Reverdy Wells Poster

Reverdy Wells—as president of the senior class at Scotts Branch High School in Clarendon County, South Carolina, is yet another civil rights-era hero whose story has rarely been recorded in history books. When Rev. J.A. DeLaine was replaced as principal of Scotts Branch High School because of his leadership with the Briggs petitioners, the white led school board replaced him with S.I. Benson, an individual less interested in the civil rights interests of the community. Reverdy Wells led a group of students to action when they confronted the principal over the handling of school funds collected from the students.

As a results, Wells, who was also the schools valedictorian, was later unable to attend Templeton University because Benson failed to forward his transcript. It was only until 1991 that Wells was able to get his true transcript. Recently, in 2021, Clemson University created a scholarship to pay tribute to Wells and the sacrifices he made for Clarendon County.