General Information History

Winthrop's history dates to 1886, when 21 students gathered in a borrowed one-room building in Columbia, S.C.  David Bancroft Johnson, a dedicated and gifted superintendent of schools, headed up the fledgling institution, whose mission was the education of teachers. Winthrop has changed dramatically since moving to its permanent Rock Hill home in 1895, growing from a single classroom to a comprehensive university of distinction. Winthrop's historic campus is a setting of exceptional beauty, as is its recreational area known as The Farm. Today, nearly 6,500 students take courses in arts and sciences, education, business administration and visual and performing arts, all of which are supported by Winthrop's newest academic division, University College.