built during World War II, which was very important to the economy of the City of Greenville. Donaldson served as a military base until the early 1960s, when it was returned to the City of Greenville. The former air base has been developed into a business park. It contains historic military-style barracks which are used now by various businesses.
Until the late 1960s, blacks in the area were subject to segregationist restrictions
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
; for example, they were limited to the back of city buses, were not permitted to stay in hotels or motels for whites, had to sit in the balcony of movie theaters, and were not permitted to use the public library, which partially motivated the activism of Jesse Jackson. Jackson, working through the NAACP, organized a sit-in at Greenville's F.W. Woolworth
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
"five and dime
Five and Dime
Five and Dime is a cartoon short by Walter Lantz which features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. It is the 74th Oswald short produced by Lantz and the 125th overall. It also is among the number of shorts that feature Oswald in his fully clothed appearance....
" store, and quickly emerged as a civil rights leader. On August 9, 1960, a sit-in at the S. H. Kress store that eventually led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Peterson v. Greenville (1963), which ruled that private citizens must ignore local segregation ordinances because they violated the equal protection clause
Equal Protection Clause
The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"...
of the Fourteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
.
Beginning in the 1970s, then-Mayor Max Heller (1919–2011) spearheaded a massive downtown revitalization project. The first and most important step in changing downtown's image was the streetscape plan, narrowing the street's four lanes to two and installing angled parking, trees, and decorative light fixtures, as well as creating parks and plazas throughout downtown. Today, Main Street's lofty canopy of trees impresses visitors and creates a welcoming backdrop for Main Street activities. A statue of Mayor Heller was dedicated May 28, 2009 in downtown, and dedicated in his honor for contributions to the city, and the revitalization of the area.
The new image provides a backdrop for private investment and growth throughout the city. The City also completed an ambitious $70 million renovation of Falls Park on the Reedy, creating a unique pedestrian suspension bridge over Reedy River Falls.
Attractions
As the largest city in the UpstateThe Upstate
The Upstate is the region in northwestern South Carolina, United States, also known as The Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerce-rich I-85 corridor in the northwest corner of South Carolina. ...
, Greenville offers many activities and attractions. Greenville's theatres and event venues regularly host major concerts and touring theater companies. Four independent theaters present several plays a year.
Greenville has the only golf course in the world that has each hole conceived by a different designer. CrossWinds Golf Club is a public Par 3 course that can be played in one hour for 9 holes or in 2 hours for 18 holes.
Notable event venues
- Bi-Lo CenterBi-Lo CenterThe BI-LO Center is an arena located in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, that is used for concerts, football, and hockey. The arena is currently used by the Greenville Force of the Southern Indoor Football League and the Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL.- History :The BI-LO Center was...
, a 16,000-seat arena in downtown Greenville which hosts major concerts and sporting events each year. - Peace CenterPeace CenterThe Peace Center is located adjacent to Falls Park in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. It is an arts center that contains the 2100 seat Peace Concert Hall, 400 seat Dorothy Hipp Gunter Theater, and the Dow Brands Amphitheater located beside the Reedy River...
, a performing arts center that hosts touring Broadway shows, symphonies, concerts, and civic events. - The Warehouse TheatreThe Warehouse TheatreThe Warehouse Theatre, located in Hope Street, Weymouth, Dorset, England, has been home to the Weymouth Drama Club since 1993. The Drama Club owns and runs the property, which is primarily used for rehearsing forthcoming productions, although also includes:...
offers productions of live theatre. A cornerstone of Greenville's Historic Westend, it is the home of fifteen (sometimes more) productions a year. - Centre Stage, Greenville's Professional TheaterCentre Stage, Greenville's Professional TheaterCentre Stage, Greenville's Professional Theater, is a year-round, 285-seat theater located in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. The theater maintains a full-time staff of seven and produces between six and eight mainstage productions each year, in addition to a wide variety of other...
is a year-round theater hosting the annual New Play Festival. - Fluor Field at the West End is the home of the Greenville Drive, the A affiliate of the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
Shopping and restaurants
Greenville is the main shopping and dining destination of The UpstateThe Upstate
The Upstate is the region in northwestern South Carolina, United States, also known as The Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerce-rich I-85 corridor in the northwest corner of South Carolina. ...
region. Downtown Greenville is home to many restaurants featuring local southern fare. There are many boutiques and specialty shops that line the downtown area, like Michelin On Main. Haywood Mall
Haywood Mall
Haywood Mall is a super-regional shopping mall in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The mall is the largest in the state, with of retail space.-Description:...
is the largest and busiest mall in the area featuring stores such as: Sears, J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, Belk
Belk
Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
, Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
, Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
, Charlotte Russe (clothing retailer), the Apple Store, as well as many other retail giants. Retail in Greenville has shifted away from McAlister Square
McAlister Square
McAlister Square is a repositioned shopping mall in Greenville, South Carolina.The mall opened in 1968, featuring anchor stores Ivey's and Meyers-Arnold. A Belk-Simpson department store was added in 1974, bringing the mall to approximately of leasable space...
and centered around the Greenville Mall to Haywood Mall
Haywood Mall
Haywood Mall is a super-regional shopping mall in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The mall is the largest in the state, with of retail space.-Description:...
and more so to the Woodruff Road area between Interstate 85
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
and Interstate 385
Interstate 385
Interstate 385 starts where it meets the Interstate 26, near Clinton and heads in a northwest direction where it ends with exit 42, near downtown Greenville. After exit 42, I-385 turns into Business Spur 385 that then promptly ends at U.S. 29 near the Bi-Lo Center in downtown Greenville. It is one...
.
Landmarks
- Falls Park on the ReedyFalls Park on the ReedyFalls Park on the Reedy is a park adjacent to downtown Greenville, South Carolina in the historic West End district. The park was founded in 1967 when the Carolina Foothills Garden Club reclaimed of land that had been previously used for textile mills...
, a large regional park in the West End with gardens and several waterfalls. Dedicated in 2004, the $13.4 million park is home to the Liberty Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridgeSuspension bridgeA suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
overlooking the Reedy RiverReedy RiverThe Reedy River is a tributary of the Saluda River, about long, in northwestern South Carolina in the United States. Via the Saluda and Congaree Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean....
. The park's development sparked a $65 million public-private development, Riverplace, directly across Main Street.
Falls Park is known as the birthplace of Greenville, but in the mid-20th century it was in severe decline, with the water polluted and grounds littered. In 1960, the Camperdown Bridge was built across the Falls, obstructing public view.
In the mid-1980s, the City adopted a master plan for the park, leading to the removal of the Camperdown Bridge and making way for extensive renovations, to include 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of gardens and the Liberty Bridge. While bridges with similar structural concepts have been built in Europe, the Liberty Bridge is unique in its geometry.
- Greenville County Museum of ArtGreenville County Museum of ArtThe Greenville County Museum of Art is an art museum located in Greenville, South Carolina. Its collections focus mainly on American art, and its holdings include works by Andrew Wyeth, Josef Albers, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Ronnie Landfield, Eric Fischl, Marylyn...
specializing in American art, frequently with a Southern perspective that dates back to the 18th century. It is noted for its collections of work by Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns, as well as a contemporary collection that features such notables as Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, and others. - Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery, the second largest collection of religious Christian art in the world, is located on the campus of Bob Jones UniversityBob Jones UniversityBob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
. The University also sponsors the Museum and Gallery at Heritage Green, a smaller, centrally located satellite of the larger museum. - Roper Mountain Science CenterRoper Mountain Science CenterRoper Mountain Science Center is located in Greenville, SC. It encompasses a campus containing facilities for studying life and natural sciences, and space and physical sciences. Among its facilities are the Living history Farm, the Darell W. Harrison Hall of Natural Sciences, the Simms hall of...
is home to a historic 23" refactor telescope, eighth largest of its kind in the United States.
Festivals
- Euphoria Greenville is an annual three day event held in the Wyche Pavilion at Larkin's on the River, Art in the Park, and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts. The event includes exclusive tasting events, cooking demonstrations and wine seminars, as well as multi-course dinners and live musical performances. Southern Exposure features domestic and international wines, celebrity chefs, master sommeliers, and national recording artists.
- Fall for Greenville is an annual three day music and food street festival held each fall.
- Artisphere is an annual three day art street festival held each spring.
- Indie Craft Parade is an annual festival of handmade art, featuring artists from all over the Southeast. It is held each September.
- The Upstate Shakespeare Festival is a theatre company that performs Shakespeare and other classic plays for the Upstate community. The free festival is held each summer in Falls Park.
Downtown renewal
Greenville has one of the last Frank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
homes ever built, constructed in 1954.
At one time the retail center of the region, Greenville's downtown district began to languish in the 1960s as shopping centers lured the retailers and customers to the suburbs. In response, the City started a downtown renewal project.
City leaders initially focused on improving the streetscape along a portion of Main Street in the Central Business District. This included narrowing the street from four lanes to two lanes; installing angled parking spaces, trees, flowers and light fixtures; and creating parks and plazas throughout the central core of downtown. Initial planning began in the 1970s and under Mayor Max Heller, an Austrian immigrant who wanted to implement some of the urban features he had seen in Europe. The downtown streetscape renovation was designed by Landscape Architect Lawrence Halprin
Lawrence Halprin
Lawrence Halprin was an influential American landscape architect, designer and teacher.Beginning his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, in 1949, Halprin often collaborated with a local circle of modernist architects on relatively modest projects. These figures included William...
.
In the 1980s, Greenville turned to laying the foundation for their downtown vision and providing an example of business potential to encourage business relocation to downtown (examples include the Greenville Commons/Hyatt Regency hotel). The city worked with consultants to develop and implement a downtown master plan and facilitated public-private investment partnerships which resulted in the city's first luxury convention hotel on Main Street.
Through the 1990s Greenville continued to strengthen its public/private partnerships to create strong anchors throughout downtown. The city redeveloped a languishing industrial area adjacent to the West End Historic District into a thriving performing arts complex that incorporated historically significant buildings. It then stabilized the stagnant historic district with the transformation of an abandoned cotton warehouse into the West End Market, a mixed-use project of shops, restaurants, and offices, which in turn encouraged adaptive reuse of several other historic buildings throughout downtown. The city's initiative to invest in its blighted urban center at a time when such revitalization was unpopular, not only successfully encouraged private investment, but also eventually garnered recognition from municipalities across the United States.
Although the majority of Greenville-area residents live outside of the central urban core, the last decade has brought a significant increase in downtown living and working as new luxury condos, apartments and lofts go up and more businesses are moving their offices to the now thriving downtown.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
awarded Greenville with the Great American Main Street Award in 2003 and 2009. Since then it has been featured in numerous publications, including Southern Living Magazine and the U.S. Airways Magazine (March 2010).
Education
Primary and secondary education
Greenville's public elementary and secondary schools are part of the Greenville County School DistrictGreenville County School District
Greenville County School District is a public school district in Greenville County, South Carolina . It is the largest school district in the state of South Carolina and the 50th largest in the US. Greenville CSD also takes students from some areas of Spartanburg and Laurens counties.Led by...
, which is the largest district in South Carolina. Greenville is also served by a number of private and religious schools. One important landmark of education, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities
South Carolina Governor's School For The Arts & Humanities
The South Carolina Governor's School For the Arts & Humanities is a public residential high school for the emerging artists of South Carolina located in Greenville, South Carolina...
, is located in Greenville overlooking the Falls Park on the Reedy
Falls Park on the Reedy
Falls Park on the Reedy is a park adjacent to downtown Greenville, South Carolina in the historic West End district. The park was founded in 1967 when the Carolina Foothills Garden Club reclaimed of land that had been previously used for textile mills...
.
Greenville County has a total of 21 official public high schools:
- Berea High School
- Blue Ridge High SchoolBlue Ridge High School (South Carolina)Blue Ridge High School is a high school in Greer, South Carolina under the jurisdiction of Greenville County Schools....
- Brashier Middle College Charter High SchoolBrashier Middle College Charter High SchoolBrashier Middle College Charter High School is a locally funded charter school in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Brashier is a sister campus of the main Greenville Tech campus in Greenville, South Carolina.-External links:*...
- Carolina High & Academy
- Eastside High SchoolEastside High School (Taylors, South Carolina)Eastside High School is a public high school located in Taylors, a suburb of Greenville, South Carolina. It is a public school under jurisdiction of the Greenville County School District. It maintains a diverse and successful student body.-Principals:...
- Fountain Inn High School, Opening Fall 2014
- Greenville Fine Arts Center
- Greenville High & Academy
- Greenville Technical Charter High SchoolGreenville Technical Charter High SchoolGreenville Technical Charter High School is a small school located on the Barton Campus of Greenville Technical College in Greenville, South Carolina. GTCHS has 420 students and is a Middle College/Early College High School....
- Greer Middle College Charter High School
- Greer High SchoolGreer High SchoolGreer High School is a public high school in Greer, South Carolina. With about 1200 students, Greer High is a moderate sized school in Greenville County, South Carolina.-Campus:...
- Hillcrest High SchoolHillcrest High School (Simpsonville, South Carolina)Hillcrest High School, abbreviated HHS, is a public high school in Simpsonville, South Carolina, the largest high school in the Greenville County School District...
- J.L. Mann High School
- Legacy Charter High School
- Mauldin High SchoolMauldin High SchoolMauldin High School in Mauldin, South Carolina, United States, was established in 1927. With an enrollment of 2164 in the 2009-2010 school year, it is the second-largest high school in the Greenville County School District. Its rivals are the Hillcrest High School Rams, and its mascot is a...
- Riverside High SchoolRiverside High School (South Carolina)- History :The school opened in the fall of 1973 with 650 students on a campus.In Fall 2006, students began attending a brand new building on the same premises...
- South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & HumanitiesSouth Carolina Governor's School For The Arts & HumanitiesThe South Carolina Governor's School For the Arts & Humanities is a public residential high school for the emerging artists of South Carolina located in Greenville, South Carolina...
- Southside High SchoolSouthside High School (Greenville, South Carolina)Southside High School is one of 14 public high schools that are part of the Greenville, South Carolina County Schools System. It is the first school in South Carolina to be home to an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Southside is also the defending state AA Boy's Basketball champions...
- Travelers Rest High SchoolTravelers Rest High SchoolTravelers Rest High School is a public high school in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. The school's mascot is the "Devildog."The old high school building has been used to film the movie "Leatherheads" starring George Clooney....
- Wade Hampton High School
- Woodmont High School
Greenville is also home to many private schools as well, including:
- Abundant Life Christian SchoolAbundant Life Christian SchoolAbundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin is the largest non-sectarian private school in the area. ALCS was founded by Lake City Church in 1978. The school's mission is to promote "Christian character and academic excellence." This K4–12 school shares its campus with Lake City Church ...
- Blue Ridge Christian AcademyBlue Ridge Christian AcademyBlue Ridge Christian Academy is a private college preparatory school in Greenville County, South Carolina. The school has classes for students ranging from Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten to High School level....
- Bob Jones Academy
- Calvary Christian School
- Carolina International Preparatory School
- Christ Church Episcopal High School
- Conestee Baptist Day School
- CrossPoint Christian School
- Ebenezer Academy
- Fountain Inn Christian School
- Fuller Normal Industrial Institute
- Greenville Classical Academy
- Hampton Park Christian School
- Hidden Treasure Christian School, Special Education Ministry
- Piedmont Christian Academy
- Pleasant View Christian Academy
- St Joseph's Catholic High SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic High SchoolSt Joseph's is a secondary school in Wrexham, Wales, located on Sontley Road.-History:St Joseph's Catholic High School was formerly a Catholic secondary school but joined up with the Anglican church in 2006....
- Shannon Forest Christian School
- Southside Christian SchoolSouthside Christian SchoolSouthside Christian School is a private K-12 Christian school in Greenville, South Carolina. SCS was established in 1967 and is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International. SCS serves approximately 1100 students beginning at 18 months of age and continuing through 12th grade on...
- Tabernacle Christian SchoolTabernacle Christian SchoolTabernacle Christian School is a private Christian School in Gardendale, Alabama, USA serving grades K3-12. The current principal is Glenn Dickson, who came to TCS in July 2000....
- Trinity Christian AcademyTrinity Christian AcademyTrinity Christian Academy is a conservative multidenominational Christian school in Addison, Texas, a suburb of Dallas that was founded in the late 1960s...
Post-secondary education
Public four-year institutions:- Clemson University's MBA Program
- Clemson UniversityClemson UniversityClemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
's International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) - Medical University of South Carolina-Greenville
- South Carolina College of Pharmacy-Greenville
- University Center of Greenville-Consortium of 7 Institutions of Higher Education, which includes:
- Clemson UniversityClemson UniversityClemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
- Furman UniversityFurman UniversityFurman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
- Lander UniversityLander UniversityLander University is a public university located in Greenwood, South Carolina. It is the state's smallest publicly-funded baccalaureate institution.-History:...
- Medical University of South CarolinaMedical University of South CarolinaThe Medical University of South Carolina opened in Charleston, South Carolina in 1824 as a small private college for the training of physicians. It is one of the oldest continually operating school of medicine in the United States and the oldest in the Deep South...
- South Carolina State UniversitySouth Carolina State UniversitySouth Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,...
- University of South CarolinaUniversity of South CarolinaThe University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
- University of South Carolina UpstateUniversity of South Carolina UpstateThe University of South Carolina Upstate is a public university located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. Formerly known as the University of South Carolina Spartanburg, the school changed its name in the summer of 2004...
Public two-year institution:
- Greenville Technical CollegeGreenville Technical CollegeGreenville Technical College is a technical college located in South Carolina. Founded in 1960, it began operation in September 1962.-Campuses:Greenville Tech currently has six locations in Greenville County:...
Private four-year institutions:
- Bob Jones UniversityBob Jones UniversityBob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
- Furman UniversityFurman UniversityFurman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
- Limestone College-Greenville Campus
- North Greenville UniversityNorth Greenville UniversityNorth Greenville University is a comprehensive university affiliated with South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention, and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The institution awards Bachelor, Master, and...
- Southern Wesleyan University-Greenville Campus
For-profit institutions:
- Brown Mackie CollegeBrown Mackie CollegeBrown Mackie College is a collection of for-profit educational institutions for career preparation in the business, legal, health sciences, information technology, and creative fields. The system of schools has locations throughout the United States. The schools are owned by Education Management...
- ECPI College of TechnologyECPI College of TechnologyECPI University is a private, for-profit college that serves students in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina through online and on-campus classes...
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private university in the US specializing in aviation and aerospace engineering. It teaches the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace. Called "The Harvard of the Sky" by Time Magazine in 1979, Embry-Riddle has a history dating back to...
- ITT Technical InstituteITT Technical InstituteITT Technical Institute is a for-profit technical institute with over 130 campuses in 38 states of the United States. ITT Tech is owned and operated by ITT Educational Services, Inc. , a publicly traded company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. ITT Educational Services, Inc...
- Strayer UniversityStrayer UniversityStrayer University, formerly Strayer College of Baltimore, Maryland, is a private, for-profit educational institution. The Strayer University campuses are owned by Strayer Education, Inc. , headquartered in Herndon, Virginia....
- University of PhoenixUniversity of PhoenixThe University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
- Virginia College of Greenville
- Webster UniversityWebster UniversityWebster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
Religious and Theological Schools:
- Greenville Presbyterian Theological SeminaryGreenville Presbyterian Theological SeminaryGreenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a conservative Presbyterian seminary in Greenville, South Carolina, United States.Founded in 1986, Greenville trains men for Christian ministry using a curriculum with a focus on the biblical languages, expository preaching, and an emphasis on...
- Holmes Bible College
- Tabernacle Baptist CollegeTabernacle Baptist CollegeTabernacle Baptist College is an independent, fundamental, Baptist college in Greenville, South Carolina, offering undergraduate degrees in Bible and Elementary Education among others. Graduate degrees are also offered in Theology and others through the External Studies arm of the college...
Economy
Greenville's economy was formerly based largely on textile manufacturing, and the city was long known as "The Textile Capital of the World." In the last few decades, favorable wages and tax benefits have lured foreign companies to invest heavily in the area. The city is the North American headquarters for MichelinMichelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
and BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
. Recently, the International Center for Automotive Research has been created.
When the former Donaldson Air Force Base
Donaldson Air Force Base
Donaldson Air Force Base is a closed facility of the United States Air Force. Currently known as Donaldson Center, the former Air Force Base is located south of Greenville, South Carolina....
closed, the land became the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center, and became home to a Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Center, as well as 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
and Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
has a diesel engine manufacturing plant and engineering operations here. Also, General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
company has a gas turbine and wind energy manufacturing operation here. O'Neal, Inc. a project planning, design, and construction firm, has its headquarters in Greenville.
The Thomas Creek Brewery was founded on Piedmont Hwy in 1998.
Hospitals
Greenville has two main health systems. Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, which includes ST. FRANCIS downtown, ST. FRANCIS eastside, St. Francis Outpatient Center and Upstate Surgery Center, is ranked among the best hospitals in the nation by HealthGradesHealthGrades
HealthGrades Inc. is a U.S. company that develops and markets quality and safety ratings of health care providers, including hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and dentists. Quality ratings are devised from publicly available patient safety data and analyzed with proprietary technology developed...
for heart surgery and overall orthopedic services. The extensive Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center is a non-profit academic medical center which, with five campuses, including Greenville Memorial Medical Center, North Greenville Long Term Acute Care Hospital and ER, Hillcrest Hospital, Patewood Memorial Hospital, and the newest Greer Memorial Hospital. It is one of the largest employers in the region. It was recognized for 2010-2011 as a top provider of Cardiac and Gastroenterology Care by US News and World Report. GHSUMC also boasts the only CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL in the UPSTATE REGION of South Carolina with the majority of Pediatric Specialties represented for inpatient and outpatient care. GHSUMC will soon host a full four year branch USC medical school - the University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville. There are numerous residencies for training physicians at GHSUMC including Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Family Practice, OBGYN, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery and fellowships in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and Vascular Surgery.
Additionally, Greenville Shriners Hospital exclusively treats pediatric orthopaedic patients free of charge.
Transportation
Greenville is located on the Interstate 85Interstate 85
Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
corridor, approximately halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte. The northern terminus of Interstate 385
Interstate 385
Interstate 385 starts where it meets the Interstate 26, near Clinton and heads in a northwest direction where it ends with exit 42, near downtown Greenville. After exit 42, I-385 turns into Business Spur 385 that then promptly ends at U.S. 29 near the Bi-Lo Center in downtown Greenville. It is one...
is located downtown, and the area is also served by Interstate 185
Interstate 185 (South Carolina)
Interstate 185 is located in the city of Greenville, South Carolina. The northern portion, which ends just shy of the Greenville city limits, was opened in the 1960s and is cosigned with U.S. 29. The southern portion, which connects the I-85/I-185 interchange with the I-385/U.S. 276 interchange ,...
and U.S. Highway 123 (Calhoun Memorial Highway). Other major highways include U.S. 25, U.S. 29 and U.S. 276.
There are several airports servicing the Greenville area. The largest in the region, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport , also known as GSP International Airport or Roger Milliken Field, is a public airport located in unincorporated Greenville and Spartanburg counties in South Carolina, United States, 3 miles south of central Greer; the airport serves Greenville and...
(GSP), is the second busiest in the state and is served by most major airlines including Southwest Airlines. SCTAC (former Donaldson Air Base)has undergone significant moderization and is the site of the new S.C. National Guard Helicopter Base and proposed Super General Aviation Center. Greenville serves as a freight hub for FedEx Express.
The Greenville Downtown Airport
Greenville Downtown Airport
Greenville Downtown Airport is a public airport located three miles east of the central business district of Greenville, a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States...
,located in the city's high density commercial district, is currently under consideration to be consolidated and modernized into the nearby jet-certified SCTAC to ensure better ground and GSP safety, optimize land use, create millions in additional city property tax revenues and eliminate building height restrictions while opening up the 385 acre (156 ha) of public property and surroundings for substantial economic development and job creation in the form of a Green Technology Institute, Green Village, Multi-modal Transportation Center and Lake Park that connects ICAR, the Convention Center and Downtown [www.GreenTecCorridor.org].
Public transit in Greenville was handled by the Greenville Transit Authority (GTA). However in 2008 the City Of Greenville took over operation of GTA and changed the name to Greenlink. Greenlink runs a bus system that serves the Greenville area and much of Greenville County. City leaders are in the early planning stages for a comprehensive transit system that will help ease the high traffic volume on interstates and roadways. Considerations for the expansion of the current Greenlink bus routes, creation of a tram-trail running from Travelers Rest to Downtown Greenville, and discussions on the future potential for commuter rail and light rail transit
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
systems will connect suburban commuter stations with urban destinations, office parks, and retail centers.
Railroads
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Crescent
Crescent (Amtrak)
The Crescent is a passenger train operated by Amtrak in the eastern part of the United States. It runs daily from Pennsylvania Station in New York City to New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, Louisiana as train 19 and returns, on the same route, as train 20. Most of the route of...
connects Greenville with the cities of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Baltimore, Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
and New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. The Amtrak station
Greenville (Amtrak station)
The Greenville Amtrak Station, located in Greenville, South Carolina, is served by the passenger train. The street address is 69 Thornbridge Drive, just outside downtown Birley School. It is also located next to a Norfolk Southern Freight Depot...
is situated at 1120 West Washington Street. Additionally, Greenville is a part of the proposed Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
The Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor is a passenger rail transportation project in the United States to extend high speed passenger rail services from Washington, DC south through Richmond and Petersburg in Virginia through Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina and connect with the existing...
, which will run from Washington, DC to Birmingham, AL. Freight railroad service is provided by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
, and the Carolina Piedmont Railroad. The former Greenville and Northern Railway
Greenville and Northern Railway
The Greenville and Northern Railroad was a shortline railroad formerly operating between Travelers Rest and Greenville, South Carolina, . The railroad was part of the Pinsly Railroad Company after 1957 before being purchased by RailTex in 1997...
line to Travelers Rest
Travelers Rest, South Carolina
Travelers Rest is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 4,099 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. "TR", as the city is known around the area, is just north of Greenville...
has been abandoned and converted into a hiking and biking trail.
Interstate 3
Interstate 3Interstate 3
Interstate 3 , the Third Infantry Division Highway, is a proposed Interstate Highway in the United States to run from Savannah, Georgia, north to Augusta, Georgia, and Knoxville, Tennessee...
is a proposed freeway that would begin in Savannah, GA run to Augusta, GA and then possibly to Greenville before reaching Knoxville, TN. Greenville is not along the original I-3 route; however, there are several alternative routes, including the one in which Greenville is a major destination along the highway.
Sports teams
- Greenville DriveGreenville DriveThe Greenville Drive is a minor league baseball team that plays in Greenville, South Carolina. They are a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and a member of the South Atlantic League. Prior to the 2005 SAL season, the team played in Columbia, South Carolina, was affiliated with the New York...
(for a short time, Greenville Bombers), a single A affiliate of the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in the South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic LeagueThe South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
. The Drive started their first season in their new downtown ballpark on April 6, 2006, which, prior to the start of the 2008 season, was renamed Fluor Field at the West End. - South Carolina ForceSouth Carolina ForceThe Greenville Force was a professional indoor football team in the Southern Indoor Football League. The team was based in Greenville, South Carolina, with home games played at the BI-LO Center. The Force was the first arena/indoor football team based in Greenville since the af2's Carolina Rhinos...
, an indoor football team in the American Indoor Football Association set to begin play in 2009. - Greenville GrrrowlGreenville GrrrowlThe Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001-02 season, they won the Kelly Cup....
, a minor league hockey team in the ECHLECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. League Champions in 2001-02. Ceased operations in July 2006. - Greenville Road WarriorsGreenville Road WarriorsThe Greenville Road Warriors are a professional ice hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. The team is a member of the ECHL and play their home games at the BI-LO Center in downtown Greenville. The franchise had previously played as the Johnstown Chiefs from the ECHL's inception in...
, a minor league hockey team in the ECHLECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. Set to begin play for the 2010-11 hockey season. - Greenville BravesGreenville BravesThe Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004...
, a minor league baseball team that played there from 1984 until 2004. Moved to Pearl, Mississippi for the 2005 season. - Greenville Derby Dames, a flat track roller derby team that was established in 2008.
- Greenville GrooveGreenville GrooveThe Greenville Groove were a National Basketball Development League team based in Greenville, South Carolina. Playing their home games at the BI-LO Center, the Groove was a charter franchise and league champions for the 2001-02 season but folded after the 2002-03 season.The National Basketball...
, a minor league basketball team in the ((NBA Development League|NBA D-League)). Won the first NBA D-League championship. Ceased operations in 2003. - Greenville Griffins, a rugby union team that competes in USA Rugby South Division II
- Carolina RhinosCarolina RhinosThe Carolina Rhinos were one of the original 15 teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference, before switching divisions in every year of their existence . In their first year, they won 7 of their first 9 games, en route to the playoffs, before losing...
, an arena football team in the af2Af2AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
that began in 2000 and ceased operations in 2002.
Furman University
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
:
- The Furman Paladins. Furman competes at the NCAA Division I level. (Note: Furman football is a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.) Furman athletic teams compete on-campus in various venues, including Paladin Stadium, Timmons Arena, and the Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium. Furman is a member of the Southern ConferenceSouthern ConferenceThe Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
.
There are at least 4 stadiums for football and baseball located within the city, and many outside, with total capacities of 100,000. There are also a number of soccer fields and at least three municipal and many private community swimming pools.
Lake Jocassee
Lake Jocassee
Lake Jocassee is a , deep reservoir located in northwest South Carolina created by the state in partnership with Duke Power in 1973. The lake is commonly known for the clean and cold Appalachian mountain rivers that feed the lake to keep its waters cool and clear water visibilities year-round. ...
, Lake Keowee
Lake Keowee
Lake Keowee is a man–made reservoir in the United States in the state of South Carolina shaped somewhat like a Christmas tree. It is notable for having been created to serve the needs of a power utility called the Duke Energy company as well as public recreational purposes...
, and Lake Hartwell
Lake Hartwell
Lake Hartwell is a reservoir bordering Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah, Tugaloo, and Seneca Rivers. The lake is created by Hartwell Dam located on the Savannah River seven miles below the point at which the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers join to form the Savannah...
within 50 miles (80 km) of Greenville accommodate boating and other water sports.
The Olympic Torch has passed through Greenville several times, and the city is an active participant in the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
.
During the 2008 Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
it was revealed that Greenville, along with Morganton, NC and Warner Robins, GA, are the finalists to receive the Southeast Regional Headquarters that was originally located in Gulfport, FL.
The arts
Greenville has a thriving arts community, with a number of venues to support performances. Greenville has been named one of the "Top 100 Arts Small Towns in the United States." The Bi-Lo CenterBi-Lo Center
The BI-LO Center is an arena located in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, that is used for concerts, football, and hockey. The arena is currently used by the Greenville Force of the Southern Indoor Football League and the Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL.- History :The BI-LO Center was...
, constructed in 1998, brings national tours of many popular bands to downtown, and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts
Peace Center
The Peace Center is located adjacent to Falls Park in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. It is an arts center that contains the 2100 seat Peace Concert Hall, 400 seat Dorothy Hipp Gunter Theater, and the Dow Brands Amphitheater located beside the Reedy River...
provides a venue for orchestras and plays. A planned multi-million dollar renovation to the center's main concert hall lobby and riverside amphitheatre began in the Spring of 2011.
Visual art
A number of local artists operate studios and galleries in the city, especially the Pendleton Street Arts District near downtown. The Metropolitan Arts Council and Upstate Visual Arts provide a number of public events that focus on the visual arts, including the First Fridays Art Walk, Greenville Open Studios, and the West Greenville Arts Festival. Greenville also provides some notable fine arts museums:- The Greenville County Museum of Art, home of the Andrew Wyeth CollectionAndrew WyethAndrew Newell Wyeth was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century....
, was founded with a significant contribution from local industrialist, Arthur McGill. It contains pieces by Jackson PollockJackson PollockPaul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
, Jonathan Greene, Georgia O'KeeffeGeorgia O'KeeffeGeorgia Totto O'Keeffe was an American artist.Born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O'Keeffe first came to the attention of the New York art community in 1916, several decades before women had gained access to art training in America’s colleges and universities, and before any of its women artists...
and native South Carolinians such as Jasper JohnsJasper JohnsJasper Johns, Jr. is an American contemporary artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking.-Life:Born in Augusta, Georgia, Jasper Johns spent his early life in Allendale, South Carolina with his paternal grandparents after his parents' marriage failed...
and William H. Johnson. - The Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery contains a diverse collection of European masterworks. The collection includes more than 400 paintings from the 14th to through the 19th centuries, period furniture, ancient Egyptian artifacts, and a notable collection of Russian iconsRussian iconsThe use and making of icons entered Kievan Rus' following its conversion to Orthodox Christianity in 988 AD. As a general rule, these icons strictly followed models and formulas hallowed by Byzantine art, led from the capital in Constantinople...
. Included are works by Rubens, Rembrandt, TintorettoTintorettoTintoretto , real name Jacopo Comin, was a Venetian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso...
, VeronesePaolo VeronesePaolo Veronese was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at Cana and The Feast in the House of Levi...
, CranachLucas Cranach the ElderLucas Cranach the Elder , was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving...
, Gerard DavidGerard DavidGerard David was an Early Netherlandish painter and manuscript illuminator known for his brilliant use of color.-Life:...
, MurilloBartolomé Estéban MurilloBartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children...
, Mattia PretiMattia PretiMattia Preti was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta.- Biography :Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was sometimes called Il Cavalier Calabrese...
, Ribera, van Dyck, and DoréDoreDore is a village in South Yorkshire, England. The village lies on a hill above the River Sheaf, and until 1934 was part of Derbyshire, but it is now a suburb of Sheffield. It is served by Dore and Totley railway station on the Hope Valley Line...
. Seven very large canvases, part of a series by Benjamin WestBenjamin WestBenjamin West, RA was an Anglo-American painter of historical scenes around and after the time of the American War of Independence...
called "The Progress of Revealed Religion", are displayed in the War Memorial Chapel.
Music
Greenville has a music scene that features frequent live performances in the downtown area by local Jazz, Country, and Rock bands.Rock and roll legends Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
played their last concert with all original members in Greenville, on October 19, 1977.
The city is home to a number of local orchestras, including the Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Greenville Symphony Orchestra
The Greenville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Greenville, South Carolina. Its home is located in the heart of downtown greenville next to the Peace Center....
, Greenville County Youth Orchestra
Greenville County Youth Orchestra
The Greenville County Youth Orchestra , sometimes referred to as the Young Artists' Orchestra is the orchestra-in-residence at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, SC...
, Carolina Youth Symphony, and the Carolina Pops Orchestra. The Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
, conducted by Greenville native Keith Lockhart
Keith Lockhart
For the baseball player, see Keith Lockhart Keith Lockhart , to Newton Frederick and Marilyn Jean Woodyard Lockhart, is an American orchestral conductor....
, regularly performs at the Bi-Lo Center. Greenville Light Opera Works (GLOW) holds full-scale and cabaret style performances of operetta and musical theater throughout the year and offers musical theater education to local schools through the GlowWorms program.
The Palmetto Statesmen Barbershop Chorus and Quartets regularly performs barbershop
Barbershop music
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture...
harmony and a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
singing at various locations throughout the Upstate. The Palmetto Statesmen Chorus is a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society
Barbershop Harmony Society
The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. , is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form. Founded by Owen C...
. The Palmetto Statesmen offer regular singing education to area high schools and colleges through the "Youth in Harmony" program.
Furman University
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
and Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
offer courses in operatic singing, and BJU has staged a full-scale grand opera each March for more than fifty years.
Greenville is also the home of the Greenville Chorale, a 160-voice choral group that offered master choral performances for more than fifty years.
Comedy
There are a variety of local comedy venues in Greenville featuring stand up comedy, sketch comedy, ventriloquists, as well as experimental and non-traditional comedy. Nationally touring comedians as well as local amateurs can be found performing several nights each week in Greenville.Dance and theatre
The Carolina Ballet Theatre is a professional dance company which regularly presents programs at the Peace Center and elsewhere. Their major annual event is the presentation of Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker BalletThe Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
, but a similar production is performed by International Ballet Academy, another popular dance company in the area. Centre Stage, Greenville Little Theater, South Carolina Children's Theater and the Warehouse Theatre are the major playhouses in the area. These theaters offer a variety of performances including well-known works, such as Death of a Salesman and Grease, and plays written by local playwrights. During the Spring and Summer, the local Shakespearean company performs Shakespeare in the Park at the Falls Park Amphitheater.
Literature
A number of notable writers have lived in downtown Greenville or nearby. Internationally known author and composer William Rowland lives in the city, as does novelist and educator Robert Powell as well as New York Times best selling children's author Melinda Long, and novelists Ashley Warlick and Mindy Friddle. Renowned playwright James Rasheed lives in Greenville, and the late Poet Laureate Carl SandburgCarl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
was a frequent visitor.
Media
The Greenville NewsThe Greenville News
The Greenville News is a daily morning newspaper published in Greenville, South Carolina. Along with The State in Columbia and Charleston's Post and Courier, it is one of the three largest papers in South Carolina.-History:...
is the city's daily newspaper and also the Upstate's largest daily newspaper in circulation and readership.
Greenville Journal: Weekly newspaper dealing with business, economic development, local events, and current issues relevant to Greenville.
Upstate Business Trends: Monthly business newspaper reaching 7,500 business leaders in Greenville and Spartanburg counties.
GSA Business: Published every two weeks, it covers business news from across the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metro area.
Greenville Business Magazine: Monthly magazine that contains business information for and about the Greenville area.
Upstate Link magazine The Upstate's premiere young reader (20s-30s) newsweekly. The weekly publication began in January 2004. Link continues to be a print publication, but its Web site ceased operation in 2008. Its new Web site is run by Chicago-based Metromix
Metromix
Metromix is a network of local entertainment websites backed by a joint venture between media companies Gannett and Tribune Co. A guide to local restaurants, bars and clubs, events, concerts and movies, Metromix is currently available in over 60 markets. In late 2009, the company launched 27 new...
.
Greenville HD: An all-video website that gives viewers a look at everything in Greenville, South Carolina.
Television
Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville DMA which is the nation's 36th largest television market. See the box below for the local television stations:Radio
Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Arbitron Metro which is the nation's 59th largest radio market with a person 12+ population of 813,700. See the box below for the local radio stations:Demographics
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
that covers Greenville, Laurens, and Pickens counties and had a combined population of 636,986 at the 2010 census.
Since South Carolina law makes annexing the urban area around cities difficult, Greenville's population is larger than what it really is. The 2010 city population is 62,094 while the total urban area population is 302,194.
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 58,409 people, 24,382 households, and 12,581 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,148.0 inhabitants per square mile (829.4/km²). There were 27,295 housing units at an average density of 1,046.9 per square mile (404.2/km²). The racial composition of the city was 62.12% White, 31.54% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 3.44% Hispanic or Latino
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, 1.27% Asian, 0.14% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.37% of other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.11% of Two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
.
There were 29,418 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 40.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,144, and the median income for a family was $44,125. Males had a median income of $35,111 versus $25,339 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $23,242. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
Notable figures who were born in, lived in, or are otherwise associated with Greenville.Scientists
- Charles H. Townes (1915-), Nobel Prize-winningNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
physicist; invented the maserMaserA maser is a device that produces coherent electromagnetic waves through amplification by stimulated emission. Historically, “maser” derives from the original, upper-case acronym MASER, which stands for "Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation"...
Psychologists
- Wayne OatesWayne OatesWayne Edward Oates was an American psychologist and religious educator who coined the word 'workaholic'.Born to a poor family in Greenville, South Carolina in June 1917, Oates was abandoned by his father in infancy and was brought up by his grandmother and sister while his mother supported them by...
(1917–1999), psychologist who shaped pastoral counseling and coined the word 'workaholic' - John B. WatsonJohn B. WatsonJohn Broadus Watson was an American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism. Watson promoted a change in psychology through his address Psychology as the Behaviorist Views it which was given at Columbia University in 1913...
, influential psychologist, established the psychological school of behaviorismBehaviorismBehaviorism , also called the learning perspective , is a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do—including acting, thinking, and feeling—can and should be regarded as behaviors, and that psychological disorders are best treated by altering behavior...
Artists
- Carl BlairCarl BlairCarl Blair is an artist and was for more than forty years a member of the art faculty at Bob Jones University.-Biography:...
, painter - Emery BoppEmery BoppEmery Bopp was an artist and long-time chairman of the Division of Art, Bob Jones University.-Early life and education:...
, painter and sculptor - Darell KoonsDarell KoonsDarrell John Koons an American painter, was for forty years a member of the art faculty at Bob Jones University.-Biography:...
, painter - David CulverDavid CulverDavid Michael Culver, is a Canadian businessman and former Chairman and CEO of Alcan Aluminum Limited, from 1979 to 1989....
, painter, sculptor, and composer
Athletes
- Willie Lloyd Anderson, Jr., professional basketball player [10th overall pick - 1988]
- Brandon BennettBrandon BennettBrandon Bennett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers...
, professional football player - Beth CoutureBeth CoutureBeth Couture is the head women's basketball coach at Butler University. From her first season at Butler in 2002–2003 through the 2010–2011 season, she compiled a 148–127 record including three consecutive WNIT appearances and four consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 23–10 mark in 2010, the...
, head coach of the Butler Bulldogs women's basketballButler Bulldogs women's basketballThe Butler Bulldogs women's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League, in which it has competed since joining Division I competition in the 1986-1987 season...
team. - Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
, NBA player, MVP and 2008 champion with the Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. - Lucas GloverLucas GloverLucas Hendley Glover is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. He is best known for winning the 2009 U.S. Open.-Amateur career:...
, professional golfer, 2009 U.S. Open Champion - Andre Goodman, professional football player for the Miami Dolphins
- Jay HaasJay HaasJay Dean Haas is an American professional golfer.Haas was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Belleville, Illinois. He attended Wake Forest University and was a member of the NCAA Championship team of the middle 1970s with Curtis Strange and Bob Byman that Golf World has called "the...
and Bill HaasBill HaasWilliam Harlan Haas is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and won the 2011 FedEx Cup. He is the son of former PGA Tour player Jay Haas.-Early life:...
, professional golfers - George HincapieGeorge HincapieGeorge Hincapié Garcés is an American professional road bicycle racer currently riding for UCI ProTeam . Hincapie resides in Greenville, South Carolina...
, professional cyclist, Paris-Roubaix runner up - "Shoeless Joe" JacksonShoeless Joe JacksonJoseph Jefferson Jackson , nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early part of the 20th century...
(1889–1951), Major LeagueMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
baseball player with the third-highest career batting average in history - David JonesDavid Jones (defensive back)David Jones is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. Jones was most recently a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the National Football League. He played college football for the Wingate University Bulldogs.-College career:Jones attended Wingate University where he...
, professional football player, Jacksonville Jaguars - Tommy Jones, professional bowler
- Jason KellerJason KellerFor the American writer, see Jason Keller Jason Keller is a NASCAR racing driver who currently drives the #44 Chevrolet for Tri-Star Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. A mainstay in the Busch/Nationwide Series since his debut in 1991...
, Nationwide Series NASCAR driver - Charles WarrenCharles Warren (golfer)Charles Otis Warren is an American professional golfer.Warren is currently a member of the PGA Tour. He was a member of the Nationwide Tour in 1998 and from 2000 to 2004 and a member of the PGA Tour in 1999 and 2005-2010....
, professional golfer - Travelle WhartonTravelle WhartonGlenn Travelle Wharton is an American football player who currently plays offensive guard for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL...
, professional football player, Carolina Panthers - Sherri TurnerSherri Turner-Amateur career:Turner was born in Greenville, South Carolina. A golfer by the age of 5, she was the 1974-75 Carolinas Junior champion. While playing for Furman University, she was a medalist at three tournaments, including the Women's Southern Intercollegiate. She was selected for the All-American...
, professional golfer, 1988 LPGA champion - Fabian DavisFabian DavisFabian Davis is a Jamaican football defender or midfielder who is currently unattached to a club in the Premier League....
, Professional Football player, played for Arizona Cardinals. Broke Records at Wake Forest.
Musicians
- Peg Leg BatesPeg Leg BatesClayton "Peg Leg" Bates was an Afro-American entertainer from Fountain Inn, South Carolina.Bates lost a leg at the age of 12 in a cotton gin accident. He subsequently taught himself to tap dance with a wooden peg leg...
, from Fountain Inn, South CarolinaFountain Inn, South CarolinaFountain Inn is a city in Greenville and Laurens counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 6,017 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in southern Greenville County - Browning BryantBrowning BryantJohn Baxter Browning Bryant is an American singer-songwriter, whose greatest commercial popularity was before and during his early teens....
, singer-songwriter - Peabo BrysonPeabo BrysonPeabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
, singer - Mike CarrollMike CarrollMike Carroll is a professional skateboarder from San Francisco who skated for H-Street and then joined the super team Plan B Skateboards...
, vocalist/guitarist for popular "shoegaze/emo" group Autumns Jones - Jesse "The Devil" Hughes, vocalist/guitarist for the Eagles of Death MetalEagles of Death MetalEagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme. Despite their band name, Eagles of Death Metal are not a death metal band. Hughes stated that a friend was introducing Josh Homme to the death metal genre...
- Dan ForrestDan ForrestDaniel Ernest Forrest, Jr. is a composer and teacher.-Biography:Forrest was born in Elmira, New York and received a B.Mus. and an M.Mus. in Piano Performance from Bob Jones University. He completed a D.M.A. in composition at the University of Kansas in 2007 and has studied composition with Joan...
, composer, teacher, and winner of numerous composition prizes, including the John Ness BeckJohn Ness BeckJohn Ness Beck was a composer and arranger of choral music. He was best known for his very popular and accessible settings of traditional Sacred music. Beck was a conductor and arranger of international renown...
Award for his music - Hovie ListerHovie ListerHovie Franklin Lister was an American gospel pianist.Lister was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and learned piano from age six. He accompanied a singing group composed of his father and three of his uncles at 14, and toured with Mordecai Ham at the same age...
, pianist/vocalist for the Statesman Quartet - Keith LockhartKeith LockhartFor the baseball player, see Keith Lockhart Keith Lockhart , to Newton Frederick and Marilyn Jean Woodyard Lockhart, is an American orchestral conductor....
, noted performer and conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra - Edwin McCainEdwin McCainEdwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band...
, pop/rock singer-songwriter - Emile PandolfiEmile PandolfiEmile Pandolfi is an American pianist. He is noted for his renditions of show tunes. -Biography and career:He was born in New York and grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, where he still resides....
, pianist - Joan PinkstonJoan PinkstonJoan Jacobson Pinkston is a composer, choral arranger, and music teacher.-Biography:Pinkston was born in Chicago, Illinois and reared in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she early displayed unusual musical gifts. She began serving as pianist of her church at age ten and appeared regularly as a pianist...
, composer of hymn tunes and traditional Christian sacred music - Karl SandersKarl SandersKarl Sanders is an American musician, most widely known as the founding member of the American Egyptian-themed death metal band Nile. He was born in California, and lives in Greenville, South Carolina. Karl is endorsed by Dean Guitars, and has two signature models by KxK Guitars...
, vocalist/guitarist for the Egyptian-themed death metalDeath metalDeath metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band NileNile (band)Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and art, as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :... - Chris SlighChris SlighCharles Christopher Sligh is an American singer; songwriter and producer who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol, finishing in tenth place.-Early years:...
, American Idol Season 6 contestant - Aaron TippinAaron TippinAaron Dupree Tippin is an American country music artist and record producer. Initially a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music, he gained a recording contract with RCA Records in 1990...
, country music star - Josh WhiteJosh WhiteJoshua Daniel White , better known as Josh White, was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names "Pinewood Tom" and "Tippy Barton" in the 1930s....
(c.1915–1969), folkFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, and gospelGospel musicGospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer and guitarist - Casey SpoonerCasey SpoonerCasey Spooner is an American artist and musician. He was born in Athens, Georgia and resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Spooner is openly gay. While attending the Art Institute of Chicago he met Warren Fischer. The two went on to cofound Fischerspooner in New York in 1998.Spooner has submitted...
, Artist/Musician - Cravin' MelonCravin' Melon-History:Cravin' Melon was formed at Clemson University in 1994 after the dissolution of two other local South Carolina bands, Doghouse and The Next Move. The band gained popularity on the regional live scene, and after a self-pressed EP and full-length, they signed to Mercury Records and released...
, pop/country band - Josh TurnerJosh TurnerJoshua Otis "Josh" Turner is a country music singer and actor signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Turner has released four studio albums for the label. The first of these was 2003's Long Black Train, whose title track was his breakthrough single release...
, country
Politicians
- Jim DeMintJim DeMintJames Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
(born 1951), U.S. Senator from South Carolina - Jesse JacksonJesse JacksonJesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
(born 1941), two-time presidential candidate, civil rights activist, and Baptist minister - William H. PerryWilliam H. PerryWilliam Hayne Perry was a United States Representative from South Carolina. He was born in Greenville, South Carolina, where he attended Greenville Academy, and graduated from Furman University at Greenville in 1857...
(1839–1902), United States Representative from South Carolina - Richard W. (Dick) Riley, (born January 2, 1933), State representative and state senator from 1963–1977, elected governor in 1978 and reelected in 1982. Served as Sec. of Education under President William J. Clinton.
- Harry A. SlatteryHarry A. SlatteryHarry A. Slattery , was an American lawyer and statesman. He was United States Under Secretary of the Interior from 1938-39 and gave his name to the Slattery Report, which proposed to develop Alaska through immigration...
(1887–1949), American lawyer and statesman, US Under Secretary of the Interior from 1938–39 and gave his name to the Slattery ReportSlattery ReportThe Slattery Report, officially titled "The Problem of Alaskan Development,” was produced by the United States Department of the Interior under Secretary Harold L. Ickes in 1939–40. It was named after Undersecretary of the Interior Harry A. Slattery... - Carroll Campbell (1940–2005), 112th governor of SC. Born in Greenville, SC.
Clergy
- Robert Reynolds "Bob" Jones, Sr.Bob Jones, Sr.Robert Reynolds Jones, Sr. was an American evangelist, pioneer religious broadcaster and the founder and first president of Bob Jones University.-Early years:...
(1883–1968), evangelist, founder of Bob Jones University - John PiperJohn Piper (theologian)John Stephen Piper is a Christian preacher and author, currently serving as Pastor for Preaching and Vision of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
(1946-), theologian, minister and author, spent most of his youth in Greenville.
Authors
- Dorothy AllisonDorothy AllisonDorothy Allison is an American writer, speaker, and member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers.-Early life:Dorothy E. Allison was born on April 11, 1949 in Greenville, South Carolina to Ruth Gibson Allison, who was fifteen at the time. Ruth was a poor and unmarried mother who worked as a...
, author of Bastard Out of CarolinaBastard Out of Carolina (novel)Bastard Out of Carolina was the first novel published by author Dorothy Allison. The book, which is semi-autobiographical in nature, is set in Allison's hometown of Greenville, South Carolina...
who now lives in Los Angeles area. - Cat BauerCat BauerCatherine "Cat" Bauer is the award-winning author of contemporary novels featuring the young protagonist, Harley Columba, and is known for her unique and honest voice. Publishers Weekly said, "Bauer creates a witty and resilient narrator in...Harley Columba.....
, author of Harley, Like a Person and Harley's Ninth who now lives in Venice, Italy - John Dickson CarrJohn Dickson CarrJohn Dickson Carr was an American author of detective stories, who also published under the pen names Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn....
, (1906–1977) mystery novelist, wrote his last five novels while living in Greenville - John CulbertsonJohn CulbertsonJohn M. Culbertson was an American professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He was also an economist with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as well as a consultant to the Subcommittee on International Finance of the House Banking and Currency Committee.The...
, published playwright of Messiah on the Frigidaire and The Spectator Sport - Carrie Ryan, author; The Forest of Hands and TeethThe Forest of Hands and TeethThe Forest of Hands and Teeth is a New York Times best-selling post-apocalyptic zombie novel by first-time author Carrie Ryan that is marketed to young-adults. It was published in 2009 by Random House Delacorte Press in the United States, and by Hachette Gollancz in Australia and the United Kingdom...
, The Dead-Tossed WavesThe Dead-Tossed WavesThe Dead-Tossed Waves is a novel by Carrie Ryan. It is the sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth and the second book of a trilogy. The third book to make up the trilogy is "The Dark and Hollow Places." It was published in 2010 by Random House Delacourte Press and is written in first person...
, The Dark and Hollow Places (coming up in 2011) - Nicholas SparksNicholas Sparks (author)Nicholas Charles Sparks is an internationally-bestselling American novelist and screenwriter. He has 16 published novels, with thematic ideas that include cancer, death and love. Six have been adapted to film, including Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe,...
, author; Message in a Bottle was written in Simpsonville - Jamie Langston TurnerJamie Langston Turner-Biography:Turner was born in Mississippi and currently teaches writing and poetry at Bob Jones University. Her novel A Garden to Keep won a 2002 Christy Award; her Winter Birds was named one of the "one hundred best books" of 2006 by Publishers Weekly....
, (1949-) educator and novelist, author of six books including the Christy Award Winning novels, "Winter Birds" and "Some Garden to Keep", published by Bethany House Publishers - Jacqueline WoodsonJacqueline WoodsonJacqueline Woodson is an American author who writes books targeted at children and adolescents. She is best known for 'Miracle's Boys' which won the Coretta Scott King Award in 2001 and her Newbery Honor titles 'After Tupac & D Foster', 'Feathers' and 'Show Way'...
, author of "Locomotion"
Actors and journalists
- Frank Blair (1916–1995), anchor of NBC's Today Show from 1953 to 1975. Formerly worked at WFBC-TV (now WYFFWYFFWYFF is the NBC-affiliate television station based in Greenville, South Carolina. It serves a media market which includes Greenville/Spartanburg and Anderson in South Carolina and Asheville/Hendersonville, North Carolina. The market covers large portions of western North Carolina and upstate South...
) in Greenville - William M. CampbellWilliam M. CampbellWilliam M. Campbell III was the president of Discovery Networks U.S. from May 2002 to 2007, in this role he was responsible for all aspects of the domestic television division, including programming, production, affiliate sales and marketing, advertising sales, consumer marketing, research,...
, named president of Discovery Networks U.S. in May 2002 - Tyler FlorenceTyler FlorenceTyler Florence is a chef and television host of several Food Network shows. He graduated from the College of Culinary Arts at the Charleston, South Carolina campus of Johnson & Wales University in 1991...
, Food Network chef, cookbook author - Bo HopkinsBo HopkinsBo Hopkins is an American actor.-Career:Hopkins has appeared in more than one hundred film and television roles in a career of more than forty years, including The Bridge at Remagen, The Wild Bunch, The Getaway, American Graffiti, White Lightning, Radioland Murders, The Killer Elite, Midnight...
, actor - Anne Pressly, former journalist for Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
KATVKATVKATV, channel 7, is an ABC affiliated television station serving the Little Rock television market and central Arkansas. The station is owned by Allbritton Communications Company....
, before she was brutally beaten; she later died from her injuries - Jane RobelotJane RobelotJane Robelot was a co-anchor of CBS television's CBS This Morning during the early 1990s. In the 1980s she worked at WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, South Carolina, then at then-CBS-owned WCAU TV Philadelphia before moving to CBS. After working for CBS News she was the primary anchor for WGCL-TV in Atlanta...
, anchored CBS This Morning from August 1996 until June 1999 - Brittany RobertsonBrittany RobertsonBrittany Leanna "Britt" Robertson is an American actress. She is mostly known for playing the roles of Cara Burns in Dan In Real Life, Samantha in Swingtown, Trixie Stone in The Tenth Circle, Lux Cassidy in Life Unexpected, and Marnie Cooper in Scream 4...
, actress - Joanne WoodwardJoanne WoodwardJoanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward is an American actress, television and theatrical producer, and widow of Paul Newman...
, Academy Award–winning actress and wife of Paul NewmanPaul NewmanPaul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
Military figures
- Rudolf Anderson, became the only combat casualty in the Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile CrisisThe Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
when his U-2 spy planeLockheed U-2The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
was shot down - Richard PearisRichard PearisRichard Pearis was an Indian trader, a pioneer settler of Upstate South Carolina, and a Loyalist officer during the American Revolution....
, early settler and Loyalist militia officer during the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. - John M. McConnellJohn M. McConnellJohn Michael "Mike" McConnell is a former vice admiral in the United States Navy. During his naval career he served as Director of the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996...
, former director of the NSA, retired Vice Admiral of the Navy
Neighborhoods
- Augusta Road
- East ParkEast Park (Greenville, South Carolina)East Park is a neighborhood in Greenville, South Carolina. It is located immediately north to, and adjacent of, the downtown business district. This neighborhood is part of the East Park Avenue Historic District that was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in October 2005.Subdivided...
- Hampton PinckneyHampton PinckneyHampton Pinckney is a neighborhood located in Greenville, South Carolina. One of the oldest neighborhoods in Greenville, it was where the textile industry was started in the early 19th century and lasted until the 1920s...
- HeritageHeritage (Greenville, South Carolina)Heritage is a neighborhood located in Greenville, South Carolina. Located northwest of the city, it is home to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church and was once home to a dairy....
- North MainNorth Main (Greenville, South Carolina)North Main is a neighborhood in Greenville, South Carolina located near the downtown area. One of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, it was founded 1813 as a business location. Residential usage was expanded in 1896-7 that continued until the 1920s...
- OverbrookOverbrook (Greenville, South Carolina)Overbrook is a neighborhood in Greenville, South Carolina. It is a neighborhood built in 1913 upon expansion of the trolley line that was extended into the area three years earlier. Bungalow homes were built in this area from 1913 to 1924...
- West EndWest End (Greenville, South Carolina)West End is a neighborhood in Greenville, South Carolina. Located across the Reedy River in downtown, the end was where Furman University was first established in 1852 and expanded there until it moved to its current location northwest of the city in 1958. The first train of the Greenville and...
Sister cities
BergamoBergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
(Italy), since 1985 Kortrijk
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...
, Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
(Belgium), since 1991 Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, (China), Since 2002