Clemson University

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Clemson University History Additional History:

  Thomas G. Clemson was 19 years old when he entered into the Royal School of Mines in Paris. “In 1931 the Royal Mint of France awarded him a diploma as assayer.”[1] It was in 1891 that this document was placed in the administration building at Clemson College and, “Between 1832 and 1839, Clemson wrote numerous scientific articles and was a consulting mining engineer in Paris, Philadelphia, and Washington.”[1]   After his marriage to Anna Maria Calhoun, “he managed Fort Mill plantation, oversaw the Calhoun Gold Mine in Georgia, and purchased a large plantation in Edgefield District. In 1844 President Tyler appointed Clemson charge d’affaires to Belgium. While in charge of the Belgium affaires he became friends with the king of Belgium, and was awarded the decorations of the Order of Leopold and the French Legion of Honor." [1]  In 1852 he returned to the United States, and bought a farm in Maryland to continue doing experiments in agriculture. “Clemson was instrumental in establishing the Maryland agricultural College in 1856.” [1] In 1863 Clemson served as a civilian in the Confederacy in charge of the Nitre and Mining Bureau of the Trans-Mississippi Department until the war ended.  Clemson’s first page of his will declared his famous sentiment: “believing that there can be no permanent improvement in agriculture without knowledge of those sciences which pertain particularly thereto, I have determined to devote the bulk of my property to the establishment of an agricultural college upon the Fort Mill place.” [1] 
  Clemson Agricultural College had five presidents from 1890-1910:“Henry Aubrey Strode (1890-1893), Edwin Boone Craighead (1893-1897), Henry Simms Hartzog (1897-1902), Mark Bernard Hardin (1897-1899 and 1902), and Patrick Hues Mell (1902-1910).” [1] 
  “When Henry Strode reported for duty in August 1890, the trustees had already created an executive committee charged with the construction of a campus and a curriculum committee.” [1]  The monies used to build the Trustees house came from the Fertilizer tax; they also used these funds to build Hardin Hall (1890), Kinard Annex (1893), Tillman Hall rebuilt in (1894), Godfrey Hall (1898), Sikes Hall (1904), and Holtzendorff Hall (1914). “In 1890, agricultural chemical regulation was initiated at Clemson through fertilizer inspection and an analysis program. In the following year the Fertilizer Department, the laboratory for fertilizer analysis, and mechanical equipment was moved from Columbia to Clemson. The transferal of existing state programs from Columbia, Spartanburg, and Darlington and the acquisition of buildings and farms for the experiment station assured continuance of these services and made Clemson eligible for the federal and state funds that supported them. By the end of 1890 over 600 young men had already applied for admission. One key fact about Clemson is that most of the buildings that were built in 1891 such as the dorms, kitchen, infirmary, and boiler room facilities.By fall of the same year the chemistry lab, Mechanical Hall, experiment station, and the access road to Pendleton were complete or under construction. In 1892, stables, silos and a canning factory were added and 1,400 fruit trees planted.” [1]   Many of the professors hired in 1891 were south Carolinians and considered “chairs” of the emerging departments.  “Charles M. Furman (English) and William S. Morrison (History) each received $2,000 in salary. M.B. Hardin (professor of chemistry and director of the fertilizer lab) received $2,500, and J.S. Newman (professor of agriculture and vice-director of the experimental station) had a salary of $3,000. President Strode was professor of mathematics, earned $3,500, and also functioned as overseer of construction.” [1]  One major drawback for Clemson College was when Tillman Hall was burned during the night due to a lab catching fire on the night of May 22, 1894 and at that time the main library was attached thus, being burned as well including books belonging to Clemson and Calhoun. In 1896 the first football team emerged for Clemson College, the coach was Walter Riggs, one of the best tight ends in Auburn’s football history. “In 1897 the team won the state championship. W.T. Brock and the players of the first football team adopted the Bengal Tiger as the mascot.” [1]  Walter Riggs was not just a football coach he came to Clemson as an assistant in mechanical and electrical engineering. Another sports team that Riggs established was a baseball team. He brought Walter Heisman, who (today) is better known for football, from Auburn to coach the baseball team from 1901-1904. 
   In 1910 Walter Riggs, became the fifth president of Clemson College. Another major incident that happened in Clemson was the massive student walkout of 1920. “More than 400 of the 779 cadets left campus to return home, protesting what was termed a ‘prison camp’-style military discipline, ‘unscrupulous,’ or ‘high-banded’ treatment, and bad food. The rebellion resulted in the creation of a Department of Student Affairs with D.H. Henry, professor of chemistry, as its director.” [1] 
     Enoch Walter Sikes was the sixth president of Clemson College, and his vision for the college was much different than the previous presidents. During Sikes’ 15 years as president he increased enrollment of students from 1,087 to 2,227; increased the number of faculty from 83 to 163, and also added 10 new bachelor’s degree programs to the existing 9. He also started the first graduate degree at Clemson. “Between 1929 and 1933, a master of science degree in textile chemistry, and dyeing were offered, as well as a new bachelor of science in agricultural engineering. Professional degrees in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering were also added. Finally the reorganization grouped programs into the six schools of agriculture, chemistry, engineering, general science, textile and vocational studies.” [1]  Two new buildings were constructed during Sikes’ 15 years as president: a new agricultural building (Long Hall),  and a new textile building (now Sirrine Hall). He also purchased 29,625 acres of privately owned farmland.
    On July 1940, Robert Franklin Poole was the first alumnus president of the college, by this time Europe was already at war. During president Poole’s tenure Clemson College ended the military requirement training, and permitted the college to become co-educational. During this time (1954-1955) the first women were allowed to enroll during the second semester. "Margaret Marie Snider was the very first woman to receive a chemistry degree in 1957." [1]   Another major change was in store for Clemson College when president Poole suddenly died. The board of trustees appointed Robert Cook Edwards as interim president and they also “unanimously chose Edwards as the next president on April 9, 1959. Within months of the college’s policy of racial segregation illegal since the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education on May 17, 1954 was challenged once again, this time by Harvey Bernard Gantt, a black Charlestonian who requested information on Clemson’s architecture program.” [1]  Gantt took the case all the way to the Supreme Court and won his appeal, and thus was granted entrance to Clemson College in 1963. This was also the year that Clemson became a University, and the name was changed from Clemson Agricultural College to Clemson University. 



Classification Clemson University

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A detail History of the school beginning with Thomas Green Clemson dream.

Historical Figures and Alumni

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" Benjamin R. Tillman — Tillman was a strong supporter of farming in South Carolina. He represented the state as governor and U.S. senator and is credited with an instrumental role in the establishment of Clemson College, serving as one of its original trustees. J.C. Littlejohn — An electrical engineering major in the Class of 1908, Littlejohn went on to serve as campus electrician, an instructor in woodworking, assistant to President Walter Merritt Riggs and business manager under President Enoch W. Sikes. He had a hand in the building of Long Hall, the Fraternity Quad area and Memorial Stadium. Enoch W. Sikes — In 1925, Sikes took over leadership of the college, serving until 1940. Under his tenure, Clemson College plowed forward through the Great Depression, meaning salary cuts for staff and reductions in state funding. On a different note, Sikes’ leadership led to the acquisition of federal funds for what would become the Clemson Experimental Forest in 1935, which today covers more than 17,000 acres. Mark B. Hardin — Hardin was Clemson’s first chemistry professor, for which the chemistry building, built in 1890, was named. It is the oldest academic structure on campus, overcoming almost total destruction by a fire in 1946. Frank Howard — Howard began his 30-year stint as head football coach in 1940. He guided Clemson to six top-20 seasons, eight conference championships, 100 conference victories, 165 overall wins and eight bowl games. Henry A. Strode — Strode served as the college’s first president, from 1890 to 1893. It was under his leadership that construction of the campus began. The academic building for English, communications and languages is named after him. Walter T. Cox — Cox first came to Clemson in 1935 as a freshman and — except for a year of military service — never left. He served Clemson in a number of capacities. As vice president of student affairs, he saw enrollment grow from 2,700 to more than 12,500. In 1985, he became Clemson’s 10th president at the request of the Board of Trustees. John Heisman — In his first year as head coach, he led Clemson’s football team to its first undefeated season. Harvey B. Gantt — Clemson achieved “integration with dignity” when its first black student, Gantt, enrolled in 1963. He earned his degree with honors in 1965 in architecture and went on to serve two terms as mayor of Charlotte, N.C. The Gantt Intercultural Center is named in his honor. Margaret Marie Snider — The military system of discipline was dropped in 1955, giving way to a new generation of coeducation at Clemson. The first full-time, degree-seeking women enrolled, with Snider being the first woman to earn a degree in 1957. Robert H. Brooks — Brooks graduated from Clemson in 1960 and went on to have a successful career in the food and restaurant business. He returned his gratitude to Clemson with a $2.5 million donation for the creation of an arts and entertainment venue. The Brooks Center for the Performing Arts is named in his honor. Strom Thurmond — Thurmond graduated from Clemson in 1923 and went on to become the longest serving U.S. senator in history. The Strom Thurmond Institute was built in his honor in 1989. “Judge” Keller — When Clemson was a military school, Keller’s downtown shop was the only place cadets could have their uniforms altered. He was nicknamed “judge” because he could determine a hem just by looking at it. Today, the third generation of his family runs the store in its original location on College Avenue."

Additional References

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The College History Series. Clemson University.Helene. M Riley, 2002 Print

Determined Spirit. “Historical Figures Web.” Clemson University Web

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Riley, Helene (2002). Clemson Unversity. Charleston: Arcadia Publising. pp. 1–127. ISBN 0-7385-1470-5. Cite error: The named reference "The College History Series" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).