The University of South Carolina has announced that former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley will join the faculty of its Joseph F. Rice School of Law.
Former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley
“The mission of the law school is to educate lawyer leaders for their communities, our state and nation,” said William Hubbard, dean of the Joseph F. Rice School of Law. “Gov. Beasley’s example of exemplary leadership and public service will inspire our students, broaden their perspectives and enhance their international understanding.”
Beasley presided as governor from 1995 to 1999 and is credited with reforming state government and helping revitalize the state’s struggling economy. Between 2017 and 2023, he served as executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme, the world’s largest humanitarian organization, feeding hundreds of millions of starving people in more than 80 countries. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 on behalf of the organization for its efforts to combat hunger and conflict around the world and make peace.
While serving as governor, Beasley advocated for the removal of the Confederate flag from the State House dome. His efforts earned him the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2003. The flag was finally removed from the State House grounds in 2015 after nine people were killed in a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.
William Hubbard
Beasley holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies as well as a juris doctorate degree from the University of South Carolina. He will teach and give guest lectures at the law school, the Honors College, and the College of Arts and Sciences.