303 Associates Founder Honored by USCB

303 Associates Founder and Chairman Dick Stewart received an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from the University of South Carolina Beaufort at the 2024 commencement ceremony on April 26. Dr. Stewart was honored for his many accomplishments as a developer, entrepreneur, environmentalist, philanthropist, and community leader.

Dr. Stewart, a firm believer in higher education, has made many significant contributions to the development of USCB over the past 20 years and has been one of its most loyal supporters. After moving to Beaufort County in 1998, Dr. Stewart identified the need for a 4-year university in the area and formed Citizens for a Four-Year University with Courtney Worrell, current 303 Associates CEO. Their efforts, alongside strong support from the community, culminated in 2004 when USCB officially opened its doors as a comprehensive, four-year institution.

303 Associates is proud to have built student apartments near campus, donated space for a dining center, and donated land for additional housing for students, faculty, and staff. Dr. Stewart is responsible for establishing the 1795 Beaufort Housing Scholarship and the 1795 Bluffton Housing Scholarship, which award thousands of dollars to eligible students every year in order to increase enrollment and aid students.

In addition to supporting and advocating for USCB, Dr. Stewart has demonstrated servant leadership as a member of more than a dozen civic and governmental organizations, including the Beaufort County Council, the Port Royal Sound Foundation, the Coastal Community Foundation, and the United Way.

Currently, Dr. Stewart is serving the community through his work with the Beaufort Jasper Housing trust to build more affordable housing in the region, assisting the heirs of Beaufort's "freedmen's cottages" to retain ownership of the houses built by freed slaves after the Civil War, and supporting the work of the Pritchard's Island Research and Living Shores Consortium, which supports USCB Marine Biology and Science Programs.