President Glenn McConnell ’69
The College of Charleston welcomes Glenn McConnell as the 22nd president. President McConnell, a 1969 College of Charleston graduate, has already begun meeting with faculty, staff, students and alumni and plans to continue these meetings.
“I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey,” McConnell says. “Working together, we will continue to bring the transformational experience of the liberal arts to new generations of students. The future of Charleston and the Lowcountry requires that we continue to provide exceptional liberal arts and professional academic programs.”
A native of Charleston, S.C., and a distinguished alumnus of the College of Charleston, McConnell served more than 30 years in the South Carolina Senate. He is regarded as one of the most respected, influential, and effective leaders in state government.
RELATED: Read more about President McConnell’s career.
As an undergraduate student at the College of Charleston, McConnell served as Student Body President and as a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1969. He went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1972 and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar that same year. He holds honorary degrees from the College of Charleston, the University of Charleston, the Citadel Military College of South Carolina, Francis Marion University, and the Medical University of South Carolina. The McConnell Residence Hall on the College of Charleston campus is named in his honor. McConnell was also a recipient of The Founders Medal, the highest award bestowed by the College
RELATED: President McConnell joins distinguished list of College of Charleston presidents.
“As I told the Board of Trustees during my interview, the College of Charleston is in my DNA,” said President McConnell. “Any success I have enjoyed throughout my legal, business, and legislative careers started with the excellent liberal arts education I received at the College. I look forward to serving and leading my alma mater in a new chapter in its history marked by greater diversity, sustainability, relevance, and accountability. When future graduates reflect upon their lives, I hope they, too, will value their experience at the College as one that propelled them to success no matter what personal and professional paths they choose.”
