Henry N. Tisdale

Henry Nehemiah Tisdale (born 1944) is an American retired academic administrator, educator, and mathematician. He served as the 8th president of Claflin University, a historically black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina from 1994 to 2019.

Early life and education
Henry Nehemiah Tisdale was born on January 13, 1944, in Kingstree, South Carolina.

He graduated from Claflin University in mathematics (B.S. 1965) with magna cum laude; followed by studies at Temple University (Ed.M. 1967). He received a M.A. degree 1975 and Ph.D. in 1978 in mathematics from Dartmouth College. His thesis was titled On Methods for Solving Optimal Stopping Problems (1978), under advisor James Laurie Snell.

Career
In his early career he taught math in the Philadelphia School District from 1965 until 1969. Tisdale worked at Delaware State University for 24 years prior to joining Claflin University, and in his last role he served as the senior vice president of academic affairs and chief academic adviser.

Tisdale was elected as the 8th president of Claflin University, where he worked from June 1994 to June 2019. During his time as president he constructed many campus buildings including the Living and Learning Center, the Legacy Plaza, the Music Center, a new student residential hall, and a new university chapel. He also strengthened the school endowment and faculty.

He is a member of the Mathematical Association of America.

Personal life
He was married to Alice née Carson, who died in July 2020. In 1996, Alice Carson Tisdale was honored by the Claflin University Board of Trustees by being the namesake of the University’s honors college. They had two children, their daughter Danica Tisdale was crowned Miss Georgia in 2004.