Erskine
"Hero" Passes Away
by
Sue Kahrs
Class of 2000
Legendary Erskine athlete and longtime public
school educator Henry Lee Sneed, a 1936 graduate of
Erskine College, died June 30, 1999. Classmate Martha
Long echoed the voices of many Erskine friends and
classmates when she said, “Henry Sneed was
well-liked and personable. He seemed to excel in
everything - basketball, football, but especially
baseball.
“Henry Sneed was one of our heroes.”
The word `hero' stands out as a common descriptor
for Sneed, a pioneer in education and a person known
for his dignity and class. Sneed represented all of
these things and was known as an everyday hero who
represented the Erskine tradition in every aspect of
his life.
Henry Lee Sneed was born in Troy, Ala., April 11,
1914. He was a son of the Rev. Henry L. Sneed and
Delia Osborne Sneed. After graduating from Archer
High School in Archer, Fla., the Sneed family
relocated to Due West so that Henry could receive a
college education.
While at Erskine, Sneed proved to be a gifted
athlete and was later inducted, in 1989, into the
Erskine College Athletic Hall of Fame in both
baseball and basketball.
Erskine Athletic Director Chip Sherer said,
“I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sneed several
times as Athletic Director and was always impressed
with his love of Erskine. When Henry Sneed told
stories about athletics at Erskine it was as if they
happened yesterday, and not sixty years ago. He was
an inspiration to us all.”
After graduating from Erskine, Sneed married Addie
Meador and continued his education at several
institutions. Sneed attended the University of South
Carolina, Duke University, Columbia University, the
University of Chicago, and Kent State University. But
his heart remained with Erskine.
In an interview before his death, Sneed said,
“Although I have studied at many other
institutions of higher learning, Erskine has had that
special place in my heart that no other has
displaced.”
Sneed was true to the Erskine spirit over the
years by serving in many areas of public service,
including roles that led to the improvement of
education and a continued interest in the lives of
others, exemplifying the same college motto of
`Christian Commitment and Excellence in Learning'
that guides Erskine students today.
Sneed once said in an interview that “Erskine
has given me an Erskine Family and strong ties of
friendship with Christian friends made through that
Erskine Family. Many of the values learned in a
Christian home from Christian parents were
strengthened at Erskine. It equipped me well for the
vocation I pursued.”
Sneed dedicated 37 years of his life to almost
every facet of public education. He held positions as
a coach, teacher, principal, and superintendent.
While serving as Superintendent of Florence School
District One, a position he held for 12 years, Sneed
introduced new vocational education programs, adult
and remedial education programs, and was responsible
for introducing technologically advanced learning to
the district.
Sneed himself, at the age of 83, learned computer
skills in order to keep in touch with family and
friends through electronic mail.
Sneed's career in education included roles in the
classroom, on the playing field, and in the
administration. He worked as a principal, coach, and
teacher in Chester County, Piedmont, and Clover,
South Carolina, before becoming the Superintendent at
Piedmont from 1942-1949. While serving as
superintendent in Chester from 1949-1960, he received
a `Citation in the Field of Education' by
Presbyterian College in 1955.
Sneed moved to Bennettsville, S.C., where he
served from 1960-1961 until moving to Florence
District One where he served the remainder of his
career.
Sneed served during the time of public school
integration where there were daily battles fought
over racial balancing and redistricting.
In an interview concerning his resignation Sneed
said, “I wouldn't quit when the going got tough,
even if I felt like it.” As a testament to his
diligence and loyalty, Sneed led the district through
the turmoil while earning the respect of his
colleagues.
Upon retirement, Sneed was described as a
“professional, who, though burdened and
frustrated, carried his burdens with poise, grace,
and no small amount of courage.”
Though Sneed did not pursue a full-time career
after his years of devotion to public education, he
worked in real estate with Fuller Architectural Firm
in Florence, as well as Aiken & Co. in Florence.
Sneed served as a Consultant to Congressman Ed
Young of the 6th District, and worked as an
Educational Facilities Planner, proving his continued
service, even post-retirement, to education.
Sneed served as an elder and Sunday School teacher
in the Presbyterian Church, as well as the Salvation
Army Advisory Board, and the American Legion.
Sneed held several positions over the course of
his career that were indicative of his leadership
ability. He was a past president of the South
Carolina High School League, the South Carolina
Association of School Superintendents, the South
Carolina Association of School Administrators, the
Florence Rotary Club, and Erskine Alumni Association.
He was a past chairman of the South Carolina
Children's Bureau, the South Carolina Advisory
Council of Vocational and Technical Education, and
past chairman of the Pee Dee Chapter of the Erskine
Alumni Association.
He was a past member of the Florence Darlington
Technical Commission and National Advisory Council of
Nursing.
Sneed received many honors over the course of his
career, but always wished to remain anonymous. He
intentionally turned in an Erskine Alumni Reunion
profile late because, he said, “I am not
interested in getting my name into print.”
Along with being elected into the Erskine Athletic
Hall of Fame, he was a Charter Member of the South
Carolina Adult Education Hall of Fame, and most
recently received the 1998-1999 Erskine Alumni Award
of Distinguished Service.
In 1994, Henry L. Sneed Middle School in Florence
was dedicated in his honor.
Sneed is survived by two sisters, Mary Catherine
Sneed Hagan, Erskine Class of 1937, and Lillien Sneed
Brown; his sons, Henry Lee Sneed III and his wife,
Anne Connell Sneed of Central, William Daniel Sneed
and his wife Cherrie Beard Sneed of Meggett;
grandchildren, William Daniel Sneed, Jr., and his
wife, Jill Hopkins Sneed of Charleston, LeeAnne Sneed
Viall and her husband, Robert Andrew Viall of
Chattanooga, Tenn., and David Hawkins Sneed of
Kamuela, Hawaii. He was predeceased by a grandson,
John Meador Sneed; sister, Frusana Booth; brother,
William Sneed.
Services for Henry Lee Sneed, Jr. were held at 11
a.m. Saturday, July 3, 1999. Burial was in Evergreen
Cemetery in Chester, South Carolina.
Memorials may be made to Henry L. Sneed Middle
School, Ebenezer Rd., Florence, S.C. 29501, or
Erskine College, Henry L. Sneed Jr. Scholarship Fund,
Due West, S.C., 29639, or the Salvation Army,
Florence, S.C. 29501.
