The Statue is Completed?
Approached by university officials in 1936, Davidson quickly began constructing the statue of Thomas Clemson. On April 16, 1936, The Tiger announced that the statue of Thomas Clemson was completed, yet this notion was far from the case. The statue pictured here in the newspaper is only the plaster molding of the statue. The college had yet to purchase the actual statue itself (i.e., pay Davidson). As we will see, this pattern of The Tiger reporting a different story than what is unfolding is a common theme throughout the statue's history.
"Two years later, and still no statue"
In the wake of the Great Depression (1929-1933), the university couldn't afford to construct a massive statue of Thomas Clemson. On December 31, 1938, Davidson reached out to the university's business manager, James Corcoran (J.C.) Littlejohn, in hopes of "working something out" about the Thomas Clemson statue.
"We can't afford the statue"
J.C. Littlejohn replied to Davidson’s plea for working something out over the statue. However, in his reply, Littlejohn stated that the university does not have the funds necessary for the statue. As the reader will soon see, Davidson will offer a real deal to the college.
