COLUMBIA, S.C. — Civic leader and philanthropist Minor Mickel Shaw is this year’s recipient of the Council of Independent Colleges’ (CIC) Charles W. L. Foreman Award for recognition of her long-term support of South Carolina’s private colleges and universities.
The Foreman award is CIC’s highest honor given annually for distinguished service to independent higher education. The award honors the legacy of Foreman, who served as president of the UPS Foundation and board chair of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education, which merged with CIC in 2010.
Shaw was nominated for the Foreman honor by the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. (SCICU).
“Minor Shaw is an inspiration to all of us who care about access to higher education for talented students of all backgrounds,” said CIC President Marjorie Hass. “She is an exemplar of the values embodied in the Foreman award and it is our honor to lift up her work and her life.”
SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez introduced Shaw at the CIC 2022 State Councils Annual Conference in Austin, Texas on April 25.
“While Minor’s decades-long service to so many civic, business, and education organizations in South Carolina humbles even the most conscientious among us, it is her incomparable service to independent higher education for which we are so proud to honor her with the Foreman Award,” said Perez.
Shaw chaired the SCICU board of trustees 1995-1997 and was recognized as a life trustee in 2011 for her 14 years of service on the SCICU board.
The Daniel-Mickel Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Minor’s family which she oversees, has contributed more than $1.9 million to SCICU programs over the last 56 years.
“Minor’s exceptional support of private colleges and universities in South Carolina has earned her our deepest gratitude,” said Perez. “I cannot think of a better way to demonstrate our profound appreciation for all Minor has done for SCICU and its member institutions than by nominating her for the CIC Foreman Award.”
Dedication to SCICU’s mission runs deep in Shaw’s family, as her father, Buck Mickel, served on the SCICU board for 26 years – 1963 to 1991. Shaw’s great uncle, Charles E. Daniel, served on the SCICU board during the organization’s early years – 1956-1963.
Shaw serves as president of Micco, LLC, a Greenville-based private investment and real estate development company. She is perhaps best known for her current service as chair of the Duke Endowment and the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport Commission. Shaw’s past chair leadership includes the Community Foundation of Greenville, the S.C. Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, the Junior League of Greenville, the Urban League of the Upstate, the YMCA of Greenville, and the S.C. ETV Endowment.
Shaw has also chaired the Wofford College Board of Trustees and the Belle W. Baruch Foundation. She has advised Furman University’s Riley Institute and Presbyterian College’s School of Pharmacy. Furman, Wofford, Francis Marion University, and Clemson University have all awarded honorary degrees to Shaw.
In 2012 Shaw was chosen for the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame. She is a recipient of the Wilkins Citizenship Award from the Riley Institute at Furman University, and, in recognition of her many contributions to the state, Governor Jim Hodges bestowed upon her the Order of the Palmetto Award, South Carolina’s highest civilian award.
About SCICU
SCICU supports and promotes the values of independent higher education in South Carolina. SCICU seeks to advance higher education through fundraising, scholarships, and research, as well as by facilitating collaborative activities among the 21 member institutions. SCICU also enhances a positive public image and encourages government policies that support independent higher education. Learn more at scicu.org.
About CIC (Council of Independent Colleges)
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of 765 nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils of independent colleges, and other higher education affiliates, that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on services to leaders of independent colleges and universities and state-based councils. CIC offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility. It conducts the largest annual conferences of college and university presidents and of chief academic officers in the United States. Founded in 1956, CIC is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. Learn more at cic.edu.
SCICU awards more than $105,000 to undergraduate researchers for 2022 research projects