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.
Submissions from 1864
Telegraph from D. W. Lee to A. Newton, 1864, December 23
Typed letter from Elias Baker to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 1
Typed letter from Elias Baker to Anna Clemson, 1864 January 8
Typed letter from Floride Calhoun, 1864 January 25
Typed letter from J.C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 April 2
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 16
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 21
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 26
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 29
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 February 8
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 January 14
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 January 23
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 January 28
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 March 15
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 March 20
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 March 27
Typed letter from J. C. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1864 March 4
Submissions from 1865
Letter from Anna Calhoun to Col. A. Calhoun, 1865, March 10
Letter from J. C. Barn to Logwell Taylor, 1865, January 23
Letter from J. C. Barn to Thomas G. Clemson, Esq., 1865
Letter from Lagwell Taylor, 1865, January 23
Letter from Lagwell Taylor, January, 1865
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Logwell Taylor, Esq., 1865, October 18
Letter from unknown sender to Mrs. Clemson, 1865
Submissions from 1866
Agricultural report by Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, November 24
Interest of will by unknown sender for Anna Calhoun Clemson, 1866, September 6
Letter from Andrew Hansell to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, May 10
Letter from Colonel James Calhoun to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, August 30
Letter from D.W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, October 18
Letter from D.W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, October 29
Letter from Joseph Mays to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, September 24
Letter from L. Mays to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, July 30
Letter from Mays to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, May 9
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson, 1866 June 10
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel Calhoun, 1866, October 10
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1866, July 10
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1866, June 24
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to James Calhoun, 1866, June 22
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Logwell Taylor, 1866, May 28
Letter from unknown sender to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, July 10
Letter from unknown sender to unnamed recipient, 1866, September 14
Memorandum by D. Appleton to Thomas G. Clemson, 1866, June 9
Submissions from 1867
Articles of agreement between Thomas G. Clemson and freedmen and women, 1867
Letter from Appleton to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, March 19
Letter from Appleton to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, March 29
Letter from A. Thies to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867 January 23
Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, January 28
Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, January 29
Letter from Edward Noble, 1867, October 28
Letter from Edward Noble to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867 June 21
Letter from Edward Noble to unknown receiver, 1867, September 6
Letter from G. T. Symmin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, May 12
Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, April 25
Letter from Leupp to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, October 24
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1867, July 10
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1867, March 14
Letter from unknown sender to Thomas G. Clemson, 1867, May 2
Statement of Sales of Calhoun Works, 1867, February 1
Submissions from 1868
Articles of agreement between Thomas G. Clemson and freedmen and women, 1868 January 1
Bank note of Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, October 6
Entry of minutes of meeting heard on Oct. 11, 1861. 1868, October 8
Letter from H. Gourdin, 1868, April 30
Letter from H. Gourdin, 1868, May 23
Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, April 22
Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, September 14
Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1869, December 28
Letter from M. Leupp to Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, April 2
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Elias Baker, 1868 January 16
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Elias Baker, 1868 September 26
Private letter from unknown sender, 1868, December 16
Record of Thomas B. Clemson, 1868 August 11
Statement of sales of Calhoun works, 1868
Subpoena ticket of Thomas G. Clemson, 1868, September 11
Thomas G. Clemson papers, 1868, October 6
Transcript of articles of agreement between Thomas G. Clemson and freedmen and women, 1868 January 1
Submissions from 1869
Back of a letter to Thomas G. Clemson, 1869-1870
Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1869, April 19
Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1869, June 29
Letter from unknown sender, 1869, April 1
Submissions from 1870
Advocacy for Agricultural college from Thomas Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1870
Letter from Colonel James Calhoun to Thomas G. Clemson, 1870, September 13
Letter from Mr. Stephan to Thomas G. Clemson, 1870, February 19
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Colonel James Calhoun, 1870, June 24
Memorandum of mortgage agreement, Thomas G. Clemson, 1870, January 17
Note by Thomas G. Clemson on Robert Kay, 1870, May 23
Typed letter from Paul McKay Jr. to Richard Robinson, 1870, May 23
Typed letter from Richard Robinson to Joe Sherman, 1870, May 23
Submissions from 1871
Articles of agreement between Thomas G. Clemson and freedmen and women, 1871 January 1
Epitaph for John Calhoun Clemson, 1871 August 10
Handwritten accounts by unknown sender, 1871
Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1871, July 19
Letter from unknown sender, 1871, January 2
Letter from unknown sender to unknown recipient, 1871, February 4
Letter to Thomas G. Clemson from H. Gourdin, 1871, March 18
Memorandum of notes, 1871, March 12
Note to T. B. Clemson, 1871 March 11
Receipt of Thomas G. Clemson, 1871
Submissions from 1872
Letter from H. Gourdin to Thomas G. Clemson, 1872, April 20