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 1886
Letter from James H. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 December 9
Letter from James H. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 July 1
Letter from James H. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 July 16
Letter from James H. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 July 7
Letter from James H. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson 1886 June 28
Letter from James H. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 November 15
Letter from James H. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 November 6
Letter from Kate Hampton to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 October 14
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 October 24
Letter from Rion's Law Office to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 July 16
Letter from T.C. North to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 March 24
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Richard Simpson, 1886 December 14
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Richard Simpson, 1886 December 30
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to unknown recipient, 1886 April 22
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to unknown recipient, 1886 April 30
Letter from W. Pinckney Starke to unknown recipient, 1886 June 24
Letter written by H. Pickens, 1856 April 21
Second half of letter from Thomas Darris to Thomas G. Clemson, 1886 October 14
Second half of letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Gideon Lee , 1886 March 29
Submissions from 1887
Letter from A. G. Holmes, Jr. to Captain Richard Simpson, 1887 August 9
Letter from Edward A. Tresed to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 November 7
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 April 16
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 August 20
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 January 12
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 January 21
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 July 16
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 March 26
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 September 17
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 September 24
Letter from G. D. Born to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 November 18
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 April 30
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 August 28
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 December 22
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 February 14
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 July 4
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 June 4
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 November 12
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 November 18
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 October 12
Letter from R. W. S. to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 January 23
Letter from S. N. Hamilton to Thomas G. Clemson, 1887 November 26
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Captain Simpson, 1887 January 27
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Elias Baker, 1887 January 10
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1887 April 26
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to R. W. Simpson, 1887 February 16
Submissions from 1888
Appraised bill of the property of the estate of Thomas G. Clemson, deceased, 1888 November 24
Clemson, Thomas G. Papers notes on Documents concerning Obar mine
Clipping of newspaper headline on Thomas G. Clemson, 1888
Envelope addressed to Thomas G. Clemson, 1888 March 5
Handwritten sort family tree of Calhouns
Letter from A. M. Sturnson, 1888 March 20
Letter from Essie Prinee to Floride Lee, 1888 February 25
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1888
Letter from Floride Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1888 January 14
Letter from J. T. Jameson to Thomas G. Clemson, 1888 March 3
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Major R. W. Simpson, 1888 May 7
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1888 February 29
Letter from Mary C. Rion to Thomas G. Clemson, 1888 January 2
Letter from Thomas Green Clemson to Thomas W Pickens, Thomas Green Clemson
Letter, July 25, from Floride Calhoun to Anne Clemson, Floride Calhoun
Photocopy of "A list of John Ewing Calhoun's Lands"
Submissions from 1890
Letter from Joseph H. Earle to Augustine T. Smythe, 1890 February 21
Submissions from 1898
Envelope addressed to R. W. Simpson, 1898 March 4
Letter from S. Simpson to cousin Dick, 1898 March 4
Submissions from 1907
Headline on death of William Pinckney Starke, 1907 January 15
Submissions from 1927
Newspaper article about Thomas G. Clemson, 1927 April 10
Newspaper article about Thomas G. Clemson, 1927 April 17
Newspaper article about Thomas G. Clemson, 1927 March 13
Newspaper article about Thomas G. Clemson, 1927 March 20
Newspaper article about Thomas G. Clemson, 1927 March 27
Newspaper article about Thomas G. Clemson and Clemson University, 1927 February 27
Submissions from 1928
Journal of Chemical Education by Thomas G. Clemson, 1928 April
Letter from E. W. Sikes to Professor A. G. Holmes, 1928 February 18
Reminiscences of Mrs. Prince about Thomas G. Clemson, 1928 March 9
"Thomas Green Clemson, L.L.D., The Chemist", 1928 May
Submissions from 1929
Letter from Ben Robertson, Jr. to Dr. Brackett, 1929 January 30
Submissions from 1934
Letter from A. G. Holmes to M. Louie Simpson, 1934 August 18
Letter from J. H. Clemson to Marian Lewis, 1934 November 7
Letter from Louie Simpson, 1934 August 29
Letter from Maria Lewis to J. H. Clemson, 1934 October 21
Short notes and account of book repair failure, 1934
Submissions from 1941
Letter from N. R. Beacham to Dr. R. F. Poole, 1941 September 26
Letter from Rev. N. R. Beacham to Dr. R. F. Poole, 1941 September 22
Letter from R. F. Poole to Rev. N. R. Beacham, 1941 September 24
Submissions from 1943
Letter from Alexander B. Andrews to Dr. R. F. Poole, 1943 October 26
Letter from R. F. Poole to Alexander B. Andrews, 1943 November 4
Submissions from 1947
Article "Some Scraps of Interesting History" by B. W. Crouch, 1947 February 21
Submissions from 1958
Letter from Anna Clemson to Floride Clemson about the family, 1858 March, Anna Marie Calhoun Clemson
Letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1858 April 24, Floride Calhoun
Letters and Anna Clemson to Floride Clemson from their mothers, 1858 April
Notes in regard to "The Will and Codicil of Thomas G. Clemson", 1958 September 1
Submissions from 1959
Letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1859 December
Letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1859 July
Letter from L. L. Brown to Floride, 1859 October
Letter from Mary L. M. Ritchie to J. W. G. Gourlay, 1959 July 31
Letter from Mary L .M. Ritchie to J. W. G. Gourlay, 1959 November 2
Letter from Robert C. Edwards to Jeff B. Bates, 1959 August 4
Letter to Robert C. Edwards, 1959 August 21