The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1909-06-10
CONCERNING THE FOUNDING
OF CLEMSON COLLEGE.
SOME INTERESTING INSIDE HISTORY
Col. SIMPSON DEFENDS The MEN,
ORY OF Mr.. CLEMSON.

Anderson, June $50 much has
been written pro and con IN the
newspapers of late Of Clemson COL
lege, especially of its origin and its
establishment, that true recitation
of the history concerning the college
is timely and interesting. No person
is more conversant with the estab.
lishment of the college, the deciding
Of the property to the State Of South
Carolina BY Mr. Clemson and the
conditions then existing than Col II
W Simpson, the former president OF
the board of trustees of the institu-
ion. 1t was he who wrote the will OF
air Clemson, giving 20 the State the
property on which Clemson now
stands. On account of his Intimacy
with Mr. Clemson and on account OF
the fact that MIR Clemson consulted
him frequently concerning the es.
tablishment of the college,the follow
ing article from the pen of Col Simp-
son given to the press is OF mucn
value, and will be read with keen IN.
terest. Col Simpsons statement is as
follows:
There seems to be so little Known
about the life and purpose of MIR
Thomas Clemson IN connection with
the donation Of his property to the
State for the purpose Of founding an
industrial college, that in justice to
his memory and his purpose I feel it
to be my duty to state the facts and
let the people Judge.
A short while before Mr. Cal.
houu's death, his frieads in Charles
ton, seeing his declining health sub
scribed literally to purchase or char
ter yacht to send him on cruise
thinking thereby to restore him 10
his usual vigor. Before this laudable
purpose could be carried into effect
Mr. Calhoun died. | cannot speak
accurately of the amount subscribed,
but according to nv recollection 1t
was between $4,000 and $4,000.
After his death it was agreed by the
subscribers to this fund to apply it to
the payment Of Mr Calhoun's debts.
He was not rich man and was
largely in debt at the time of his
death. This purpose was carried
into effect. Mr. Calhoun'S debts were
paid aud his children released their
interest in his estate in favor Of their
another, Mrs Floride Calhoun, and
her afflicted daughter, Miss Cornelia
Calhoun. Subsequently Mrs Floride
alhouu sold Fort Hill plantation
and the negroes, formerly the prop
erty of John G Calhoun, to her sou,
Col A P Calhoun, for the sum in
round numbers of $4,000, for which
he gave his bond and mortgage. Mrs
Floride Calhoun was to reside with
her son, but there was an unfortun-
ate difficulty between the mother and
son, and Mrs Calhoun purchased a
home in Pendleton and resided there
to the time of her death, and it was
there she had her friend and relative,
Mr. Armstead Burt, to write her
will, in which she willed and devils
ed her Pendleton property to her
grandsons, sens or Joln anu "iiitaW
Calho oun, then deceased, and the
Sbond and mortgage Of A P Calhoun
on the Fort Hill plantation, three
fourtha thereof to Mrs Clemson, her
daughter, and and one-fourth to
Mrs Lee, her granddaughter, with
the provision that if the bond and
mortgage were given in exchange for
the land, it was to 60 to Mrs Glenn
son and her daughter, Mrs Lee, in
the same proportion.
Some time after the close of the
war and the death of Mrs Floride
Calhoun ard Col A P Calhoun, Mrs
Clemson began proceedings to fore