On Oct. 7, 1873, Henry E. Hayne, the Secretary of State of South Carolina, became the first of mixed race student when he registered for the fall session in the medical college of the University of South Carolina. Hayne, a Republican, was elected to the state legislature in 1870 and Secretary of State in 1872.

1877, a new Legislature controlled by the Democrats closed the college and passed a law prohibiting blacks from admission to the college. Hayne left the college. The college did not integrate again until required to by the federal government in 1963.