Tillman Hall in Focus
Many of the people that Holmes, Lee,and Hunter chose to include in the list were a part of the original faculty and staff that helped create Clemson in the first place. Richard Wright Simpson, Benjamin Ryan Tillman, and Alan Johnstone were the three names that were approved for building names. Simpson was a longtime friend and advisor of Thomas G. Clemson, and drafted Clemson’s will. Simpson also was the president of the original Board of Trustees of Clemson College. Benjamin Tillman was appointed a trustee of the will and helped to follow through with Clemson’s College. Alan Johnstone was an early trustee member.
Tillman in particular was very popular among the state, being the governor of South Carolina (1890-1984) and a Senator for the state(1895-1918). Thomas G. Clemson met with Tillman because of his idea for a separate agricultural college in South Carolina. The two men met in 1886 at Fort Hill to discuss the early beginnings of the agricultural college idea. Clemson,Tillman and other future trustees met two years later in 1888 to put the college in motion(Reel 42). Many Tillmanites came out to support the opening of Clemson’s College because they saw it as the sole work of Tillman and wanted to give honor to his work. Note the will of Thomas Clemson that named Tillman as a trustee and the newspaper article that shows that Tillmanites were there at the laying of the cornerstone of what would become the Main Building on campus. These sources show that the heritage of Tillman was being reflected in the renaming of the Main building.
Tillman Hall was a part of a movement on campus to rename buildings and roads, but took the spotlight when it was announced in The Tiger in July 1947. The Main Hall was a well known building on campus and to place Tillman’s name to such a conspicuous building makes it seem that the committee members favored Tillman over other candidates. This may be true that the members did favor Tillman more because he had done so much for Clemson and South Carolina, being Governor and a Senator for the state. However, Tillman’s legacy on campus could be due in part to his son’s continued presence on Clemson’s campus. Benjamin Ryan Tillman III wanted his father to be remembered in a positive light and continued to promote the legacy of his father on Clemson’s Campus. In 1944 Francis Simkins wrote a biography on Tillman’s father called Pitchfork Ben Tillman. I found in the university files of Tillman’s notes a typed note absolutely trashing Simkins for his portrayal of Tillman. See these remarks to see what Tillman III was capable of saying when his family name was crossed.
Tillman III had a close relationship with President Poole of Clemson and was involved on the campus during the 1945-1946 school year. He was meeting with Clemson faculty and staff, adressing the alumni memebers and so forth. This close proximity to the name change makes one think Tillman had some influence over the committee members to name a building after his father. To promote the heritage and good name of his father.
