Retired Marine Corps general to speak Feb. 8 at Orangeburg Massacre Commemoration
SC State alumnus Dr. Clifford L. Stanley is a former undersecretary for personnel
and readiness at the U.S. Department of Defense.
ORANGEBURG, S.C. – South Carolina State University will commemorate the 56th anniversary of the Orangeburg
Massacre on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Martin Luther King
Jr. Auditorium.
SC State alumnus Dr. Clifford L. Stanley, a retired Marine Corps major general and former Department of Defense official, will be the keynote speaker.
The annual event is held in memory of the series of events in 1968 that culminated in the shooting deaths of three young men on the SC State campus – known today as the Orangeburg Massacre.
About the Orangeburg Massacre
On the night of Feb. 8, 1968, Henry Smith, Samuel Hammond and Delano Middleton were killed when police opened fire on some 200 unarmed Black students who were demonstrating in the name of integrating a local bowling alley. Another 28 protestors were wounded. Smith and Hammond were both enrolled at SC State, and Middleton was a 17-year-old student at Wilkinson High School in Orangeburg.
Each year on Feb. 8, the university honors Smith, Hammond and Middleton, their families and the survivors of what has become known as the Orangeburg Massacre.
At the 2022 commemoration, the university dedicated a new monument enshrined with bronze likenesses of the three men as an additional aspect of the Smith Hammond Middleton Legacy Plaza. The busts were sculpted by internationally known artist Dr. Tolulope Filani, chair of the SC State Department of Visual and Performing Arts.
The university’s convocation center/basketball arena also is named for Smith, Hammond and Middleton.
About Dr. Clifford L. Stanley
He also serves as an Associate Minister at his church in Philadelphia and as a member on the External Diversity and Inclusion Council for Charter Communications (Spectrum).
Stanley was sworn in as the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness on February 16, 2010. He served as the senior policy advisor to the Secretary of Defense on recruitment, career development, pay and benefits for 1.4 million active-duty military personnel, 1.3 million National Guard and Reserve personnel, 680,000 DoD civilians, and was responsible for overseeing the overall state of military readiness.
Prior to assuming his position as under secretary, Stanley was president of Scholarship America, the nation’s largest nonprofit, private-sector scholarship organization. He also served on the senior leadership team of the University of Pennsylvania as the executive vice president. In that capacity, he was responsible to the president for the non-academic functions of the university, such as business, finance, facilities maintenance, and campus security.
Stanley, a retired United States Marine Corps infantry officer, served 33 years in uniform, retiring as a major general. His last position was as the deputy commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command and commanding general, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. Additionally, he served as the Marine Corps principal representative to the Joint Requirements Board which supported the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in carrying out his responsibilities.
Other leadership positions included: Commanding general, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, CA; director of public affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington DC; assistant deputy chief of staff for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, (Manpower Plans & Policy); commanding officer, 1st Marine Regiment, desk officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, East Asia and Pacific Region; advisor to the secretary of defense on POW/MIA Affairs; special assistant and Marine Corps aide for the assistant secretary of the Navy; and instructor at the US Naval Academy. Stanley was also a White House Fellow where he served as special assistant to the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Stanley is a graduate of South Carolina State University. He received his Master of Science degree from Johns Hopkins University, graduating with honors, and received his Master of Divinity degree from the United Lutheran Seminary, graduating with honors. His formal military education includes Amphibious Warfare School, the Naval War College, Honor Graduate of Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and National War College. Stanley earned his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, and holds Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from South Carolina State University and Spalding University. Additionally, he holds a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, from The Medical University of South Carolina and Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Stillman College.
Stanley’s military honors include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), the Navy Commendation Medal, and the Navy Achievement Medal. His civilian awards include receiving the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (N.A.A.C.P.) Meritorious Service Award, the N.A.A.C.P. Roy Wilkins Award, and the American Legion Award for Inspirational Leadership.
Stanley and his wife, Rosalyn Hill Stanley, have one daughter, Dr. Angela Yvonne Stanley, Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired).
About South Carolina State University
Founded in 1896 as a land grant institution with a mission of providing service to
the citizens of the state, South Carolina State University has evolved from a small
teachers’ college into a major University center of learning and research. Located
in Orangeburg, S.C., South Carolina State offers more than 50 different fields of
study on the undergraduate and graduate levels. South Carolina State University is
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of
the Council of Graduate Schools.