A 1969 graduate of Benedict College, Bobby Gist has been one of the school's leading advocates and volunteers.
Gist is one of the founding members of the Board of Directors for the Palmetto Capital City Classic, and has led the charge to insure the success of the Classic in its mission to provide scholarships to students at HBCU institutions that have participated in the Classic since its inception in 2002. Benedict College has been the host institution for the PCCC.
He is also one of the founding members of the LeRoy Walker Golf Tournament and has served on Benedict's Charter Day President's Cabinet. He also serves as master of ceremony for many Benedict events and banquets.
After receiving his BA degree from Benedict, Gist went on to receive his Masters from the University of South Carolina. He currently serves as the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs at USC, a position he has held since 1995. He is responsible for planning, developing and administering the University of South Carolina's equal opportunity/affirmative action policies and practices to ensure compliance with both federal and state statutes relating to non-discrimination in employment and education.
Prior to that, he served as the deputy commissioner for the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission, where he worked with then Commissioner, now Congressman Jim Clyburn.
Gist also serves as a member of the executive training faculty at the University of South Carolina's Daniel Management Center, where he does executive and supervisory management training.
He has received numerous awards and honors, including Advocate of the Year for Access and Equity in Higher Education in South Carolina, and the Whitney M. Young Award for dedicated service from the Indian Waters Boy Scout Council. He has also served on numerous boards and commissioners.
Gist also finds times to host a sports talk show that he and co-host Ernest Robinson have been doing for 23 years. He has also served as a member of the broadcast team for the South Carolina State University Bulldog Football Radio Network for more than 20 years.
Gist serves as a trustee at St. John Baptist Church and is a member of the NAACP and Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Omicron Phi chapter.
He is married to the former Beverley Ann Chavis and they have three daughters and six grandchildren.
