Lander University has received a sizeable gift from the estate of a longtime Greenwood resident whose generosity will benefit the university's nursing program and its students.
Enid Barnes Benjamin, who died on Oct. 26, 2009, stipulated that her bequest be donated to Lander in her name and the name of her mother, Henrietta Pickell Barnes, who was a nursing professional.
Lander president Dr. Daniel Ball said Mrs. Benjamin's gift is one of the largest Lander has ever received but, at Mrs. Benjamin's request, the amount was not disclosed. He added that most of the money will be placed in an endowed scholarship for students in Lander's William Preston Turner Department of Nursing, with the remaining portion directed to a one-time capital expense to be determined.
Dr. Ball said, "Mrs. Benjamin's generous contribution was an unexpected gift and one for which we are very grateful. Her thoughtfulness will make it possible for Lander to provide additional scholarship assistance for students in our nursing program."
Mrs. Benjamin retired from the real estate business in Columbia. For more than 35 years, she and her late husband, Samuel Louis Benjamin, operated a beef cattle farm at their home on Bucklevel Road, in Coronaca.
Friends also remember her as an avid fisherman who had won awards in Florida and North Carolina for the size of the fish she caught in competitive events.
In addition to Lander, she left amounts to Mountain Creek Baptist Church in Troy and Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church in Greenwood, where she was a member.