Thomas Green Clemson demonstrated versatility in his varied activities as a mining engineer, government official, plantation owner, scientist, proponent of higher education, artist and art collector, and supporter of scientific farming. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Clemson adopted South Carolina as his home after marrying Anna Maria Calhoun, the oldest daughter of the South Carolina statesman John C. Calhoun. Little is known of Clemson’s early life other than that his father was a well-to-do merchant in Philadelphia. Clemson attended public schools in Philadelphia and the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy in Norwich, Vermont.

The papers of Thomas G. Clemson were kept after his death by his attorney, Richard W. Simpson. Following Simpson’s death, his daughter, Maria Louise, took possession of the Clemson papers. In 1915 or 1916 Miss Simpson turned the papers over to her brother-in-law, Professor Alester G. Holmes, who recognized their historical importance and the need to have them properly cared for. In 1947, Maria Louise Simpson formally donated the papers to Clemson University. Information regarding the provenance of the Clemson Papers can be found in Box 7, Folder 5 of this collection and in the Alester G. Holmes Collection, Mss 1, Box 1, Folder 3, 1930- 1935. In 2000 photocopies of Clemson family correspondence to Elias Baker, Clemson’s uncle, were obtained from the Blair County (PA) Historical Society in exchange for copies of the Baker correspondence in the collection. The collection also includes accessions 93-25, 03-97, 06-40 and 06-45.

Clemson Papers are closely related to the John C. Calhoun Papers (Mss 200), the Richard K. Cralle Papers (Mss 109), the Holmes Collection and the Richard W. Simpson Papers (Mss 96). There are no restrictions on the use of this collection beyond those of Special Collections.

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Submissions from 1864

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Telegraph from D. W. Lee to A. Newton, 1864, December 23

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Typed letter from Elias Baker to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 1

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Typed letter from Elias Baker to Anna Clemson, 1864 January 8

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Typed letter from Floride Calhoun, 1864 January 25

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Typed letter from J.C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 April 2

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 16

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 21

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 26

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 29

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 8

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 January 14

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 January 23

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 January 28

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 March 15

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 March 20

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 March 27

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Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 March 4

Submissions from 1865

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Letter from Anna Calhoun to Col. A. Calhoun, 1865, March 10

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Letter from J. C. Barn to Logwell Taylor, 1865, January 23

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Letter from J. C. Barn to Thomas G. Clemson, Esq., 1865

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Letter from Lagwell Taylor, 1865, January 23

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Letter from Lagwell Taylor, January, 1865

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Logwell Taylor, Esq., 1865, October 18

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Letter from unknown sender to Mrs. Clemson, 1865

Submissions from 1866

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Agricultural report by Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, November 24

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Interest of will by unknown sender for Anna Calhoun Clemson, 1866, September 6

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Letter from Andrew Hansell to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, May 10

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Letter from Colonel James Calhoun to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, August 30

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Letter from D.W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, October 18

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Letter from D.W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, October 29

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Letter from Joseph Mays to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, September 24

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Letter from L. Mays to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, July 30

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Letter from Mays to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, May 9

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson, 1866 June 10

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel Calhoun, 1866, October 10

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1866, July 10

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1866, June 24

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to James Calhoun, 1866, June 22

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Logwell Taylor, 1866, May 28

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Letter from unknown sender to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, July 10

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Letter from unknown sender to unnamed recipient, 1866, September 14

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Memorandum by D. Appleton to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, June 9

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Personal estate letter from Cornelia Calhoun, from Herbert Hammond to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, February 6

Submissions from 1867

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Articles of agreement between Thomas G. Clemson and freedmen and women, 1867

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Letter from Appleton to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, March 19

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Letter from Appleton to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, March 29

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Letter from A. Thies to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867 January 23

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Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, January 28

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Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, January 29

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Letter from Edward Noble, 1867, October 28

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Letter from Edward Noble to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867 June 21

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Letter from Edward Noble to unknown receiver, 1867, September 6

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Letter from G. T. Symmin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, May 12

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Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, April 25

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Letter from Leupp to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, October 24

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1867, July 10

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1867, March 14

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Letter from unknown sender to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, May 2

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Statement of Sales of Calhoun Works, 1867, February 1

Submissions from 1868

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Articles of agreement between Thomas G. Clemson and freedmen and women, 1868 January 1

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Bank note of Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, October 6

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Entry of minutes of meeting heard on Oct. 11, 1861. 1868, October 8

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Letter from H. Gourdin, 1868, April 30

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Letter from H. Gourdin, 1868, May 23

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Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, April 22

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Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, September 14

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Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1869, December 28

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Letter from M. Leupp to Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, April 2

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Elias Baker, 1868 January 16

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Elias Baker, 1868 September 26

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Private letter from unknown sender, 1868, December 16

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Record of Thomas B. Clemson, 1868 August 11

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Statement of sales of Calhoun works, 1868

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Subpoena ticket of Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, September 11

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Thomas G. Clemson papers, 1868, October 6

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Transcript of articles of agreement between Thomas G. Clemson and freedmen and women, 1868 January 1

Submissions from 1869

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Back of a letter to Thomas G. Clemson, 1869-1870

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Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1869, April 19

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Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1869, June 29

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Letter from unknown sender, 1869, April 1

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Receipt of L. B. C., 1869

Submissions from 1870

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Advocacy for Agricultural college from Thomas Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1870

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Letter from Colonel James Calhoun to Thomas G. Clemson, 1870, September 13

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Letter from Mr. Stephan to Thomas G. Clemson, 1870, February 19

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Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1870, June 24

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Memorandum of mortgage agreement, Thomas G. Clemson, 1870, January 17

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Note by Thomas G. Clemson on Robert Kay, 1870, May 23

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Typed letter from Paul McKay Jr. to Richard Robinson, 1870, May 23

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Typed letter from Richard Robinson to Joe Sherman, 1870, May 23

Submissions from 1871

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Articles of agreement between Thomas G. Clemson and freedmen and women, 1871 January 1

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Epitaph for John Calhoun Clemson, 1871 August 10

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Handwritten accounts by unknown sender, 1871

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Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1871, July 19

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Letter from unknown sender, 1871, January 2

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Letter from unknown sender to unknown recipient, 1871, February 4

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Letter to Thomas G. Clemson from H. Gourdin, 1871, March 18

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Memorandum of notes, 1871, March 12

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Note to T. B. Clemson, 1871 March 11

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Receipt of Thomas G. Clemson, 1871

Submissions from 1872

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Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1872, April 20