- Home
- Majors & Minors
- Programs
- Department Photo Album
- Faculty
- Undergraduate & Career Opportunities
- James and Mary Oswald Distinguished Writers Series
- The Oswald Review
- The English Department's Most Valuable Artifact
- Sigma Tau Delta
- Writing Room
- Aiken Writing Project
- News
- Links
- Where Are They Now?

" I am an athlete here at USC Aiken. The professors work well with me, and understand that I am going to miss class occasionally. They take time to explain to me the things I missed. USC Aiken is the place for me. "
- Jeremy Smith , Business Administration major

Did You Know?
USC Aiken has some of the best professional schools in South Carolina. All three - business, nursing, and education - have received the highest level of accreditation possible. This means more opportunities for you to learn from the best and brightest the University has to offer.

"USC Aiken has the best faculty around! Professors and advisors really have your best interest in mind and will always work with you."
- Dalisha Williams, Middle School Education major

"USC Aiken has so much to offer. Whether it’s Greek life, student activities, athletics, honor societies, or residential life, our campus is full of opportunities and ways to become involved."
- Aaron Doctor, Exercise and Sports Science major

"USCA has many different students from many different backgrounds, but one thing that ties us all together is the campus atmosphere. When I left high school I was scared that I was not going to meet anyone that would be as good as my friends back home. Within my first couple of days at USCA, I had more friends than I have ever had before."
- John Ellis, Communications major

"During the course of my freshman and sophomore years, I was a resident in the Pacer Downs. When I first met my roommate my freshman year, we became the best of friends from the get-go. We found out that we were so much alike in many ways. We connected like brothers, and we are still roommates today during our junior year. "
- Anthony (T.J.) Langford, Communications major

"Getting involved in Greek Life and participating in intramural sports is a great way to meet new people. I have participated in every intramural sport offered, and it has helped me stay active. "
- TJ Johnston, Business Marketing major

"Working on campus is a great opportunity for students at USC Aiken. You have the chance to meet so many faculty and staff members and see what happens behind the scenes here at school. Your job will also work around your class schedule because they always put academics first. "
- Chris Brown, Fine Arts major

"Through the wide variety of classes and clubs, USCA offers a little something for everyone. Its small class sizes, charm, and personal professors make it the perfect choice."
- Jessica Walters, Nursing major

"As a sophomore at USCA, I have really enjoyed the college classroom setting. Since the class sizes aren’t too big, I can always get help from professors anytime I’m in need."
- Thomas Mcleod, Exercise and Sports Science major

"Attending USC Aiken has been a great experience for me. From the campus events to classes and to housing, we are a like a family – a home away from home."
- Alyssa Gadsden, Chemistry major

"I love attending USC Aiken because I feel as if am in a family oriented environment. What I love most about is its location, the independence you gain from attending, and our Pacer spirit!"
- Alesha Jones, Communications major

"I never thought I would meet people from all around the world on such a small campus. You can find the best of both worlds: the advantages of a big campus in a small, friendlier environment."
- Dana Hailat, Biology (pre-dental) major
James and Mary Oswald Distinguished Writers Series
![]() |
| James L Oswald, Librarian - Savannah River Plant |
In 1985, thanks to the support of Dr. Robert Alexander, Distinguished Chancellor Emeritus, the Department of English established an annual visiting writers’ series. Since its inception, the series has been dedicated to extending the learning experience beyond the classroom by providing, free of charge, public readings of important contemporary poetry and prose to USCA faculty and students and members of the greater community.
In the first decade, the series was directed by Dr. Stephen Gardner, who worked with representatives from the South Carolina Arts Commission to have USCA declared as a host site for authors that the Commission brought to our state for multiple-campus residencies. Among the literary luminaries featured in the series during those years were a number of Pulitzer Prize-winning writers, including novelist Michael Chabon and poet Yusef Komunyakaa.
In 1995, the series was renamed for longtime Aiken residents James and Mary Oswald, who created an endowment to enhance departmental initiatives to promote general interest in the English language and its literatures. Stewardship of the series changed hands in 1997 when Dr. Tom Mack and Dr. Phebe Davidson assumed responsibility. Since then, the roster of distinguished visiting authors has multiplied to include such significant writers as Judith Ortiz Cofer (1998), Josephine Humphreys(1999), John Jakes (2000), Allan Gurganus (2001), Robert Olen Butler (2002), and Sharyn McCrumb (2005).
Visiting Writers
1994 - 1995 Dorothy Perry Thompson, Yusef Komunyakaa, John Lane (view) 1995 - 1996 Kwame Dawes, Cecile Goding (view) 1996 - 1997 Jim Peterson, Nikki Giovanni (view) 1997 - 1998 Michael Klein, Judith Ortiz Cofer (view) 1998 - 1999 Steven W. Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, Ron Rash, Bret Lott (view) 1999 - 2000 Josephine Humphreys, Dorothy Perry Thompson, Amiri Baraka (view) 2000 - 2001 John Jakes (view) 2001 - 2002 Allan Gurganus, Janette Turner Hospital (view) 2002 - 2003 Robert Olen Butler, Cathy Smith Bowers (view) 2003 - 2004 John Dufresne, Jon Tuttle (view) 2004 Jon Tuttle (view) 2004 - 2005 Phebe Davidson, Sharyn McCrumb (view) 2005 - 2006 George Singleton, Silas House (view) 2006 - 2007 Brock Clarke, Rebecca McClanahan (view) 2007 - 2008 Moira Crone, Elizabeth Cox, Southern Poetry Anthology (view) 2008 - 2009 Richard Bausch, Jill McCorkle (view) 2009 - 2010 Marianne Gingher, Elise Blackwell (view) 2011 Percival Everett, Sue Monk Kid, SC Academy of Authors (view) 2011-2012 John Lane (view) Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith (view) 2012-2013 Stephen Graham Jones and Nikky Finney (view)
For more information on the series, please write Dr. Tom Mack at the Department of English, USCA, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, SC 29801, call 803/648-6851, or send an e-mail totomm@usca.edu.
