History

Henry Cauthen, President of SCETV, alongside Nella Gray Barkley, the first manager of the Spoleto Festival USA, set out to found an organization to manage the production costs of SCETV that the state budget doesn’t cover. On September 16th, the first organizational meeting of the ETV Endowment takes place at the home of Elaine Freeman in Spartanburg. Nella Gray Barkley, Richard E. Tukey and Hugh M. Chapman are named as the original Trustees. Elaine T. Freeman is appointed as the first Executive Director, and Gilman Hooper of the Milliken Corporation volunteers to act as the organization’s financial officer. There, its mission is established – "to support and promote South Carolina educational public broadcasting activities." The Endowment would not fund the ongoing operations of SCETV, which were part of the formal state budget, but would offer "ancillary assistance and generate understanding for the objectives of the ETV network." 

The ETV Endowment is awarded tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3), ten years after President Lyndon Johnson signs the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The Endowment begins what will become an integral part of a unique, sustained broadcasting partnership between the public and non-profit sectors. Nella Gray Barkley, James P. Covington, Hugh M. Chapman, Richard E. Tukey and Robert E. McNair serve as the Endowment’s first Trustees. Annual ETV Endowment memberships are available in two categories: Associate at $10 and Patron at $25. 

NatureScene, hosted by Rudy Mancke, begins production and will be syndicated nationally for the next 25 years.

The Endowment finishes its first year with a membership of $10,342.

The first on-air pledge drive takes place in December.

The highly competitive ETV Endowment Internship program for college students begins in 1980. At least seven internships, all funded by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, are available with SCETV and SC Public Radio each summer. 

The ETV Endowment solicited and received 33 grants totaling $4,220,555 for the production of Roanoke, a three-part historical mini-series for PBS' American Playhouse. 

The Board of Trustees of the ETV Endowment makes a $40,000 grant to match federal funds for the building of the Aiken transmitter, allowing for reception in that area. 

In September, Rudy Mancke leads the first ETV Endowment NatureScene trip, exploring Colorado. Rudy will ultimately lead 35 Endowment trips across the United States, Canada and Europe. 

An ETV Endowment fundraiser brings Bill Moyers to Columbia to screen Amazing Grace at the Jefferson Square Theatre in Columbia. 

A longtime favorite program, Making It Grow, airs for the first time in October. The series was hosted by Rowland Alston until 2012. Upon his retirement, Amanda McNulty begins hosting the popular gardening and horticulture series. 

The ETV Endowment raises more than $4 million from donors to purchase the property on the corner of George Rogers Blvd. and Key Rd. in Columbia from PYA. The campaign is led by Hugh Chapman and Elaine Freeman. Donors to the campaign include Sara Lee Corporation and Foundation, The Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust, Sonoco Products – Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Coker and the Charles W. and Elizabeth H. Coker Foundation, NationsBank, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Mrs. R.M. Jefferies, SCE&G, Duke Power, Rotary Club of Five Points, Wachovia Bank of SC, Carolina Power & Light, Policy Management Systems Corporation, Springs Industries, G. Richard Shafto, BB&T, Alice Manufacturing Company, Milliken Foundation and Lipscomb Family Foundation, Inc. At the grand opening on April 30th, the William E. Murray Studio is the largest soundstage on the East Coast. The ETV Endowment later sells the property to the State of South Carolina for $1. 

The ETV Endowment begins its decades-long partnership with the Rotary Club of Five Points to manage the parking at University of South Carolina home football games.

Sally Foster retires as the Financial Officer after serving 16 years with the ETV Endowment. In May, Coby Cartrette Hennecy, CPA is hired as the Financial Officer/Assistant Director of the ETV Endowment. 

The ETV Endowment receives the first of many 4 out of a possible 4-stars rating for financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency by Charity Navigator. Charity Navigator is the leading charity evaluator in America, highlighting the work of efficient, ethical and transparent charities. 

SC Humanities awards the ETV Endowment with grant to fund the documentary Shared History, a film by Felicia Furman that documents the legacy of slavery and African American labor that once existed in Midway, SC. This is just one of many grants SC Humanities has awarded the ETV Endowment from 2007 to the present day. 

Through a successful capital campaign, led by Co-Chairs Suzan Boyd and Ed Sellers, the ETV Endowment raises $1.5 million from almost 1,100 donors to provide new state-of-the-art public radio studios. Bill Barnet, Anne Ellefson, Bill Finn, Minor Shaw, Debi Timmerman, Judy Bynum and Coby Hennecy serve as campaign members. The Grand Opening of the new studios is held on October 25, 2011. Jazz artists Jon Weber and Tammy McCann perform at the Grand Opening. 

A Chef's Life makes its debut on SCETV and PBS stations nationwide.

Patrick McMillan leads his first of many ETV Endowment expeditions, exploring Costa Rica with ETV Endowment members.

Rudy Mancke leads his 35th and final trip for ETV Endowment donors to Minnesota.

SCETV celebrates 60 years of storytelling in South Carolina.

A Chef's Life, presented nationally by SCETV, wins a Daytime Emmy® for Outstanding Culinary Program and airs its final episode after five seasons. The ETV Endowment’s Friends of A Chef's Life, made of 135 donors, helped support this popular program during its five seasons. 

Because of many generous donors across the state, the ETV Endowment met its $1.6 million goal for the One State, Many Voices: Sharing South Carolina’s Stories campaign and doubled its capacity to support the production of local, original content. The campaign was led by Mary Rainey Belser, and committee members included Bubba Self, Rachel Chapman, Jo Hackl, Carl Falk, Vicki Killen, Bill Finn, David Parker, Sara Fisher, McLeod Williamson, Coby C. Hennecy and Julie Lonon. The ETV Endowment will continue to celebrate South Carolina’s history, culture, people and places here and across the nation through SCETV’s and SC Public Radio’s programming. 

The ETV Endowment breaks the $6 million mark in annual membership gifts thanks to our loyal, generous donors.

The ETV Endowment receives a coveted 4-star rating for financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency by Charity Navigator for the ninth year in a row, placing the Endowment in the top 4% of all charities nationwide.