Milliken Art Gallery

Founded upon the conviction that "the well-being of any country depends much upon the culture of her women" and compelled by the vision to "enable students to see clearly, decide wisely and act justly," Converse has been a pioneer in women's education for more than a century. Throughout her history, the Spartanburg, South Carolina college has offered a liberal arts education within a residential environment - purposefully keeping class sizes small and ensuring that every student has a faculty advisor. Today, innovative programs for graduate and advanced study complement the undergraduate program.

Converse believes that the Founder's Ideal is a call to arms to develop engaged leaders who think critically and creatively and effect positive change in the world. Since the college's founding, graduates have used their Converse experience as launching pads for successful careers and active citizenship. Among Converse alumnae are a Pulitzer Prize winner, a renowned heart researcher, a Texas Supreme Court Justice, a prominent civil rights attorney, Broadway performers, the deputy crew commander for Titan IV Rocket launches at Cape Canaveral, and the first female circuit court judge in South Carolina.

Although the doors of Converse opened October 1, 1890, the first step towards the founding of the college was taken in 1889 when a prominent attorney assembled a group of Spartanburg citizens to discuss the project. Among the 13 men was Dexter Edgar Converse, a native of Vermont who had settled in Spartanburg before the Civil War and had become a successful pioneer in the cotton mill industry.

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