The University of South Carolina's president has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on gifts for donors, office artwork and teaching salaries for celebrities such as Robby Benson and Jihan Sadat. Now James B. Holderman's lavish spending, which has given him trouble for years, has once again raised the ire of state lawmakers, who have warned him to spend public funds more wisely if he wants to keep his job. ``People are tired of it,'' Rep. Herb Kirsh said Monday. ``I feel things will be different from here on out. The public is demanding it. South Carolinians don't like that kind of spending.'' Legislators earlier this month blasted Holderman after local newspapers revealed he spent $533,898 in the past year on items such as $800-a-night hotel rooms for himself, $6,400 on sculptures for his office and $163,000 for meals and receptions for potential donors. Many of the expenses were charged to Holderman's $500,000 discretionary account _ which is funded with receipts from vending machines and concessions _ and his state-issued American Express card. By comparison, Clemson University President Max Lennon has a discretionary account of $18,000. Holderman has defended his spending as a vital part of fund-raising for the state-supported university of 40,000 students, saying his efforts have helped raise $25 million for USC in the last year. But he promised to keep his expenses down following public criticism. He said the fallout from the latest revelations has ``taught me the difficulty of taking a macro view of things.'' ``Some people tend to take a micro view of things, and that's where there seems to be a misunderstanding,'' he said last week. But if Holderman wants to remain at the helm of the state's flagship university, state lawmakers and his own board of trustees have insisted that he curb his spending. Kirsh said Holderman has set a bad example for students. If he does not follow spending guidelines being set by the newly elected board of trustees, the legislator said he would favor Holderman's dismissal. ``He's only doing it now because of the public outcry,'' Kirsh said. Board of trustees chairman Michael Mungo has also made it clear that Holderman must control his spending according to the guidelines or face dismissal. Holderman, who has presided over the university since 1977, first drew criticism in 1986 when it was revealed he ran up generous hotel bills during fund-raising trips and bought expensive gifts for donors. He then came under fire for spending huge amounts of money to recruit celebrities such as Benson, an actor and director who has taught filmmaking as an artist-in-residence since 1988. The school has paid Benson $158,367 in salary and expenses and $15,600 for rent, while Holderman has kicked in $10,000 from his discretionary account for moving and travel expenses. In addition, the university still holds about $23,000 in unpaid bills from the production of Benson's latest movie, ``Modern Love,'' which was filmed in South Carolina. Benson has said the bills will be paid and the school will receive 2 percent of the movie's profits. Benson's two-year contract expires Tuesday and no new contract offer has been made, school spokeswoman Debra Allen said Monday. Benson did not return calls left at his office Monday seeking comment, but he has said he would leave if his work was not appreciated. Other prominent personalities hired by Holderman for fat contracts include Jihan Sadat, widow of the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, who was paid $200,000 to teach a course in Egyptian culture for three semesters in 1985 and 1986. In contrast, ``Deliverance'' author James Dickey was hired in 1969, before Holderman came aboard, and receives an $80,000 annual salary to teach four writing courses. He pays his secretary's salary and his expenses out of his own pocket. The university under Holderman's leadership also has been criticized by lawmakers for sloppy bookkeeping and using public funds, employees and equipment to operate the school's 10 private fund-raising foundations.
