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 1859
Letter from John Raven Mathewes to Thomas G. Clemson, 1859 February 6
Letter from J. T. Leupp to Thomas G. Clemson, 1859 August 28
Letter from J. T. Leupp to Thomas G. Clemson, 1859 July 24
Letter from Laura Leupp to Floride Clemson, 1859 November 30
Letter from L. [illegible] to sister, 1859 August 24
Letter from L. Leupp to Anna Clemson, 1859 October 6
Letter from Louisa Washington to Thomas G. Clemson, 1859 October 10
Letter from L. S. Leupp to Anna Clemson, 1859 December 4
Letter from L. Wu, 1859 July 24
Letter from Mary D. Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1859 December 28
Letter from P. J. [illegible] to Anna Clemson, 1859 July 25
Letter from P. J. Namis to Anna Clemson, 1859 August 18
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1859 August 20
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Elias Baker, 1859 October 27
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Laura Washington, 1859 September 29
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Laura Washington, 1859 September 30
Letter from William F. Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1859 November 13
Letter to Anna Clemson, 1859 November 26
Letter to Anna Clemson, 1859 September 25
Letter to Floride Clemson, 1859 December 29
Letter to Thomas G. Clemson, 1859 January 17
Note of monetary balance to J. C. Calhoun, 1859 July
Poem with doodles from John Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1859
Short note from Charles Leupp to Thomas G. Clemson, 1859 February 12
South Carolina College Commencement Ball invitation, 1859 December 5
Typed letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1859 December 12
Typed letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1859 November 21
Typed letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1859 November 9
Typed letter from Laura S. Leupp to Anna Clemson, 1859 September 30
Typed letter from Laura S. Leupp to Floride Clemson, 1859 November 30
Typed letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Anna Clemson, 1859 August 20
Submissions from 1860
Account balance of Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 February 1
Business note signed by Moses Kelly, 1860 May 12
Cotton crop record, 1860 August 31
Envelope addressed to Floride Clemson, 1860
Invitation from S. Warley, 1860 January 19
Letter from Anna Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1860 March 18
Letter from Anna Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1869 March 18
Letter from Annie to Floride Clemson, 1860 January 10
Letter from Charles Leupp & Co. to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 December 3
Letter from Charles Leupp & Co. to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 February 3
Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 December 18
Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 January 26
Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 November 13
Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 November 19
Letter from D. W. Lee to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 November 30
Letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1860 December 28
Letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1860 November 16
Letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1860 November 24
Letter from Floride Calhoun to Floride Clemson, 1860 December 3
Letter from Harrie Hane to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 December 10
Letter from H. Gruidun to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 November 22
Letter from Isabella to Floride Clemson, 1860 November 18
Letter from J. C. Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1860 January 25
Letter from J. C. Clemson to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 August 29
Letter from J. E. Calhoun, 1860 May 7
Letter from J. Moramofs to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 June 28
Letter from J. Raven Mathewes to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 December 24
Letter from J. Thompson to William D. Bishop, 1860 February 6
Letter from Laura to Floride Clemson, 1860 March 31
Letter from Lisette Daub to Anna Clemson, 1860 January 21
Letter from L. L. Brown to Floride Clemson, 1860 July 5
Letter from Louisa Leupp to Floride Clemson, 1860 February 3
Letter from L. T. Leupp to Floride Clemson, 1860 December 25
Letter from L. T. Leupp to Floride Clemson, 1860 December 4
Letter from L. T. Leupp to Floride Clemson, 1860 September 19
Letter from Mary Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1860 April 14
Letter from N. C. Stephen to Anna Clemson, 1860's
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Elias Baker, 1860 April 12
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Elias Baker, 1860 April 3
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to H. W. Ravenel, 1860 November 10
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to James E. Calhoun, 1860 June 1
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to James E. Calhoun, 1860 June 4
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to John Calhoun Clemson, 1860 July 8
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Joseph Moramofs, 1860 June 21
Letter from Thomas G. Clemson to Joseph Mora Mose, 1860
Letter from William Calhoun to Floride Clemson, 1860 January 12
Letter from William Calhoun to Floride Clemson, 1860 March 22
Letter from W. L. R. to Anna Clemson, 1860's
Letter to Floride Clemson, 1860 August 17
Letter to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 January 17
List of furniture and other articles, 1860 April 24
Note of certification from Elizabeth A. Parker to Anna Clemson, 1860 November 25
Receipt from H. Wallis to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 December 18
Receipt of Patrick Calhoun, 1860 June
Receipt to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 May 1
Typed letter from Anna Clemson to Floride Clemson, 1860 November 11
Typed letter from Floride Calhoun to Anna Clemson, 1860 November 24
Typed letter from J. Thompson to Thomas G. Clemson, 1860 February 2
Typed letter from L Van Wyck to Floride Clemson, 1860 October 29
Typed letter from L. Van Wyck to Floride Clemson, 1860 October 29
Typed letter from Philip F. Thomas to Jacob Thompson, 1860 May 12
Typed letter from Thomas G. Clemson to H. W. Ravenel, 1860 May 21
Writ of freedom from Elizabeth A. Parker to Peter, 1860 October 25
Submissions from 1861
Account balance of Thomas G. Clemson, 1861 February 18
Clemson, Thomas G. Papers Sept. 1861-Oct. 1861
Declaration of immediate causes of secession of South Carolina from the Union, 1861
Letter from Anna Clemson, 1861 March 29