he Bicentennial presents the University community a special opportunity to celebrate the history of an institution that has served the state for 200 years. However, we must also look to the future, a future in which higher education will assume ever-increasing importance in the state and region. The University of South Carolina Bicentennial is a time for the University to reinforce the bonds between it and the citizens of South Carolina, who are ultimately the owners of the institution. We will remind South Carolinians what the university has given to the state in the past and ponder the role it might play in South Carolina’s next century.