By Lindsey Luker
Published on February 13, 2008
Last Thursday, PJC lost not only an invaluable faculty member, but a truly caring individual. For the past 30 years, the Adult High School program at PJC has been more than fortunate to have Dr. James Edward Grant as department head of secondary education.
Grant was fully devoted to ensuring that thousands of young adults received their high school diplomas.
“He was the biggest student advocate I’ve ever seen,” Department Head of History, Languages, and Philosophy Susan Morgan said.
Grant was Morgan’s department head from 1989 to 2006.
“He would call students,” she said, referring to Grant going the extra mile to make sure that each and every student was aware of the credits they needed in order to reach their graduation requirements.
Grant’s humanitarianism started long before his position as department head of the Adult High School program. In the 1960s, Grant joined the Peace Corps after college. He spent two years in Brazil assisting the construction of schools and community centers.
Grant’s vocational career started at the University of Illinois in 1972, where he was a teaching assistant.
In 1974, Grant became the state consultant for the South Carolina Department of Education.
Grant was the administrative director of the Beaufort-Jasper Area Vocational Center in South Carolina from 1975-1978. He took the position as department head of secondary education for the Adult High School at PJC on May 1, 1978.
It was only natural for Grant to be a mentor to the students at the Adult High School.
“He’s one of the personal reasons that I was able to graduate high school when I did,” PJC student Michelle Jackson said.
Coordinator of Student Services Joe Kyle worked with Grant for 14 years. Kyle said that Grant’s greatest concern was that students graduated.
“He had an open-door policy and knew students by name-he was very personable,” Kyle said. “He was a very compassionate, caring and supportive person.”
Both Kyle and Morgan mentioned that Grant would go out of his way to purchase text books for students.
“He had the biggest heart,” Morgan said.
Morgan also said that Grant never raised his voice or had anything negative to say to or about anyone.
“He was kind, enthusiastic and always willing to help anyone,” she said.
“There was nothing that man did not do at that school.”
The James E. Grant Scholarship Fund has been established for Adult High School students. Anyone interested in making a donation can do so through the PJC Foundation.
