Rudolph C. Barnes Sr. (1917–1995) studied at the University of South Carolina, served in the Navy during World War II, then returned home to become a prominent member of the South Carolina bar. For over forty years he remained active in charitable and religious organizations.

The Rudolph C. Barnes Sr. Symposium honors his interests and engagement through an annual program examining problems of law and morality understood in the broadest sense. The Barnes family has made the event possible through a generous endowment in his memory.