A force in South Carolina philanthropy for over thirty years, Samuel Tenenbaum views charity as "simply a part of life," and his view shines through in all that he does. Born in Georgia, Samuel attended Savannah Country Day School and graduated in 1961. From there he went on to Emory University, a school beloved by his family. While at Emory, he marched with Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963 to protest hiring practices at Rich's department store. Samuel graduated from Emory in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He completed two years of post-graduate work in American Studies at the University of Minnesota.

Samuel worked for his family's business, Chatham Steel Corporation, as Vice President until his retirement in 2000. Upon his retirement, he sold the business and gave a significant amount of the proceeds of the sale to charitable organizations. In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorism attacks, he aided students from White Knoll Middle School in securing donations of approximately $540,000 to send to New York for the purchase of a new hook-and-ladder fire truck and other equipment for Brooklyn Company 101. Samuel said that he was more proud of that charitable accomplishment than any other.

His efforts after 9/11 did not stop with the fire truck project, though, as he partnered with Steven Terner, executive director of the Columbia Jewish Federation, to produce a series of seminars in Columbia. These free seminars, which were open to the public, were intended to bring members of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths together to discuss the differences in Islam and terrorism. He wanted to make sure that Columbia's Muslim community would not be "painted with the same brush as the terrorists."

Samuel's philanthropic spirit extends to the University of South Carolina, even though he is not a graduate. Samuel and his wife, Inez, who is the Superintendent of Education for the state of South Carolina, along with Melvin and Judith Solomon of Charleston, created a Jewish studies endowment at the University of South Carolina. This endowment exists to support the Solomon-Tenenbaum Visiting Lectureship in Jewish Studies, enhance the library collection, and eventually establish a chair of Jewish studies at the University.

His most recent endeavor is his work with Hurricane Katrina evacuees in the city of Columbia. He served as chair of Hurricane Katrina Relief Operations for the Midlands and coordinated the opening of the evacuation center that was housed in the former NAVY reserve building on the Carolina campus. He worked tirelessly to make sure evacuees received everything they needed while displaced from their homes in New Orleans.

Aside from these projects, Samuel is currently serving on a large number of boards, including the University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors. In addition to his participation at USC, he is involved with boards at Furman University, Erskine College, Allen University, and his alma mater, Emory University. Samuel is Chairman of the Central Carolina Community Foundation Board and Alston Wilkes Foundation. He is a trustee for the Columbia Jewish Federation and the United Way of the Midlands. Additionally, Samuel serves as Vice Chairman for the Research Center of Excellence Review Board, an idea he developed and guided to fruition. The Endowed Chairs initiative is a competitive program established to award South Carolina's three research universities matching funds to endow professorships in areas that will enhance economic opportunities for the state's citizens. It is changing not only the University but also the state of South Carolina as it prepares to be economically competitive in the 21st century.

Samuel most recently received the Family, Individual, and Children's Impact Award from the United Way; an honorary life membership by the Carolina Alumni Association for noteworthy and extraordinary support; the Lifetime Achievement Award in the area of Philanthropy from the Columbia Urban League Guild; and the Distinguished Service Award from the Greater Columbia Community Relations Council.

In 2001, Samuel Tenenbaum received the College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Service Award. The College of Arts and Sciences is proud to recognize him again for devoting his time to serving as a religious, political, and community leader in South Carolina and on campus.

Find more information about the upcoming Solomon Tenenbaum lecture at: www.cas.sc.edu/relg/department/specialevents/tene.html

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