The original wills of Thomas Green and Anna Calhoun Clemson — documents that led to the founding of Clemson University — will be on exhibit and open to the public for viewing starting Monday, July 28.
Both wills, along with other estate documents, were previously housed in Oconee County Probate Court in Walhalla, South Carolina. Probate Court Judge Danny Singleton, along with the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, signed a long-term loan to allow Special Collections and Archives to house and display the documents.
The new exhibit was unveiled at a special event during the University’s quarterly Board of Trustees meeting July 17.
“We are here today because of the incredible vision of Thomas Green Clemson and Anna Calhoun Clemson,” said University President Jim Clements. “Their vision of transforming the lives of people across the great state of South Carolina and beyond laid the foundation for what we now call Clemson University.”
“Clemson Libraries is honored to be the steward of these important pieces of Clemson University history,” said Clemson Libraries Dean Chris Cox. “We are grateful to Judge Singleton for entrusting these documents to our care so that they are accessible to anyone who wants to view them, from students to history scholars and everyone in between. We are proud to be the keepers of the University’s history.”
The wills have also been digitized and can be viewed online.
The wills will be on display in Special Collections and Archives, located on the lower level of the Strom Thurmond Institute, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3:30 p.m. Large groups interested in visiting should email archives@clemson.edu to make an appointment.
